Car tested: 2011 Ford Endeavour 4 x 4
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 23,89,654/-
Mammoth! That’s just one of the words which come to mind when we are talking about the Ford Endeavour. This SUV has a distinct road presence and is based on the Ford Ranger platform, which is originally based on the Mazda BT-5O platform. The Ford Endeavour can be intimidating too at times, especially if you see one darting towards you in the rear view mirror and creates a scattering effect with most scooting out of the way, especially pesky rickshaw driver who prefer to stay as far away as possible. We drove the Ford Endeavour 4×2 last year and this review will be focused only on the 4×4 variant of this mighty machine.
The 4×2 does well in the urban jungle, but when it comes to the real jungle, the 4×4 variant is upto the challenge in the given conditions.
Under the hood is the same 3.0 ltr Common Rail Diesel engine as its 4×2 sibling with the same power and torque ratings of 153 BHP @ 3200 rpm & 380 NM at 2500 rpm respectively. Mated to this is a 5 speed automatic transmission with gears ratios to match both on and off road driving.
The 4×4 version offers a electric shift-on-the-fly system for the selection of 2WD or 4WD mode as per the requirement. This switch is placed directly behind the gear lever. Usual city driving can be done in 2H, its only when you get to serious offroading does the Endy beckon you to switch the knob to the 4H or 4L position. The Endeavour has a limited slip differential at the rear and shift can be done on the move with the help of Borg Warner transfer case, which will instantaneously ensure that traction in available to all wheels.
The instrument cluster will show you the drive mode, in this case 4L. This ensures that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road while shifting the driving modes.
The 4×4 variant offers a Kenwood touch screen audio system which also serves as a display for the rear parking camera and satellite navigation which is powered by MapmyIndia. Ipod and USB connectivity is provided in the glovebox. It also supports bluetooth pairing with the mobile phone for a hands free phone experience on the go.
The GPS receiver is conveniently placed on the dashboard. Accuracy of the maps, at least around Mumbai and Lonavala, was spot on.
The rear underbelly exposes a typical leaf spring setup. The underbelly upfront is protected by a series of skid plates.
The Endy’s offroading capability is impressive. It made through slush, uphill, through grass etc in the 4H mode with needing to shift to the 4L only while doing a steep uphill climb. Our offroad experience can be summarized in this video –
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npYhN2p06As 540 375]
The beauty of the Endeavour is the offering of 4×4 capability with an Automatic transmission. The trend shows that most urban consumers are turning to automatic variants these days and for approx Rs. 1.3 lakhs extra (ex-showroom) over the 4×2 variant, the 4×4 variant offers front passenger and driver side airbags, GPS Navigation, Rear camera, Bluetooth connectivity etc. Surprisingly the Endy misses basic features like audio controls on the steering and automatic climate control, which should be standard across this segment. However it’s still in its own league when it comes to serious off-roading and gives you the capability of carving your own road. We believe the next generation Endeavour should be out this year and will play a strong role in Ford’s portfolio in India.
Whats Cool
* Automatic Transmission
* True off-roading capability
* Space
* Road presence
* Safety
Whats Not So Cool
* Value for Money
* Basic features missing like Climate Control and Audio controls on Steering
* Ride quality