Ford revealed the next generation Endeavour (Everest) yesterday, and announced that sales will start next year. The SUV will be made in Thailand for ASEAN markets, but for India, Ford's Chennai plant would assemble the car from these Thai-made kits.
Design wise, the new Endeavour makes the older model look extremely outdated. Designed by Ford's Asia Pacific team, the new Endeavour is well proportioned with a F-150 like grille, a butch stance, flared wheel arches and what Ford claims to be a class-leading 225 mm ground clearance.
The new Endeavour ditches its external spare wheel, and the rectangular taillights mark a departure from the outgoing model's vertical units.
But to truly get a sense of how modern the new Endeavour has become, one has to compare the interior of the two generations. The current model looks extremely dated with its basic cabin architecture coming from the older Ranger pickup truck. Ford has understood that the Endeavour is seen as a luxury SUV in markets like India, and has given the new model a nice dual-tone layout with modern instruments and features.
To give an example of how well equipped the new Endeavour is, Ford says the car features an acoustic noise canceling system (similar to that seen in high-end headphones) to keep exterior noise at bay.
Mechanically, the Endeavour sees further modernization in the form of a new chassis, a new suspension, better off-road geometry and a new Land Rover-like terrain management system. The American car maker announced that the new Endeavour will be sold with a 3.2-liter five-cylinder diesel engine, a 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel and a 2.0-liter EcoBoost petrol. While the petrol can be ruled out for India, it remains to be seen which engine Ford India would use for its Fortuner rival.
