[WCHURCHIL]

Thank you Team BHP and S2 for this detailed review on the Endeavour.

I worked for Ford as a contractor managing their IT for their manufacturing plants around the globe and have a lot of experience visiting the Chennai plant. The saddest part is even the Ecosport models that are exported to Europe and other parts of the world from Chennai have better features and safety features added in comparison to the models that are manufactured for India. This makes me doubt on the availability of those awesome alloys and other extra mind blowing safety features in the Indian version.
To my luck I saw the new Endeavour (Grey) on the road today and it was definitely a sight to see the car pass in the opposite lane in the toll gate. It had a red TC number plate and I am sure it did not have those alloys as mentioned earlier.
This mighty beast is definitely a competition to the top SUVs in the market.

Thank you once again for this review.

[Yeldo]

Manual transmission in this car might be a good thing for a lower entry price.

Beyond that I honestly do not see any purpose for a MT in a car this big. Self driving owners would not ask for one. Those who want some control in shifting, most modern A/T gearboxes have some tiptronic function.

For the chauffeur driven, you won't probably wish your driver a manual box to work on in the cities on such a huge car- even if you are planning to fire him by the month end.

Yes, there are 4x4 + manual gearbox + smaller engine variants of vehicles like Everest in overseas markets, but then they have these as working vehicles for use in farms and businesses in places like Australia. We do not have such a scenario here. The only commercial purpose of such cars here are as hotel taxis, and for that, 2WD M/T is adequate.

[indusboy]

Originally Posted by indusboy

On a side note, I am in Bangkok next week for a day, so am planning to visit a Ford dealership and a Toyota dealership to checkout the new Everest & Fortuner. Don't know if they would entertain a test drive for a non resident, but I will try.

I am biased towards the Endeavour (currently own one), but am willing to consider the new Fortuner as well. Will post my layman views on this thread.

As planned, on my recent visit to Bangkok, I took some time off to pay a visit to the Ford & Toyota dealerships to check out the new Endeavour & Fortuner. The reason - I am in the market for replacing my 4+ years old Endy 4X4 AT.
( - If anyone wants to buy a superbly maintained top end Endy do PM me)

I did not test drive any of the cars and spent less than 20 minutes each (I had no time to book and organize a test drive). So please take my views as "superficial" only

First was the Fortuner. The moment you sit in the new Fortuner, you get the feeling of luxury and change. It looks snug and well put together. The dark brownish leather looks upscale. Gone are the Innova interiors. The overall look of the vehicle is refined and upscale. On the down side, gone is the butch look it looks a little narrow at the front. The stand is more narrower and sharper, it has shed its in-your-faceness brute looks, but has not lost much presence it still is a Fortuner. Looks sophisticated though.

Then unto the Ford Endeavour or the Everest as it is called here. They had a couple of vehicles being readied for delivery. They also had a test drive vehicle (but I had not booked one). The first thing that hit me when I saw the New Endy was that it is so in your face, bold almost brutish. Especially in the red color. The white looked a little subdued. Overall the design language is old school and the road presence has improved. Once I got in though, it still felt the same as my old Endy (not withstanding all the leather on the dash) nothing upscale here, at least for me. Having driven my current Endy for a while, it did not feel like an upgrade to me. Again this could be because the variant did not have a sun roof. The build quality seemed as solid as ever. I did checkout the Titanium model afterwards (the one with the sun roof), but the dealer did not let me open the sun roof cover....

One thing that surprised me was that the dealer told me (or rather as translated by my Thai driver) that the Titanium+ variant has a six month waiting! I have no way of verifying this off course.

I return to India confused. 5 years back I chose the Endeavour over the Fortuner for 4 reasons:

1. Automatic ( at that time Fortuner was not available in AT) - Primary reason
2. Better interiors versus the Innova like Fortuner - subjective
3. Overall looks of an American style SUV - personal preference
4. The name itself - Fortuner. It kind of felt a little "cheap", though I have now gotten used to the name

I have enjoyed my Endy for these years and have never felt that I made the wrong choice. So my heart says to go for the new Endy. But having seen the new Fortuner, my mind is confused. But if all I want is sophistication and creature comforts I can go for a Santa Fe!

A couple of pics taken from my phone:

Mod Note: Post Edited. Smiley usage is restricted to two per post on Team-BHP. Please do NOT use more than 2 smileys in a post.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by Yeldo

Beyond that I honestly do not see any purpose for a MT in a car this big....

I fully agree. I don't know why some people just advocate MT gearbox on every car that comes with AT. This car is no high-revving compact petrol sports car with light clutch and short-throw gearbox that you would love changing gears. This is a diesel behemoth with a narrow power-band, hard clutch (if not hard now, it will soon be after some months) and probably long throws. And then a lazy-revving monster of a diesel engine. How much fun will it be changing gears on this set-up? Just stick in Drive and let the AT gearbox do the rest. Torque Converter AT gearboxes fare better on gradients than their MT variants. I have driven Scorpio AT up steep gradients and it just crawls up effortlessly, better than an MT Scorpio. Those skeptical should try it out and be pleasantly surprised. And then there is no fear of letting out clutch more than necessary and stalling engine.

[ACM]

Regarding Variants: My View:

1) Lesser number of variants would be better, as that would help Ford better manage logistics and in turn help customers with better pricing.

2) Top trim should only be in AT form.

3) Base trim Plus Base Engine should only be in MT form if there is a MT.

4) This is NOT an EcoSport, Sales will be in much lesser numbers no point having trim levels like Trend and Ambient, Just Titanium & Titanium (O or +) is enough.

5) Even with just two trim levels due to 2 engines and 2 transmission ones could hypothetically have 8 variants, Best to reduce that to a max of 5-6.

6) Why Manual - Only to save cost really and have an entry model possibly in 4X2. Manual is just not required in other variants. (Just the initial report that AT in Base Engine seems uninspiring is a worry) - But seriously wish they don't have a 4X2 variant at all - just personal choice. Frankly want a 4X2 tank get the Chevy Trailblazer.

7) Top trims should be in AT only - This no hot hatch or BMW 3 series where one may have aspirations of driving it fast around corners. This is a 2 Ton tank. AT will make is easier to drive and also safer due to reduction in errors.

Any optimising on models that enables them to price the reduced number of variants better is preferred. It will also ensure smoother and faster deliveries.

[Aditya]

The Ford Everest (next-gen Endeavour) has scored a 5-star rating in Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) crash tests. The SUV managed and overall score of 35.98 out of 37. In the frontal offset test, the vehicle scored 15.38 points out of 16, while in the side impact test and pole test, it managed 16 out of 16 and 2 out of 2 respectively.









Link to Team-BHP News Article

[LionX]

Originally Posted by ACM

Regarding Variants: My View:

1) Lesser number of variants would be better, as that would help Ford better manage logistics and in turn help customers with better pricing.

2) Top trim should only be in AT form.

3) Base trim Plus Base Engine should only be in MT form if there is a MT.

4) This is NOT an EcoSport, Sales will be in much lesser numbers no point having trim levels like Trend and Ambient, Just Titanium & Titanium (O or +) is enough.

5) Even with just two trim levels due to 2 engines and 2 transmission ones could hypothetically have 8 variants, Best to reduce that to a max of 5-6.

6) Why Manual - Only to save cost really and have an entry model possibly in 4X2. Manual is just not required in other variants. (Just the initial report that AT in Base Engine seems uninspiring is a worry) - But seriously wish they don't have a 4X2 variant at all - just personal choice. Frankly want a 4X2 tank get the Chevy Trailblazer.

7) Top trims should be in AT only - This no hot hatch or BMW 3 series where one may have aspirations of driving it fast around corners. This is a 2 Ton tank. AT will make is easier to drive and also safer due to reduction in errors.

Just an FYI - 4x2 2.2L Titanium Plus AT is selling in Indonesia for 634,000,000 Indonesian Rupiah ~ 3022904.00 INR

Not sure how can they price it competitively, if the top trim is only available in AT

http://www.ford.co.id/en/suvs/all-ne.../models#step=1

[LionX]

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

Any idea about the Gross Combined Mass ?

[ACM]

Originally Posted by LionX

Just an FYI - 4x2 2.2L Titanium Plus AT is selling in Indonesia for 634,000,000 Indonesian Rupiah ~ 3022904.00 INR

Not sure how can they price it competitively, if the top trim is only available in AT

http://www.ford.co.id/en/suvs/all-ne.../models#step=1

In Indonesia there also does not seem to be a 4X4 version?

So if we go by the same calculations a 4X4 AT Titanium plus version in the 3.2Ltr engine would be 40L plus in India.

I only suggested that the Top Trim Top Engine variant (irrespective of the pricing) should be only in AT as in my view there would not be many customer who go for the top trim and take a MT in this segment.

That said pricing would be a factor dependent on localization and extent of local manufacturing (read assembly), I believe the Endeavour would be a CKD with 20% localization. This affects pricing and a direct equation of pricing from Indonesia would not be apt. Also not possible to compare with the equivalent Toyota Fortuner pricing as the one there seems to be the new one, and further the level of localization and import taxes in Indonesia is not clearly know to us though can be found with a bit of effort.

Yet as your link suggests it is still definitely possible that Ford just goes for the 30-45L price band after the Creta pricing anything is possible.

[navpreet318]

Lets not hurry into escalating the price as the days go by.

Please see the image below. If it can be priced at this level in Thailand, then the Indian price shouldn't be too much above this price going by the historical differences in the Indian and Thai prices.

30-32L Ballpark figure for the 3.2L AT 4X4 should be a good enough price.

[anvara]

S2 - Great review. Hats off!!

Originally Posted by Yeldo

Self driving owners would not ask for one. Those who want some control in shifting, most modern A/T gearboxes have some tiptronic function.

I am sorry for being.

Sir, with all due respect, the majority in this forum would love to get their hands on a 4 x 4 Manual as opposed to the general public who would not be bothered. I for one would love the 4 x 4 Manual any day just for the pleasure of shifting gears no matter how long / short the throws were or how big the car was.

No offense here but I believe most of us on this forum would agree on this.

Cheers

[Mad Max]

One thing to also consider when we are playing Guess the Price is to think of the amount of localisation Ford can do in India. Their significant presence can help them keep the cost down.

[saviouravenger]

Originally Posted by anvara

S2 - Great review. Hats off!!


I am sorry for being.

Sir, with all due respect, the majority in this forum would love to get their hands on a 4 x 4 Manual as opposed to the general public who would not be bothered. I for one would love the 4 x 4 Manual any day just for the pleasure of shifting gears no matter how long / short the throws were or how big the car was.

No offense here but I believe most of us on this forum would agree on this.

Cheers

Agreed. MT is very important to me. And for some reason the idea of owning a AT 4 x 4 is not very appealing. But this SUV with its 'retro' design, if offered in a 3.2L MT 4 x 4 Titanium+ variant, will be drool worthy!

[wrxsti]

Awesome review S2. Could'nt have asked for better. This will be my template, if I ever reviewed a car myself.

Had been a big fan of the pajero forever. When my friends had Brooke shields on their bedroom walls, I had the Dakar rally pajero adorning my room and my dreams. But, the latest pajero sport presently on sale never came across as a complete package. Could'nt convince my parents, as well as my better half to agree on one.

But, this latest gen Endeavour looks like it will score better with the family. And the more I see and read about it, the easier it appears to finally get a approval. I also checked out a off-road video shot in South Africa. (

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lvE4nZ5yzs

) And Iam completely sold. Now just waiting for the price.

[LionX]

FORD EVEREST Owner's Manual

http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Fo...ralia_2015.pdf