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LOCATED near Mount Pinatubo in Zambales, Lake Mapanuepe was formed after a volcanic eruption in 1991 when its lahar trail blocked the drainage of the Mapanuepe River, flooding the valley and the settlement.
Although the view is spectacular, dotted with pine trees and grass growing from the lahar-baked terrain, and tourists and visitors calling it the “New Zealand of Zambales” thanks to social media, the lake is a reminder of horror. that the cataclysm of 1991 left behind. So Lake Mapanuepe deserves its own definition.
Then a leak in a copper mine on the nearby shore contaminated the water with mercury until the lake’s fresh water diluted it. Even then, people were not allowed to swim and fish there because of possible traces of mercury in the lake. However, the view of the lake enchanted many people.
So Ford Philippines, along with the Ramirezes—George, Luis, and Stefan—chose an area with the remnants of a lahar all around, turned into gravel and dirt as pavement, as a playground for the Ford Rangers and Everest, putting the two cars’ advanced off-road capabilities to the test.
The drive from the south of Manila to the north to Clark (where we stopped for the night at the Swissotel) took over two hours in the rain. To keep the long drive to our destination from being too stressful, the adaptive cruise control was set up during the trips, making it easier to pedal and give us full control of the steering wheel, while the lane keeping system cleverly kept us in our lane until we changed lanes.
The interiors of the new Ranger and Everest are more refined and well-designed, with a focus on convenience and accessibility, with a large touchscreen in the center that puts a variety of functions such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto at your fingertips. and also adjust the air conditioning system.
The Active Parking Assist 2.0 suite of aids helped in scenarios such as tight parking spaces and narrow parking driveways, while its Reverse Brake Assist and Collision Warning came in handy in those situations.
It took us another three hours from Clark to arrive at our destination in Zambales, where gravel, pine trees, mud and ruts awaited us to test the new Ranger as well as the Everest before heading to the campsite by the lake.
The 210-horsepower twin-turbo inline-four engine allowed the Ranger to handle climbs and provide power for speed on both sand and tarmac. Both vehicles have different driving modes based on terrain and altitude, and we took turns driving and testing both vehicles’ off-road modes.
The difference between Everest, Ranger
Despite the rugged terrain, the Everest managed to deliver a smooth ride, making it an ideal vehicle for a family where comfort is a priority.
Before we went to test the Ranger, we had to stop for lunch at a lakeside campsite where horses and cows flock to graze on the grass while we admire the view of the lake.
After a few lunchtime activities we had to get into the Ranger Wildtrak to make it a more grueling course than Everest. With a suspension system built differently than the Everest, the Ranger is built for tougher situations when hauling precious cargo on the back of a truck, more suited to off-roading, especially on steep hills.
Despite their different designs, both the Ranger and the Everest pleased us, vastly improving on the previous generation with a suite of technology and safety features that made the journey less tiring.
Before we ended the day, I was approached by Luis Ramirez, who was walking ahead of the convoy heading home. He asked, “Did you have fun? Heart racing?”
Well, that was fun. It really made my heart skip a beat. And this from someone who has never ridden off-road despite being part of the automotive media for the past six years.
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