Road Test: Ford-Endeavour

Ford-Endeavour put to Test:

While everyone else was either getting in highly expensive luxo-SUVs or city-bound soft-roaders, Ford went in for a huge, utilitarian, truck-based off-roader, with a rumbling diesel engine and a great price. The Endeavour should be the perfect Indian SUV, but is it?:

Design, Engineering and Interiors:

The Endeavour is a South-East Asian model, based on the Ford Ranger pickup truck, and is simpler and more rugged, but not as sophisticated as a CR-V or Forester.It looks somewhat truck-like, with its cubic proportions, but it has undeniable presence. In fact, it is the epitome of what Indians think an SUV should look like: huge, beefy and rugged, with plenty of chrome and flared wheel arches. The nose is very recognisably Ford, the rear more modern and attractive.Under the skin, the Endeavour is a very traditional SUV, with a steel body bolted onto a ladder-frame chassis. It is suspended by double-wishbones in front, using torsion bars instead of coil springs and by a simple live axle and leaf springs at the rear. The suspension has been thoroughly tested and re-tuned for passenger comfort rather than the load-oriented setup of the Ranger.The interior is spacious and very well bolted together, marred only by cheap-looking plastics. The switchgear, gearknob and steering wheel feel nice and meaty, and the ergonomics, except for the too-small blower knob, are excellent. You sit really high up, with a great view of the road, and the front seats are highly adjustable.Leg- and headroom in the front and second rows are excellent, but comfort is compromised by the high floor, which forces your knees up — this is particularly bad in the third row, which is unsuitable for adults. There is plenty of storage space and cubbyholes; luggage space isn't great with all seven seats in place, but the middle and third row seats can be flipped forward or removed, creating a huge cargo bay.The air-con system is superb -- all seven passengers kept cool via multiple air ducts neatly integrated into the ceiling. Safety is excellent, with seatbelts for all seven passengers, and ABS and twin airbags as standard.

Performance, Fuel Economy and Handling

The Endeavour's 2.5-litre, 111bhp diesel is bred for torque, with 27.53kgm being made at a low 2000rpm, but the throttle response is sluggish. It is smooth and easy to use around town, but the problem is turbo-lag, which slows down responses and makes the driver work quite hard. Above 2000rpm, responses get better, and the Endeavour feels almost sprightly.There's more than enough grunt for off-roading, with plenty of torque available low down, and a Limited Slip Differential on the two-wheel- drive models that makes steep inclines easy going once it has gained some momentum. The gearbox is well-weighted, and the clutch light, which makes for easy going.The surprising thing is the low noise level of the engine. In four-wheel-drive versions, you have to operate a small lever to select two-wheel drive, four-wheel-drive high range or low range, like in traditional SUVs. There is no ‘shift-on-the-fly’ system that even the Safari uses.

Fuel economy isn't too bad: it manages 7.3kpl in the city and a useful 10.7kpl on the highway, which, with the large tank, gives the Endeavour a 760km range.

On the road, the Endeavour feels indestructible, and remains unfazed over the worst of roads, or even if you take two wheels over a concrete divider, as we did. The massive tyres absorb the impact, and the rigid chassis does the rest. Despite the bulk, the Endeavour is easy to drive; the high seating and long bonnet provide great visibility, and the steering is direct and communicative. It has superb handling for its size. It's a chore to park and make U-turns in, though. Ride quality, unlike the handling, is below par, the Endeavour riding well only on very smooth roads. The crude leaf springs get unsettled easily, the ride getting progressively worse as you go backwards in the cabin. The brakes are superb, with great feel and stopping power, and the huge, 210-mm ground clearance makes it easy to take off-road.

Verdict:*******###

The Endeavour is clearly an old-school SUV, and there’s no getting away from its truck roots. However, for the price, it offers a huge amount of metal, good looks, immense presence, a decent cabin and a not-too-bad driving experience. It is quite basic though, and doesn’t have the excitement, performance or finesse of other SUVs. The Endeavour is best bought in 2WD form, unless you're planning serious off-roading. No discounts are offered, though you could haggle to get accessories like floor mats and mud-flaps for free. The warranty is acceptable, if not great, and Ford dealers, though still not the best, are trying hard. Spares are fairly expensive, and though resale values are not yet known, it is likely to hold its value fairly well. The Endeavour is a good SUV if you need a capable but utilitarian off-roader to take you around the country, but if it had a little more power and a little more polish, it could have been a great one.