2016 Ford Endeavour 2.2 Test Drive Review

Ford Endeavour Review

Car Tested: 2016 Ford Endeavour 2.2; Road Test No. 678

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 30.62 – Rs. 33.06 lakhs

The Endeavour 2.2 has got ample grunt for city and enough pep to cruise on the highways

Ford is offering the new Endeavour in India with two diesel engine options. We tested the 3.2-litre powered variant recently and came out quite impressed with its strong performance. Now it’s time for us to test the 2.2-litre version. The latter is the more popular engine of the two because of its desirable price positioning. Let’s find out how capable the smaller engine is to haul this big brute. We took it to Goa from Mumbai in varying traffic and road conditions to get the proper feel of this American SUV on Indian soil.

Motor Quest: The Ford Endeavour 3.2 and 2.2 both are offered in range topping Titanium variants and there is no difference on the exteriors apart from the engine badging. However, the Endeavour 2.2 Titanium gets a shorter list of equipment when compared to the fully loaded 3.2 version.

Exteriors – The USP of the new Ford Endeavour is its clean yet butch design. It has a full-blown, no nonsense SUV stance that scares the hell out of fellow road users. People actually give way if they see it coming in their rear-view mirrors. That huge Ford grille dipped in chrome along with angular projector headlamps and a wide skid plate make the front look complete and confident. The side profile gets clean lines and a tall profile along with those massive 18-inch alloys. The rear gets a neat set of tail lamps integrated well into the boot, there is a fancy roof spoiler along with a shiny skid plate. There is no visual difference between the 2.2 and 3.2 variants apart from the badging on the front fenders.

Interiors – Once you enter the cabin of the Ford Endeavour 2.2 you won’t feel any difference but if you look closely then you’ll find a few things missing. There is no semi-auto parallel park assist feature so no buttons for that, the Titanium 2.2 only comes with 4×2 so no Terrain Management System rotary controls are there and finally the biggest thing to notice is the omission of panoramic sunroof. Apart from this, the Titanium 2.2 also doesn’t get heated side mirrors with puddle lamps and power folding third row seats, instead you have to manually fold down the seats with a lever, which is not cumbersome to use. Having said that, the interiors don’t look spartan and feel as posh as the range topping trim. The infotainment system is very user friendly that gets a large touch display. You can connect your phone via Bluetooth quite easily and the sound quality is just epic, the best you could get in this segment. The screen also doubles up as a display for the rear camera showing dynamic guidelines as well and having front and rear sensors for hassle free parking.

The interiors feel premium and offer good comfort over long journeys

The dashboard gets the same layered pattern with leather touch brown trim on the top, metal finish in the middle and soft touch beige plastics that look quite luxurious. The ergonomics are top notch and Ford has given suitable controls for the Indian market as the indicator stalk is on the right and wiper stalk on the left. There are decent amount of cubby holes and stowage spaces. The seats are extremely comfortable for long journeys and the driver gets electrically adjustable seats with lumbar support. The second row is much better than the previous generation Endeavour as passengers sit upright and confident. There is good amount of legroom, headroom and shoulder room for everyone. There are individual AC controls for the rear passengers. Third row is best suited for kids but fold it flat and you get a large space for cargo. The second row also folds flat to free up 2010-litres of cargo space.

Performance – The 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine produces 160 PS of power at 3200 RPM and 385 Nm of peak torque at 1600-2500 RPM. It might look underpowered on paper compared to the mighty 5-cylinder 3.2-litre mill but out on the road, the story is quite different. The initial throttle response is quite sharp and the Endeavour plunges forward if you floor it. The turbo lag is very well controlled and you won’t feel a hint of it off the line but on the go you might feel a wee bit of lag while upshifting early. It pulls in a linear fashion unlike the 3.2 version that provides a sudden thrust of power in the mid-range. Nearing the redline though, the power tapers off sharply in the 2.2-litre motor, which means you need to be gentle with the throttle near the redline to get progressive acceleration. Thanks to the noise cancellation tech, the cabin feels well insulated from engine noise otherwise on the outside it is quite loud and growly.

The 2.2-litre diesel feels lively in city conditions with good low-end grunt

The 6-speed automatic transmission is the conventional torque converter. With sedate driving it upshifts smoothly but while pushing hard it takes a while to downshift. On the ghats while overtaking big buses it took some time to respond but put it in the ‘S’ mode and you could feel the engine getting lively with suitable gear changes for quick overtakes. There is a manual mode too for keeping the gears under your control. The Endeavour 2.2 gathers good speed until 120 km/hr, post which the progression is a bit slow. However, you can cruise all day easily around 120-140 km/hr. We got 10.5 km/l of mixed fuel efficiency on the straight highways and sharp ghat sections.

Driving Dynamics – Ford has mastered the ride and handling balance of the new Endeavour. It might feel slightly stiff at lower speeds because of its ladder frame chassis but the overall ride comfort is supreme. Bumps, potholes, craters, rough roads, you name it and the beast takes all in its stride without breaking a sweat. The suspension is very well damped and the high profile tyres also contribute for good comfort. We were mighty impressed with the way it handles corners being a heavy duty SUV. The Endeavour turns its nose briskly on your command with well controlled body roll. The handling is very predictable and not floaty at all, big credit goes to the electric steering as well. It is feather light to manoeuvre at parking speeds and congested situations while it weighs up adequately at high speeds providing good confidence around the bends. Braking performance is impressive too, it has good amount of stopping power and the brake pedal bite is ideal for you to judge the desired distance to stop the hulk.

The new Endeavour is very off-road friendly with its suitable mechanicals

Despite having the rear-wheel drive 4×2 version, we tried some off-roading and remember, it wasn’t a mild off-road session, it had big obstacles. The Endeavour with its fantastic articulation, high ground clearance and wide tyres managed to tackle steep climbs. It provides good low-end torque to crawl up steep inclines. Taking such inclines with 4×2 saw some slippage but it managed to conquer the obstacle easily. If there was AWD with Terrain Management System, you just had to sit back and take such obstacles like speed breakers. The new Endeavour is without doubt an entertaining SUV to drive be it on the road or off it.

Safety and After Sales Service – The Ford Endeavour 2.2 comes with all the safety kit offered with the 3.2, except driver knee airbag and hill descent control. Otherwise it comes with six airbags – dual front airbags, side airbags and curtain airbags. ABS with EBD is there of course, standard with electronic stability programme and traction control system. The new Ford Endeavour is being offered with 2 year/1,00,000 km warranty and 24×7 roadside assistance with optional extended warranty. Ford has had a bumpy ride in India previously with buyers’ unsatisfactory perception towards their after sales service. However, the American carmaker now promises much better service experience and has come a long way in terms of network pan India.

Verdict – Having driven both the 3.2 and 2.2 versions of the new Ford Endeavour, we are quite impressed with the latest full-size SUV in the Indian market. Even the critics in our industry find it difficult to pick out negative pointers of the new Endeavour. Yes, it doesn’t get push button start with keyless entry & go and also the 6-speed auto box takes time to respond. Apart from such negligible shortcomings, the latest product from Ford offers a well rounded package that appeals to the masses. The fact that it’s banned from sale in Delhi NCR might pinch the carmaker and buyers a lot. If you are out to buy a car at this price bracket, look no further and specially for this segment, the new Endeavour is the best SUV you can get for what it takes. The 2.2-litre version makes good sense if you can do without the extras the 3.2-litre version offers.

What’s Cool

* Powerful presence on the road with its butch appearance
* Well appointed interiors having more than enough features to pamper you
* Decent power for city runabouts and good cruising ability on the highways
* Fantastic ride quality with confident handling abilities
* Good off-road prowess despite having 4×2 layout

What’s Not So Cool

* No keyless entry and go with push button start/stop
* Lethargic auto box and weak top-end

Alternatives: Toyota Fortuner, Chevrolet TrailBlazer, SsangYong Rexton, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

2016 Ford Endeavour 2.2 Specifications

* Engine: 2198cc, Duratorq TDCI, 4-cylinder, Turbocharged, DOHC
* Power: 158 HP @ 3200 RPM
* Torque: 385 Nm @ 1600-2500 RPM
* Transmission: 6-speed automatic, 6-speed manual
* 0-100 km/hr: 15 seconds (est)
* Fuel Consumption: 10.5 km/l
* Fuel Type: Diesel
* Suspension: Independent coil springs (Front), Coil springs (Rear)
* Tyres: 265/60/18
* Brakes: Discs (Front & Rear), ABS
* Safety: Six Airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, TCS

2016 Ford Endeavour 2.2 Dimensions

* Overall length x width x height: 4892 mm X 1860 mm X 1837 mm
* Wheelbase: 2850 mm
* Ground clearance: 225 mm
* Turning radius: 5.8-metres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 80-litres
* Kerb Weight: 2000 kgs (est.)

Further Reading –

2016 Ford Endeavour First Drive Review
2016 Ford Endeavour 3.2 Test Drive Review