It’s easy to feel a bit gloomy about the state of Australian manufacturing.

Holden is gone, King Gee makes most of its clothes in China, and we apparently can’t even get a tunnel-boring machine through a mountain without it getting stuck.

But tucked away between Werribee and Geelong in Victoria is a reminder that we can still do world-class stuff.

You Yangs Proving Ground has been shaping Fords since 1965. Things are happening there I literally can’t show you because, before you walk through, they take your phones and lock them away.

At You Yangs there is an off-road course with sections formidably called “The Waltzer” and “Ship Creak”, a tarmac circuit with sections so rough robot drivers have had to take over to save human backs. And an acoustic testing room set on rubber mountings, technically separating it from the rest of the globe.

All the learnings from here are applied to cars sold not just in Australia but also in over 180 countries worldwide. And the results speak for themselves.

The Ford Ranger sold 56,555 examples in Australia last year, making it the country’s best-selling vehicle – for the third year running. Its SUV sibling, the Everest, shifted more than 26,000. Both are engineered here (even if they’re built in Thailand, but we’ll take the wins).

Clearly, Ford didn’t want to mess with success for the 2026 update. So visually, not much has changed.

There are some extra black accents where chrome used to be, a new Ranger Wolftrak variant in a hero colour called “Traction Green”, and the V6 turbo-diesel is now available deeper into the range.

The Everest also gets a new entry-level Active variant priced from $60,000 driveaway, which still includes leather seats, a 12-inch touchscreen and a reverse camera.

But the biggest change is under the bonnet.

Ford has quietly ditched the Ranger and Everest’s notorious 2.0-litre bi-turbo “wet belt” diesel engine in favour of a revised version with one turbo.

Technically, the engine itself isn’t new. It’s been used globally in the Transit van for years. But during Ford’s presentation, one bullet point stood out more than any other: “timing chain”.

Ford executives chuckled nervously when journalists asked why this had been highlighted so prominently, because everybody in the room already knew the answer.

The outgoing engine’s oil-soaked ‘wet’ timing belt developed a reputation that spread across Facebook groups, mechanics’ workshops and Australian pub conversations faster than a gastro outbreak at a daycare centre. It wasn’t necessarily catastrophic for every owner, but it was enough to put people off.

And frankly, it was probably the only question mark hanging over the Ranger and Everest because, otherwise, they’re excellent.

Driving around You Yangs, both still feel exactly as they should. Tough, planted and reassuringly solid. The steering remains meaty, the cabin is still easy to use, and the Everest continues to nail family-duty practicality.

Neither vehicle seemed remotely bothered by the proving ground’s absurd off-road obstacles, either, although one journalist did manage to beach a Ranger Wolftrak on a crest badly enough that I’m surprised our phones weren’t confiscated again.

The new four-cylinder diesel also impresses.

But don’t think the Ranger and Everest are ‘fast’. Flooring either of them produces more determination than acceleration. What it’s like when asked to tow will be interesting to see too.

But they are refined. The new engine is quieter than before and smoother, too, and paired with the 10-speed automatic, it’s often hard to distinguish it from a petrol engine once you’re moving.

It’s efficient as well. Ford sent us on a fuel-economy challenge between Melbourne and You Yangs, which rapidly descended into the sort of life-and-death match only males could produce over a tiny plastic trophy.

My co-driver and I briefly considered removing the rear seats, but in the end, we managed 7.9 litres per 100 km. The winning team somehow achieved 7.2 L/100km using what I can only assume was witchcraft.

Still, the bigger point is this: Ford appears to have fixed the one lingering question mark hanging over Australia’s favourite ute and SUV.

Part of me wondered whether I’d simply drunk the Ford Kool-Aid after hearing how much Australian engineering has gone into the Ranger and Everest.

But then you look at the rivals. The Toyota HiLux has become oddly awkward-looking, while the new Prado has gone hybrid in a move many long-time buyers didn’t exactly ask for. Suddenly, it’s not hard to understand why the Ford duo keep dominating the sales charts.

And now, they might even be reliable.

2026 Ford Everest Active

• $60,000 driveaway
• 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, 125 kW / 405 Nm
• 10-speed automatic, part-time 4WD
• 7.1 litres per 100 km, 80-litre fuel capacity
• 2245 kg
• 5-star ANCAP safety rating

Thanks to Ford Australia for providing this opportunity for testing. Region has no commercial arrangement with Ford Australia.

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