ZEEGNITION/Priyadarshan Bawikar
With Ford on the cusp of launching the replacement for the Endeavour SUV, we went to Chaing Rai in Thailand to drive the Everest, which will be coming to India early next year as the new Endeavour
In our country where we love SUVs so much, one SUV in particular hasn’t received much love. Ford’s Endeavour showed up back in 2003 and even though it got some upgrades in 2009, its reception through the years can only be described as lukewarm at best. But that is all set to change with a brand new SUV with the blue oval badge set to launch in India sometime in the next six months – the new Ford Everest. Now don’t let the name fool you – when it lands in India, it will still be called the Endeavour, and we got a chance to sample it over a variety of driving conditions near the town of Chiang Rai in the north of Thailand.
When the original Ford Endeavour was launched back in 2003, it really brought with it that typical boxy, butch design that’s common with American SUVs. So while this new Everest now sports cues from Ford’s current design language including now-familiar trapezoidal grille up front, it still retains that macho stance we loved so much in the original car. Just like the previous generation of the car, this new one too is based on the Ford Ranger platform, but looking at its current avatar, you’d be hard pressed to believe that this new SUV has been derived from something as rudimentary as a pick-up truck, especially when you step inside.
Even the interiors are spruced up significantly over the previous car and exude a sense of luxury that’s usually found in cars a few segments higher. There’s lots of leather all around, a 10-inch touch screen in the centre console and even the instrument cluster features a couple of LCD panels which can dynamically display a variety of information. The spacious interiors also feature a 60/40 split for the second row and a 50/50 split for the third bench which also has a power folding function in the top-spec variant. And let’s not forget the automatic lift-gate… Overall though, the new Everest really is a cut above a lot of other SUVs in this segment.
Under the hood, the new Everest has two engines on offer. Everyday sensibility comes from a 2.2-litre Duratorq 4-cylinder diesel motor which puts out 160PS of power and 385Nm of torque. While the 2.2 is said to deliver the best in class mileage, for those craving off-road thrills, there is another engine available with the 4x4 version of the Everest – a 3.2-litre 5-cylinder diesel that makes 200PS of power and a whopping 470Nm of torque.
Both engines are available with an option of either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic transmission which features several adaptive modes including economy, performance, sports, uphill and downhill. The automatic transmission also learns the driver’s driving style and adapts its shift programme accordingly.
On the road, the 2-wheel drive 2.2-litre motor provided a smooth and refined ride. The motor does feel like it struggles just that little bit during initial acceleration, but once you’re up to speed, its no problem at all. The 3.2 on the other hand has lots of grunt at any revs and should be the choice of engine for all those who love to drive enthusiastically. Something that really stands out is just how quiet both these engines are, when on the road. But that also has a lot to do with the active noise cancellation system that listens to in-cabin noise and neutralises it much in the same way noise-cancelling headphones do.
When it comes to driving off the road, the 4x4 version of the new Everest does pack some serious hardware. It has permanent four-wheel drive with a rear-biased 60:40 torque split maintained during normal driving conditions. But as and when required, the four-wheel drive system can automatically shift as much as 90 percent of the engine’s torque to either the front or the rear axle. And when things get really rough, the car also features a low range selector to help the Everest crawl out of difficult spots. On top of that, if you were to get one of the rear wheels stuck in deep sand or mud, a button on the centre console can engage the rear differential locker to get you unstuck.
The most impressive thing in the new Everest’s off-road forte is its advanced terrain management system. By simply turning the selector knob, you can tell the car what sort of surface you’re driving on, be it grass, mud, snow, or even rocks. The Everest will automatically adjust torque split between the front and rear axles, and throttle response to cope with driving on the sort of terrain you’ve selected. Then the system also features Hill Descent Control, which lets you take the car down steep slopes without any need of throttle or brake inputs. And if you want to change the speed during hill descent, you can simply do so through the speed control buttons of the cruise control.
But even on a mechanical level, this new Everest is designed for superior off-roading prowess from the get-go. It has independent coil-over-strut suspension at the front along with coil springs and a solid rear axle at the back with a Watt’s linkage for better handling both on and off the road. So whether you’re driving through busy urban traffic, or on open highways, or even tackling some serious off-roading, the new Everest is quite impressive.
When it comes to features, this burly car doesn’t disappoint either. Apart from all its electronic skulduggery for off-roading, it’s got Roll Stability Control to work along with Electronic Stability Control. It also features a Blind Spot Warning System with Cross Traffic Alert to keep you aware of vehicles approaching your blind sport and to help you park in tight spaces, the Everest also gets Active Park Assist. To add to its safety systems, it even comes with a Curve Control programme to keep the car in check if you happen to go too fast around a corner and to handle the eventuality of an accident, the top end model gets a total of seven airbags. That being said, a few of these features might get dropped when the car comes to India in the next six months or so.
Overall, the new Ford Everest/Endeavour does make a good case for itself. It's a significant upgrade over the previous car and even takes it up quite a few notches over other SUVs in this segment. Now whether it really hits the mark in India will really depend on the pricing. But after seeing the frankly brilliant pricing of the just-launched Figo Aspire, I have a sneaky suspicion that Ford might just hit that nail square on the head.
