Drove the new Endeavour 3.2 along with two of my friends today. The TD car had just come after a wash after the launch event at the capital and we got a longish test drive. They have around 19 bookings so far and the promised delivery for most models except for 2.2 MT is 1 to 1.5 months. And inline with the general preference in Kerala, the most sought after colour is the diamond white.
The drive then.
- The engine does make a bit of noise. But it should be fine for a car enthusiast as its a nice noise. There is no vibration or harshness in the cabin and the 3.2 revvs quite fast. The initial response is a bit sluggish though. The shifts are seamless and comfortable, and once you gain some momentum, the truck moves quite fast.
- And its very easy to pilot. I drove through some narrow lanes and its easy keep pace and the sheer size isn't felt inside at all. The steering is effortless and predictable. A bit like the unit from the EcoSport.
- The highlight is the ride. Nothing is felt inside and the Endeavour glides over potholes and sharp edges. One of the most comfortable vehicles I have been in. The truck doesn't roll or pitch that much either. I drove through some very well paved inner roads and it wasn't scary to go a little fast. You are always very comfortable, relaxed and in control. The brakes have very good bite from the discs all around.
- The party trick is the electric open/ close for the rear tailgate and the auto-fold for the third row. I have shot a video, will upload later.
- Didn't bother with the ICE as I wanted to hear the engine. The unit sounded nice when the sales executive switched it on initially. And as with all modern day Fords, the cabin is spooky silent. Don't know how of this is down to the active noise cancellation which is always on.
I thought of taking only 5 or 6 pics, but there were so many interesting bits on the car that I took a whole lot more. LOL
Make no mistake. Its one sexy beast with a very imposing stance. The bonnet is very tall and long and adds heavily to the presence.
The rear on the other hand is quite tight and clean. Looks very good to me.
This is the Trend 2.2 AT. Not much difference to the 3.2. The front parking sensors are missing though.
I think the grille and the scuff plate in gloss black will look very good on the white truck.
As is expected on the machine, a very clean and tall under-body.
And everything is XL and looks tough.
Big alloys and tyres standard across variants.
The sad beige interiors. Too bad Ford isn't giving us the all black option here. This is the Trend variant here.
Good space at the middle. The seats split, slide and recline.
Not much space at the rear. Good for kids I guess. And nice to see full size seat belts.
The boot space is quite good even with the 3 rows up.
The grab handle which is a necessity to climb such a tall vehicle. Available on the driver side as well.
Just an okay glove box.
The EcoSport looks so small next to the big Endeavour, especially from the front. For reference my friend Antony there is a 6 footer.
The TD vehicle is the 3.2 AT 4WD Titanium. Only the Speedo is analog and the rest is all digital. And I took the key from the executive and kept it in the console much to his amusement. Little did I know its not a smart key and a flippy one. LOL And that's a sad for a car costing this much.
The Tacho can be brought up on the extreme right side using the toggle and a size too small. I like big tacho at the middle.
The dash looks really good on the 3.2 and the steering wheel is brilliant to hold.
The roof is black on the 3.2 and looks amazing. The motion sensor for the alarm can also be seen.
The panoramic sun roof. Looks simply brilliant. Would love to have it in my car. The glass can be opened only at the front. Don't miss the AC vents.
AC vents for the third row too. That cabin light looks very cool.
The texture of the material for the roof.
The rear windshield. The electric button for auto up/ close for the third row at the bottom left.
Grab handle for the second row too.
Lock/ Unlock for all 4 doors. The material quality is very good. All this would have looked so great with an all black interior. I hope Ford realize their mistake soon and get that to us.
Rear AC vents. AC is super effective with dual zone climate control for the front. The tunnel is not very intrusive.
The vantage from the middle row. Yes, the Endeavour is really tall.
An Innova for reference. The electrochromatic mirror can also be seen which is missing in Trend.
The knee airbag under the steering rake adjust. A reach adjust is shockingly missing in the truck.
The price list. It costs as much as a 2 BHK
. And the Govt. can buy a Figo with that road tax. But make no mistake, the variant to pick is the most expensive one. It is great value for money when compared to others.
After the drive, my friend who has a XUV W10 was totally smitten and a bit depressed.
I am no truck fella and prefer my sedans. But its easy to see the effort Ford has put into making the new Endeavour. And I do hope Ford get some much needed success in our market with this one.