These full-size SUVs have a lot to offer and excel in massaging the ego of the driver with their butch presence and scare-any-one capability.
Exteriors – All the vehicles here are very butch in styling and all of them have an extremely imposing presence on the road. The Pajero Sport is a good looker and it also carries some sporty touches while the Fortuner is properly masculine. The Toyota, however, is too common on our roads and there are just a lot of them. Talking about the TrailBlazer, well it is the tallest SUV out here and even in person it looks very bulky. The Endeavour is the newest kid on the block and Ford has managed to get the styling spot on with this product. It has just the perfect dimensions that an SUV should have and the American design will also appeal to a lot of people.
Interiors – The Fortuner gets basic interiors which look quite outdated when compared to competition. The vehicle also gets only the basic features. The Pajero on the other hand has quite a few more features and even the Chevrolet SUV has some funky elements in its interiors. The Endeavour has a rich layout for the dashboard and offers a lot of kit. All of these SUVs offer a 7-seater option. For us, it is the Endeavour and the Pajero which really make the cut when we take interiors into consideration.
Engines – The Fortuner and Endeavour are the only ones here to get a choice of two diesel engines. The Japanese SUV gets 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre engines while the Endeavour gets 2.2-litre and 3.2-litre engines. Both the vehicles are offered in 2WD and 4WD modes just like the Pajero. The TrailBlazer also gets a 4WD drivetrain. The Endeavour 3.2 and TrailBlazer have similar levels of power but the Chevy has an upper hand when we talk about twisting force. The Fortuner 2.5 is the least powerful car here.
All cars are offered with an automatic transmission but it is the TrailBlazer which does not get a manual gearbox. The Fortuner gets only front disc brakes while all other SUVs get all four disc brakes. In terms of ground clearance, the Pajero Sport has the least at 215 mm while the TrailBlazer has the most ground clearance, standing at 253 mm. The Endeavour is available with a very useful Terrain Response System too. All four SUVs have more or less similar levels of fuel efficiency but the Endeavour 2.2 has a marginally better number than the other three.
Price & Verdict – It is quite amusing that the Fortuner 2.5 is pricier than the 3.0 4×2 trim. It is also the most outdated product here and yet sells the most which is testament to the fact that Indians are big fans of Toyota. The TrailBlazer is a good vehicle and comes in only one trim – LTZ AT. It is also the cheapest car here but looking at the initial demand, it seems that the vehicle has failed to strike the chord with buyers. The Pajero is completely non-existent in our market due to Mitsubishi’s negligible presence in the country. Now, Ford is betting big with the Endeavour and it is offered in a wide range of trims across a wide price band. The American SUV has a lot to offer and hopefully it should sell in good numbers. Our pick from these four SUVs would be the Endeavour followed very closely by the TrailBlazer.
