Not every traveller wants to cook dinner by headtorch. Some want the Kimberley Highway at sunrise followed by a hot shower and a station dinner. Some want to drive from Perth to Broome with five people in comfort, towing a camper trailer, and sleep in a proper bed at every stop.
The 2026 Ford Everest 4×4 5 Person SUV Wagon is the Adventure West vehicle for that journey.
What sets this apart
The Everest is not a camper. It carries no rooftop tent and no sleeping configuration in the rear. What it carries is five people in genuine comfort across any terrain WA presents with enough 4WD capability to access places a standard hire car cannot reach, and enough towing capacity for those bringing their own accommodation behind them.
Rated to tow 750kg unbraked and 2,400kg braked with a maximum trailer ATM of 2,400kg the Everest suits travellers towing a camper trailer, a small caravan, or a boat for coastal fishing. The vehicle itself is fitted with a dual battery system, a 35-litre Bushman fridge for day supplies, a steel bull bar, a Rhino Rack platform, an Ironman 180-degree awning, a HEMA GPS touchscreen, a GME UHF radio, a 160-litre long-range diesel tank, an ARB onboard compressor, a slide-out rear drawer system, recovery boards, and an emergency beacon EPIRB.
The base is the 2026 Ford Ranger Bi-Turbo Diesel engine, 10-speed automatic, high and low range 4WD, rear differential lock, hill descent control, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, rear view camera, and a 10-inch touchscreen with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A 5-star ANCAP safety rating. A Pedders GVM suspension upgrade and 2-inch lift with LT-rated All Terrain tyres mean the Everest handles the unsealed roads that lead to station stays, gorge carparks, and coastal tracks that do not appear on a standard road map.
The trip this vehicle is built for The North West Coastal Highway from Perth to Carnarvon is a long drive that rewards patience. Kalbarri makes a natural first stop, the gorge country accessible on a side trip before rejoining the highway north. Carnarvon sits on the Gascoyne River and serves as a resupply point for the run toward Shark Bay and Monkey Mia, where dolphins meet the shore on most mornings.
Mount Augustus, 480km east of Carnarvon, is the largest rock in the world. Twice the size of Uluru, and visited by a fraction of the people. The road to Augustus is unsealed and Everest handles it without difficulty. Station stays in the Murchison and Gascoyne regions offer a particular kind of accommodation: historic pastoral properties, hearty dinners, and a night sky that needs no description.
The Great Northern Highway connects the Midwest to the Kimberley through Newman and Port Hedland, and the Everest is a capable companion across that corridor. For travellers who want a fixed base and day trips into gorge country, Karijini is accessible with accommodation at the national park or at nearby stations. Broome, at the end of a long run north, needs no introduction.
For shorter trips from Perth, Wave Rock near Hyden sits in the WA Wheatbelt, accessible on a comfortable overnight. The Goldfields route through Kalgoorlie suits the Everest well for a week-long loop east of Perth.
Who this is for
Families who prefer accommodation each night and have no intention of camping. International visitors, particularly those unfamiliar with Australian road conditions, who want a 4WD-capable vehicle with advanced safety technology and an automatic transmission that makes long highway days manageable. Groups of five who want a single, comfortable vehicle rather than two smaller ones.
The Everest is also the right choice for travellers towing their own camper trailer or small caravan, bringing familiar sleeping arrangements while the vehicle provides the capability to reach places the usual hire fleet cannot. This is a common configuration for Australian families who own their own van and need a capable tow vehicle while interstate.
For first-time visitors to Australia, the Everest is approachable in a way that a canopy-mounted overland camper is not. Sit in. Drive. The intelligence built into the Ford platform manages the variables that can unsettle drivers new to outback roads.
The practicalities that matter
The slide-out rear drawer system keeps luggage accessible without unpacking everything. Tinted windows manage the afternoon sun on long westward drives. The STEDI LED lightbar handles low-light conditions on dusk animal crossings. The dual battery system powers the Bushman fridge independently of the main starter battery. Canvas seat covers protect against the red Kimberley dust that finds every surface.
Optional extras available to hire include chairs, a table, a gas cooker, a compact BBQ, fishing rod and tackle, a stand-up paddleboard, and children’s booster seats or baby capsules. A courtesy food hamper is included with every 10-day hire
Destinations: North West Coastal Highway, Mount Augustus, Murchison station stays, Carnarvon, Shark Bay, Karijini, Broome, Wave Rock, Great Northern Highway
