Based on the Ranger or the Fighter platform, depending on whether you look at it from Ford or Mazda eyes, it has created an SUV which would appeal to a wide range of audience in its target markets.
The Endeavour was born out of a need which FORD perceived for an SUV that could seat seven in comfort, and which had the ruggedness to tackle conditions in developing countries and safety which is influencing buying decisions more and more even in developing countries. The key point was that the vehicle had to be affordable.
And in keeping with the tradition of Ford SUVs like the Explorer, Expedition and Escape, the vehicle was named Everest for most of the world, and Endeavour for India.
Endeavour is being built at the Auto Alliance (Mazda & Ford) plant at Rayong, near Pattaya,
Ford is planning to assemble the Endeavour in India by getting CKDs from Thailand.
In size, the Endeavour is longer than the Mitsubishi Pajero by 183mm and though its wheelbase has
been shortened to increase its manoeuvrability for use in the city, its wheelbase of 2860mm is still longer than that of the Pajero by 80mm which is very good from the Indian point of view.
ENGINE
The Endeavour is powered by a Mazda 2.5-litre turbo charged engine. The 4-cylinder 2499cc three valves per cylinder engine features indirect injection and produces maximum power of 121PS at 3500rpm and maximum torque of 270Nm which is produced at 2000rpm. The single overhead cam turbo diesel engine is also intercooled for increasing its power delivery, has a refined intake system for quieter operation and has twin internal counter-rotating balance shafts to minimise vibration and noise by cutting down on second order vibrations. This engine also features diagonal exhaust gas flow into the turbocharger to optimise charging efficiency and reduce turbo lag while at the same time improving response at low speeds.
The Everest comes in two variants both petrol as well as diesel engines. However , the Endeavour will be available only with a diesel powerplant.
A five-speed manual transmission comes as standard. Ford has no plans to bring in the 4-speed electronic automatic gearbox as of now. The Endeavour will however be available with a four-wheel drive option. A floor mounted transfer case shift lever is used to choose between 2WD, 4H, 4L and neutral. A switch on the dashboard is used to lock the front free wheeling hubs. The system is not like the new electronic systems that we have been getting used to, and is a little complicated to use. But it is a nice change.
SAFETY
The Endeavour has been made keeping various safety aspects in mind and has front airbags for the driver as well as the front passenger. It also has 3-point seat belts for all the passengers except the central one in the second row for whom there is a lap belt. Passive safety features include a collapsible steering column, fuel tank guards, childproof door locks, side intrusion beams, a high penetration resistant windshield and burn resistant interiors. The Endeavour has also been tested for a 48kmph frontal barrier impact as well as a rear moving barrier or pendulum impact. All Endeavours will also be
equipped with engine immobilisers as part of the passive anti-theft system.
INTERIORS
The interiors are marked by tiered or theatre type seating with the position of each row of seats higher than the one ahead it so as to allow good visibility even for the passengers in the last row. That is very good as in other SUV’s in the market the rear passengers always had a hinderance viewing ahead.
The Other additional features with which Endeavour comes equips with include a dual control air-con with two additional pairs of vents for each of the rear row of seats which can be controlled by either a knob above the second row of seats or from the front.
The parking brake is like in the Qualis and has to be pulled out from under the dash to be engaged and pulled and twisted to release, which I think should have been made better.
The second row of seats is comfortable but too upright However, there is enough leg room. And
although Ford promises seating for seven, the last two should have had experience of travelling in Hyderabadi rickshaws because the seat bottom is flush on the floor and one has to literally sit with one’s feet folded underneath. The last row might be on the floor but it is definitely easy to get to from either side because the second row is 50:50 foldable and swings over easily to let an adult pass through in comfort. And both the rear seats fold over Qualis style to liberate a large loading area.
SUMMARY
All in all Ford has got itself a really good package that should appeal to a wide range of car owners. Especially for those who are stuck on Toyota Qualises and Tata Safaris for the lack of any other alternative to move up to. That should be the biggest pool of buyers for the Endeavour and pricing will be the key factor because if Ford leaves too much of a gap, it would have opened up a market for Toyota which it can take over by a product like the Condor.
In the current scenario the Endeavour offers a proposition that none of the others can match. Whether it will be able to get the pricing down to a level where others will find it difficult to match in the future as well remains to be seen.