Mudding it out Ford Endeavour All Terrain

What is the true potential of an off-roader? Well to start off it should look big and rugged from all angles. It should have a really good clearance, large wheels, reasonably comfortable interiors and the utility of being used for both on & off road. Ford’s All –Terrain Endeavour is a culmination of all these elements which is why when we recently got our hands on it, the natural instinct was to take it out doors for some mud splashing. What a better place than to take to it to the city of Jaipur and beyond.

This is the not the first time that we are actually showcasing the Endeavour, in the past we have driven the 2WD version, but somehow the recent enhancements given to this SUV in the form of “All Terrain” gave us more than one reason to once again refresh your memory. The ‘All Terrain Endeavour’ basically brings forward certain exterior enhancement in the form a bull bar, a carrier which is placed right above the roof and some sporty decals bearing its name. Rest as we all would know by now, the front fascia features a long muscular bonnet with squared headlamp clusters, a prominent front grille with a Ford badge sitting right in centre of it and a pair of fog lamps.

Sides cater to chrome highlighted side view mirrors with indicator inserts, flared wheel arches, pair of aluminium side steppers and 17 inch alloy wheels. While the rear with its up kept tailgate provides vertical tail lamps, 40.6cm lockable wheel cover, a chrome finished ladder, rear spoiler to name a few. Besides these features, for storage 2nd and 3rd row can be folded to accommodate extra luggage just in case for those long vacations. In regards to safety, the Endeavour offers dual front and side airbags, Anti Locking Braking System, Electronic Brake Force distribution, Engine Immobilizer, Central Locking to mention a few.

Unlike its exterior enhancements, the interiors are the same as before but nevertheless are plush with ample of comfort. Its dual cabin caters a simplistic dash that features an instrument cluster comprising of circular dials, centre console consisting of a touch screen Kenwood music system and a wooden panel running right across the plastic board.

With a touch screen display on offer, the Kenwood music system acts as navigation device apart from providing facilities like a DVD player, USB port and Bluetooth connectivity. Another added feature of this screen is that it acts as a reverse camera, which is very helpful while reversing the vehicle due to its sheer size.

The presence of an automatic gear shift lever further indicates its usefulness in today’s traffic scenario. For better in house experience, there is a roof mounted LCD screen with an optional feature along with different air conditioning systems for the front as well as the rear. Having a total seating capacity of 8 individuals, the front and middle row are fairly comfortable as they provide ample of head, shoulder and leg room. While the last row can be said is well suited to children due to lack of proper leg room.

Now to the most interesting part which is the drive itself, like we had mentioned earlier the Ford Endeavour measuring 5060mm in length, 1788mm in width and 1826mm in height looks really massive and rugged from the outside. With that notion in mind, performance is something that we would all eagerly want to know about? Well, the ‘All Terrain Endeavour’ features a 3.0 litre TDCi direct injection common rail diesel engine with Variable Geometry Turbocharger that helps in providing abundance of power. Referring to its spec sheet, this 2953cc diesel engine produces a maximum power output of 154bhp with 380Nm of torque.

However once the engine is put to use, it does come across as a bit noisy due to the engine vibrations that tend to sneak into the cabin. Thus having a ground clearance of 210mm, this SUV can go over all most anything in regards to speed breakers, broken roads, potholes and loose gravel. While going over undulated surfaces as we had encountered while driving on National Highway No.8, the ride does get a bit bumpy for passengers in the front as well as the rear.

The 5 speed automatic transmission on board does well to provide fairly reasonable shifts both on and off road. It does offer a bit of body roll. But the actual fun comes when one takes this machine off road, which in this particular case we actually did. Be it a rocky terrain, mud laid pathways or slushy stretches, the Endeavour has it within to come out on top without having to really do much due to its Electric Shift On Fly – 4 WD drive system, which is really effective no matter what the terrain is. With just a mere switch of a button, the user can go from a 2 wheel drive to a 4 wheel drive mode. This is only possible due to the Borg-Warner transfer case, which ensures that traction is evenly supplied to all 4 wheels through its 4x4 system.

All in all, driving around in Ford Endeavour gives you a feeling of supremacy especially due to its go anywhere attitude and do as you like capability. We of course took it both on and off road wherein this SUV performed well. As per the pricing Rs 19.11 lakh (Ex-showroom Delhi), the Endeavour is fairly good vehicle, when compared with other brands that demand a slightly steeper price. It’s fun, engaging and rugged to say it out loud.