Ford launches the all-new Endeavour in India

Less than six months ago, Ford's lineup in India was hardly exciting save for the Ecosport. They might have been the best-handling cars in their segments but the Figo and Classic were pretty old compared to the newer competition. One after the other came the Figo Aspire compact sedan, the new Figo hatchback and the Ecosport facelift. Stepping into 2016, Ford probably had the newest lineup in the industry. With the launch of the all-new Endeavour today, the American manufacturer is continuing its launch spree here.

When the original Endeavour was launched here way back in 2003, it was a popular choice in the premium SUV segment by virtue of its butch looks, massive road presence and good off-roading capability. In 2009, the Toyota Fortuner came in and decimated the competition overnight. With the new Endeavour, Ford would be hoping to redeem its lost position back from Toyota.

From the looks of it, the new Endeavour is a clear winner. Ford has retained the classic SUV traits and refrained from adding unnecessary cuts and creases in the sheet metal. The Endeavour is butch, boxy and muscular with a macho image that can be matched by very few SUVs in India. A big trapezoidal grille with thick chrome bars sets the tone up front with a huge Ford logo sitting proudly in between. While the hunky proportions and butch looks are carried over in profile, the rear is relatively softer and loses the tailgate-mounted spare wheel. A healthy dose of chrome is present at the rear too while both bumpers get rather prominent skid plates. 

The interiors of the new Endeavour are top notch as well with full leather upholstery, 8-way electrically-adjustable driver's seat, dual zone climate control, power lift tailgate, a 8-inch TFT touchscreen infotainment system with 10 speakers, Ford's latest SYNC 2.0 tech and even Integrated Active Noise Cancellation available as standard across the range. The flagship 3.2-liter Titanium variant gets several segment-first features that could put the German luxury cars to shame. The spec list include front parking sensors, tyre pressure monitor, interior ambient lighting, automatic headlamps with HID and jet wash, front parking sensors, puddle lamps, electric panoramic sunroof, power-folding third row and semi-automatic parallel park assist.

If off-roading is your forte, the new Endeavour is tailor-made for you with a ground clearance of 225 mm and water wading capability of 800 mm. The 4x4 variants even gets a 'Terrain Response System' that lets the driver choose between Sand, Snow/Mud and Rock modes depending on the surface underneath.

Of late, Ford's commitment towards offering segment-leading safety features as standard has been evident and the Endeavour is no different. While front and rear disc brakes, driver and passenger airbag, Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Traction Control, Hill Launch Assist, emergency assistance and Ford My Key are standard across all trim levels, the top-end variant offers seven airbags including a knee airbag for the driver.

Powering the all-new Endeavour is a choice of two diesel engines - a 2.2-liter, 4-cylinder mill with 158 BHP and 385 Nm of torque and a 3.2-liter, 5-cylinder unit with 197 BHP and a whopping 470 Nm of torque. While the smaller engine can be had with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission, the 3.2-liter variants are mated to the latter only. Similarly, the 2.2-liter variants can be had in 4x2 as well as 4x4 drivetrain while the 3.2-liter variants come with 4x4 option only. 

Prices for the 2.2-liter variants start from INR 24.75 Lakhs and go up to INR 27.36 Lakhs while the two 3.2-liter variants are priced at INR 27.78 and 29.46 Lakhs for the Trend and Titanium trim levels respectively.

At these prices, the Endeavour undercuts the Toyota Fortuner, its chief rival. With its butch looks, comfy interiors, an impressive array of comfort, technology and safety features and a good variant spread, there is no reason to not believe that the Ford might manage to pull in a significant chunk of customers from the popular Toyota. In fact, the all-new Endeavour deserves to sell well. Period.