[condor]

Originally Posted by Khushrav

I may be the odd one, but I do not like the styling at all. It looks like the designer has gone overboard and moved away from the DNA.

Not the odd one, but in the relative minority. The prev version was better. This one is looking like a snake with fangs bared !

I dont expect too many people moving away. There were quite a few who used to complain that the interiors of the Fortuner were same as the Innova. Wonder if it is the same now - new Fortuner & the Crysta ..

[superbhikari]

Seriously Ford just down the top-end Endy by 2 Lacs and offer VFM maintenance package and we will see loads of Fortuner waitlist haters going blue.

[Abhi_Automobile]

I am sure that I am against the tide here - but I don't like the external styling one bit. It is confused, meshed up, and not at all butch. In fact, generally speaking, I think fo all the major manufacturers, Toyota has one of the worst design teams. They are masters at creating wierd and awkward looking designs. The interiors are a welcome change though..

I still think that the Endeavour is the best looking fill sized SUV out there in the Indian market. And it looks all the more exciting after the price cuts. I am certain that Ford dealers will come under increasing pressure (and may struggle) to sell the vehicle now, thanks to the blind following Toyota/ Honda enjoy in our country. If I were there in the market today, I see this as an opportunity to squeeze F-A-T discounts from a potential Endeavour deal.


Cheers
Abhi

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by anumod

Here I am talking mainly with the Engine and transmission).

I assume you are asking me about Toyota MT Vs Ford MT? I have not driven the Endy in MT trim, we were sure that it would be top end 3.2 which is an auto and drove that.

But this is something you can look forward to in detailed review I guess.

Originally Posted by earthian

Since you are a serious off roader, i would have thought that a 4x4 was mandatory?

This is going to be a second vehicle for the family for long highways and odd weekend outings or so. I don't think I would be allowed to take such expensive cars Offroad also I have my Thar for that. Yes 4x4 is a reassuring thing to have on those impulsive trips and outings but definitely not a priority to throw money away.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

The Fortuner will walk all over in sheer numbers over the Ford like earlier.

Unless Ford plays its cards which happen very rarely here in India, this is going to be the reality.

Originally Posted by condor

Wonder if it is the same now - new Fortuner & the Crysta ..

Yes from a theme perspective, no since there are more improvements in certain areas like dashboard and such. Its not same but there are lot of similarities also, with a slightly higher ego positioning in the case of Fortuner.

Originally Posted by superbhikari

Seriously Ford just down the top-end Endy by 2 Lacs and offer VFM maintenance package and we will see loads of Fortuner waitlist haters going blue.

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

I am certain that Ford dealers will come under increasing pressure (and may struggle) to sell the vehicle now, thanks to the blind following Toyota/ Honda enjoy in our country. If I were there in the market today, I see this as an opportunity to squeeze F-A-T discounts from a potential Endeavour deal.

I have a feeling Ford is quite happy with the numbers it is selling, when we were checking last month it had a healthy wait list, atleast here in BLR. So either they are not ramped up for production and happily taking there incentives or not really interested in selling it here in India. Discounts also were not great, though we did not get into hard negotiations then.

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

So pick your poison. IMO the Fortuner has much more wider appeal due to the manual box and the option of a 4x2 AT. The Endeavour is more for the enthusiasts and people who seek exclusivity vs the Fortuner which is more mass market if you can call a 35L SUV mass market.

Well said! I guess the Toyota is going to outsell the Ford 2x or more given the strong brand pull that Fortuner enjoys over here.

Here is my view:

On the outside, I really like the Endeavour. The Toyota looks so confused with those very complex mix of lines and curves. The Ford is just perfect, all you need to do is make the grille gloss black.

On the inside, I prefer the Endeavour till the window sill. The leather top on the dash, the all black roof, the absolutely gorgeous panoramic sunroof walks it. But the new Fortuner looks better from the window down. I hope Ford can fix all that beige inside the Endeavour and soon. The colour theme on the inside of the Fortuner is better.

I loved the Endeavour when I drove it. The ride, the steering, the handling was amazing for a truck that big and tall. I didn't bother with MT as for big trucks my preference is AT always. MT is for the sporty sedans and hatchbacks. That's what I feel.

Havent driven the Toyota yet, but I doubt it will be as good as the Ford after going through many international reviews where they have pitted both together and the Ford has come on top despite commanding a premium everywhere but India. We are getting a great deal over here due to our market conditions. The delta between the two is actually not x but 2x.

So, if Ford can offer a choice to the buyers and offer the all black edition like in international markets, then it's the Endeavour all the way.

[GTO]

In the premium segment, you can't be stuck on an MT (unfortunately) as your options will be too limited.

Based on Jaggu's review, I would buy the Endeavour 3.2 over the Fortuner. The engine is sweeeeeet (even sounds nice). Styling wise, I prefer the Endeavour. It has more equipment too, including a panoramic sunroof. The suspension is excellent for a body-on-frame (Fortuner appears to be bumpy, but final verdict pending), and it'll easily do everything offroad that the Fortuner can. Anshuman's buddy owns an Endeavour that they regularly take for 4-wheeling. The Fortuner might be more reliable in the longer term, yet the Endeavour is quite durable too. Not like it's a troublesome European SUV.

The Endeavour is a terrific all-rounder...and one without any deal-breaker. I look forward to driving the new Fortuner, but doubt that my opinion will change (as Jaggu has covered all the important points already).

[superbhikari]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I have a feeling Ford is quite happy with the numbers it is selling, when we were checking last month it had a healthy wait list, atleast here in BLR. So either they are not ramped up for production and happily taking there incentives or not really interested in selling it here in India. Discounts also were not great, though we did not get into hard negotiations then.

Sure, Ford won't be acting soon tweaking anything but may be from 6 to 9 months or next festive season we may see decent discount or price reduction on top-end Endeavour. Fingers crossed. Also, Ford Endeavour 3.2 has very low FE (though justified with size-weight and engine it offers), Fortuner has an edge here when comparing ARAI figures.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by GTO

In the premium segment, you can't be stuck on an MT (unfortunately) as your options will be too limited.

Based on Jaggu's review, I would buy the Endeavour 3.2 over the Fortuner. The engine is sweeeeeet (even sounds nice). Styling wise, I prefer the Endeavour. It has more equipment too, including a panoramic sunroof. The suspension is excellent for a body-on-frame (Fortuner appears to be bumpy, but final verdict pending), and it'll easily do everything offroad that the Fortuner can. Anshuman's buddy owns an Endeavour that they regularly take for 4-wheeling. The Fortuner might be more reliable in the longer term, yet the Endeavour is quite durable too. Not like it's a troublesome European SUV.

The Endeavour is a terrific all-rounder...and one without any deal-breaker. I look forward to driving the new Fortuner, but doubt that my opinion will change (as Jaggu has covered all the important points already).

Agree word for word. I feel exactly the same. Add paddle shifts and the car is perfect!!

If Endys truly depreciate a bit more heavily than fortuners, the informed enthusiast could even watch out for some sweet sub 2 year moderately run options in a year or so. I'd consider that almost as a first option. Brilliantly capable product that suffers a lower resale brand equity.

[rageraver]

A walkaround video of the Toyota Fortuner by Velocigear Youtube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05eMiY-KPWo

Source : Velocigear

[Sankar]

I am the odd one here, I like how the Fortuner looks now compared to its previous self. A bit of sophistication has taken over the simplicity of the earlier model inside out.

[sunishsamuel]

Ford is offering the 3.2 in AWD version while Toyota isnt. That will definitely affect fuel economy. However, if i have to believe the Fuel economy indicator in the car, then the Endeavour gives more than 10.91kmpl (ARAI figure) on long drives and is in the range of 11-13kmpl. Whatever said, Toyota will always have a slight edge when it comes to Fuel efficiency.

I was looking online for some comparison

Fortuner is 2735kg (4wd - per the brochure ) vs Endeavour 3.2 Titanium is about 2500kg (refer link) Ford needs to learn from Toyota on how to be fuel efficient in spite of being heavier. (i have a feeling that the figures given for weights are incorrect with Ford being heavier and not vice versa -- experts, please correct me if i am wrong)

[nareshtrao]

Originally Posted by sunishsamuel

Ford is offering the 3.2 in AWD version while Toyota isnt. That will definitely affect fuel economy. However, if i have to believe the Fuel economy indicator in the car, then the Endeavour gives more than 10.91kmpl (ARAI figure) on long drives and is in the range of 11-13kmpl. Whatever said, Toyota will always have a slight edge when it comes to Fuel efficiency.

I was looking online for some comparison

Fortuner is 2735kg (4wd - per the brochure ) vs Endeavour 3.2 Titanium is about 2500kg (refer link) Ford needs to learn from Toyota on how to be fuel efficient in spite of being heavier. (i have a feeling that the figures given for weights are incorrect with Ford being heavier and not vice versa -- experts, please correct me if i am wrong)

Fortuner Kerb Weight is 2125 Kg. compared to Endeavour Kerb Weight of 2340 Kg.

So Endeavour is much heavier.

Also Gross Weight for Fortuner is 2735/2750 Kg. vs. 3100 Kg. of Endeavour

Above data after skimming through AU and SA catalogs so there will be a minor difference with India based on trim levels.

Links below:

http://www.toyota.com.au/fortuner/sp...rtuner-gx-auto

http://www.ford.co.za/suvs/all-new-e...ification-data

[Ace F355]

Originally Posted by GTO

In the premium segment, you can't be stuck on an MT (unfortunately) as your options will be too limited.

Based on Jaggu's review, I would buy the Endeavour 3.2 over the Fortuner. The engine is sweeeeeet (even sounds nice). Styling wise, I prefer the Endeavour. It has more equipment too, including a panoramic sunroof. The suspension is excellent for a body-on-frame (Fortuner appears to be bumpy, but final verdict pending), and it'll easily do everything offroad that the Fortuner can. Anshuman's buddy owns an Endeavour that they regularly take for 4-wheeling. The Fortuner might be more reliable in the longer term, yet the Endeavour is quite durable too. Not like it's a troublesome European SUV.

The Endeavour is a terrific all-rounder...and one without any deal-breaker. I look forward to driving the new Fortuner, but doubt that my opinion will change (as Jaggu has covered all the important points already).

That would be rhandle's Endeavour. A few videos and pics of the same can be found here

on your comments above. Endy drives very well, however just like Fortuner, middle row of Endy isn't something to wrote home about. Better than older ladder-on-frame SUVs, yes... but not even close to monocoques. Watt's Linkage on Endy does help in controlling its body movement and improve its on-road dynamics though. On its off-road abilities, I think we are yet to explore all of the options in new Endeavour. I remember last time, we wanted to do some customization with our options (i.e. Low Range + Sand Mode on TMS + Diff Lock) and it wasn't happening. We guessed Ford had plonked in some pre-configured conditions for low range box and it didn't allow the user to mix-n-match. However, I think we need to do more experiments on this to figure out.

Yet to test the A-TRC of the Fortuner in real world to see its capabilites, however I believe it will most likely not be a real replacement of rear Diff-Lock (trust me, I miss the rear diff lock on my Fortuner in some tricky situations!!!). And Endy's traction control is pretty good too! And there is simply no comparison on equipment levels of Endeavour 3.2 Titanium and Fortuner 2.8 AT! I mean, despite charging more premium, what a lazy excuse for not having a sunroof on Toyota! Kudos to Ford for bringing the new Endy in almost the same trim it sells worldwide.

Ideally, a back to back test of Endeavour and Fortuner should be an eye opener! Hope we can get them together some day and check it out ourselves.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Many thanks to my co-reviewer & buddy Khan_Sultan for the finer details, pictures, spotting and the company he provided over those two days!

Excellent FIR (First Impressions Report ) Jaggu and Khan_Sultan

The details and in-depth analysis is pretty much what we can expect in the 'Official New Car Review' section.

Here is the Autocar India perspective of this behemoth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzRkgtbfMpA

[narayan]

With improved interiors and more flashy exterior, I am just wondering if the Fortuner will now start attracting a few potential customers from the entry premium segment German car buyers ?