[A.G.]

While I have covered close to 22K Kms with the truck, I recently became a member of Team-BHP. Sharing my journey so far with the Endeavour.

Before starting, let me summarize the Good and the Bad bits:

The Good:
G1 – Masculine looks accentuated further by the added Raptor Grill and matching fog lamp surrounds.
G2 – Fantastic drivetrain getting better with every update to the PCM.
G3 – The features and safety kit on offer makes it a VFM preposition. For 7 seats and similar amount of features, the next possible candidate would be almost twice the price.
G4 – Safety kit on offer.
G5 – Extremely cheap to maintain considering what I had experienced in the past with Mitsubishi.
G6 – Fantastic support from most of the Ford Dealers – they go the extra mile to make you feel like Family.

The Bad:
B1 – Ford (Global) could have had a better attitude towards the Indian Market (remember the different Chassis and missing features of SYNC3 with Navigation).
B2 – It hurts the most when features like the automatic folding mirrors and tyre pressure display are present in EcoSport but are omitted in the Endeavour.
B3 – Slow speed ride could have been better – an area where Mitsubishi easily outshines.
B4 – OE tyres could have been better. Imaging an athlete wearing flip-flops and then being asked to perform.
B5 – Marginally expensive Extended warranty pricing for old customers like me.
B6 – Being in the news for all the wrong reasons (juggling variants, prices and now features).

Background

The idea behind buying was simple – needed an automatic transmission vehicle as 95% of my drives are self-drives with many of them involving snarling traffic at times. But when the idea for purchase was floated, the garage had the Pajero SFX, Tata Aria & the Pajero Sport apart from a Honda Jazz. This time it was clear to hold the purchase till both the Aria and SFX were sold.

The SFX got a decade old and cops were causing trouble more often in NCR with their interpretation of the rules. The maintenance costs were exponentially charging towards the sky which were already highest in our stable. The most reassuring part was selling it over a third of original paid price.

The Aria was a lemon replacing lemons from Mahindra (had tasted 4 sour iterations of Scorpio from launch in 2002 till Scorpio AT in 2009). At 42K Kms mark, the Aria already had parts worth Rs. 4.5 Lakhs (excluding VAT at that time) replaced under warranty after spending 81 days at workshops in multiple visits from purchase in June 2011 till Jan. 2014. With no end to the problems, it was an executive decision in September 2014 to buy the replacement Pajero Sport even before selling the Aria as damage to time and mental peace was affecting work. Due to the tanked prices of the Aria, selling it at the price envisaged in October 2014 (which was twice the TML valuation but a third of the original price) took 3.5 years. Transferring the insurance 50% NCB on the Endeavour atleast recovered the insurance and maintenance costs paid during this time with added benefit of lower recurring costs.

The Pajero Sport too was sold post purchase of the Endeavour for 3 reasons – the used car prices had started to nose dive since Mitsubishi’s bankruptcy, service was getting costlier and had already covered 72K Kms in 2 Years 11 Months. But selling it turned out to be easier with the sale culminating locally in 3 days from ad going live couple of days before insurance renewal was due.

Back to the search, apart from the automatic transmission there were some other key considerations as well in the order of preference below:
i. Should be new and body type should be SUV only.
ii. Should be spacious as travelling with entire family with kids in their car seats requires lot of space.
iii. As the AT necessarily becomes the primary vehicle, having a 4x4 would give added peace of mind on our constantly ‘developing’ infrastructure.
iv. Service cost should be easy on the wallet.
v. Value for money.

Considered the following vehicles:

A. Ford Endeavour 3.2 Titanium: The first test-drive without the family was pretty short but covered all the aspects including broken tarmac. It was compensated by the demonstrations of most of the features including automatic Parallel Park. But the ride was a bit bouncy.

B. Toyota Fortuner AT 4x4: Sampling it straight after the drive of the Endeavour, as I look-up to see the sky (which I cannot) from the bouncy seat driving a comparatively lethargic engine gearbox combo, it was a no brainer.

C. Toyota Innova Crysta: An SUV has to have 4x4 but considering we could compromise this, we looked at the Innova Crysta which in my opinion is better alternative to Toyota Fortuner 4x2 AT. The ride was plush and the handling was good but Toyota has messed up with the features in the models in the AT variants. The G variant lacks everything comfortable and the Z variant is overpriced while forcing upon captain seats for the middle row.

D. Audi Q3: Considered on paper just because of the brand value but never took the test-drive as the cabin space was pretty less which didn’t go with my requirements. Also, compared to the similarly priced Audi A4, the interior was nothing to write home about.

The Ford Endeavour 3.2 was natural winner and there was only 1 variant with 4x4 hardware which made choice easier.

Leaving apart the test drive mentioned above, the family sampled the Endeavour 3.2 Trend once (due to dealer goof-up inspite of specifically asking for 3.2 Titanium and then justifying it with a nonsense response which was escalated) and the 3.2 Titanium thrice on road and once in showroom. Still, the ride was found to be a bit on the firmer side compared to Pajero Sport but we decided to go ahead.

With the space in garage being made in May and concluding within the family to buy the Endeavour, it was only logical to wait for the GST prices.

Once you buy a Mahindra or Tata, you make really good friends at Service Center. One good friend from Aria days was heading both Tata and Ford dealership in NCR and after confirming the availability of colour from his team and verifying the VIN for SYNC3 + navigation, a short call at wee hours and we reached a number for discount without haggling on the day when the GST prices were announced by Ford leading to a massive Rs. 2 Lakhs cut. A message on whatsapp was enough for him as a confirmation of booking.

The dealership experience, although not entirely smooth, was very good overall. Reached there by 10am, did the PDI at their workshop which was near-by. By 11am, the go-ahead was there to both the dealer and the bank and finally got the delivery later in the evening.

At the Showroom




First pictures taken during PDI






First picture after delivery

[A.G.]

Exterior and Design: One word – Masculine. In the modern times when curves and cuts are the in-thing, Ford has decided to go with simple, squarish and butch looks. With the straight and high-set bonnet, the front is very much intimidating for other road users. In an era when the headlights and grill are getting sleeker by the year, Ford has decided to ditch the trend and offer a massive grill and proportioned headlights. The front fog lamps are deep set for added protection. The front look has been further enhanced by replacing the grill with Raptor styled one and getting the Fog lamp surrounds painted black to match the grill. The DRL have variable intensity glow – when a door is opened, they light in a dim fashion but when the engine is turned on, they are at their maximum intensity. They dim again when the parking or low / high beam is turned ON and disable for the side on which turn indicator is used if the DRL are brightly lit.

Front


Front Three Quarter


Top Shot


DRL Glow


The Front look with Raptor grill and LED bar


From the side, the XL size vis-à-vis the competition goes well with the proportioned dimensions, wheelbase and rims which fill-up the arches nicely. The design of the R18 alloys is also nice and it gets a dual tone effect. The upsized tyres from Nexen (285/60R18 instead of the 265/60R18 stock MRF), while aiding comfort and off-road abilities, also help in enhancing the look. The sides are all sheet metal and there is no fake plastic body or wheel arch cladding. The glass area, through limited, gels well with the lower line of the bonnet which forms a crease till the rear. The side grill, which internationally can be used for routing the snorkel, tells the story that either an engine or a mammoth lies beneath the hood. Also, the rear spoiler blends with the sloping roof though the rear mounted antenna could have been shark-fin type. Chrome on the sides is tastefully done on the foot steps, ORVM, pull-out type handles and fender grill.

Side profile (stickers and door visors not part of OE)


Machined Dual Tone Alloys shod with the Nexen Roadian AT tyres


Fender Moniker depicting the engine-transmission combo


Coming to the rear, from the looks perspective it blends with the rest of the exterior but seems to be toned down a couple of notches on masculinity. The loading lip is high set as compared to Pajero Sport. The aero kickers on the sides gave the impression of a wrap-around tail gate glass but I have replaced them with LED lights which have both Parking & Brake lamp function. The chrome strip with the model name embossed connects the two tail lamps and with the clear turn indicator and reversing lamp gives the impression of running across the entire rear width when viewed from a distance. Like the front, the fog lamp surrounds at the rear too have been painted black.

Rear


Rear three quarter


Chrome strip connecting the tail lamps


Rear Tail Lamp (LED) with parking ON


The vertical pillar mounted lamps in place of black surrounds

[A.G.]

Interiors (Front): To get inside, you need to open the vault rivaling doors and then climb-on. For getting in, there are grab handles on the pillar as well. Closing process again reminds you of the heavy weight of the door being closed which shuts with a solid and reassuring thud. As you get seated in the driver’s seat, you are greeted by the SYNC3 system coming to life and greeting with the Ford logo animation. The same has now been changed to the Raptor Ford Performance splash screen which looks even better.

The squarish theme continues on the inside as well with the dashboard being divided by 3 colours. The lower part is beige, the area around the vents which extends to the door handles is grey and the top of the dash is leather wrapped in brown / chocolate with contrasting double stitch.

The interior is draped in leather. The front seats offer right amount of bolstering and are good on comfort. The driver’s seat is 8-way electrically adjustable but I find the headroom to be a bit short as I like to sit on a raised seat. With the Pajero Sport, even with the seat raised to highest setting, I had about 2 inches of headroom left but that’s not the case with the Endeavour. Once settled down in the driving position, you are still towering over everything else and enjoying a commanding view ahead. The driver seat also gets manual lumbar support. The front pillars are a bit wide and you need to exercise caution with the high bonnet. The front parking sensors, which activate automatically at low speeds, do help massively in maneuvering. The rear pillars are massive and reversing requires the help of both the camera (which has dynamic grid lines) and sensors. The steering is a delight to hold – it’s just the right size. The buttons are clearly laid out and are easy to use.

What’s lacking though is the illuminated key slot. What impresses is the level of natural lighting and feeling of airiness allowed by the Panoramic Sunroof once the shade is open. Further, there is dual zone climate control at the front and the driver and passenger can set their individual temperatures. The air-conditioner is a chiller.

Complete Dash


Front Seats


Front Dash extension on the door


Steering Wheel with a glimpse of instrument cluster


Difference in cabin lighting from sunroof


The instrument cluster is a blend of sci-fi with analogue. The centre is adorned by a big analogue speedometer while is an information display on either side. The font size on the speedo is large and the illuminated needle looks fantastic. The gear selector position is below the speedo.

Instrument console


Dual USB, Terrain Management System and buttons for various functions


Storage space with tray for coins under armrest


Glovebox


Front cup holders with removable ashtray


The left display shows information related to Entertainment (Red theme), Navigation (Green theme) and Phone (Yellow theme). On the bottom, the outside temperature, heading direction and time are displayed.

Different menus of left screen


I have added an additional menu on the left display for operating the Climate Control (Temperature and Blower speed). Comes in handy when you need to adjust the temperature and/or blower speed without taking eyes off the road right from the steering mounted buttons.

Climate Control Menu


The right display can be customised to show Display mode, Trip computer, Fuel economy, Driver assist and Settings. Under the Display mode, you get host of information in form of Digital Speedo, Distance to E, Off-road gauges, Power distribution gauge (which changes the torque transfer in real time) and an analogue Tachometer. There are 2 Trip computers which show the respective distance covered, average FE and ignition ON time. The Fuel Economy mode can display instantaneous FE, graph of FE history and average speed, all since last reset. Various settings for driver aids, MyKey and display options (including units) are available and many more menu options can be enabled / disabled.

Display mode


Trip computer + FE mode


Settings + Driver Assist

[A.G.]

Interiors (Rear): The rear is again impressive with good amount of legroom. The under-thigh support is shorter by a whisker as compared to the Pajero Sport but is evident. The seats can recline and have a 60:40 split with the middle passenger also getting 3 point seat belt. However, the seat belt buckles are always protruding from the seats above the seat surface which does not look good. Also, the hump in the floor is an inch higher as compared to Pajero Sport. There is a generous amount of slide though incase the available leg room needs to be shared with the 3rd row passengers.

The Panoramic Sunroof extends all the way to the rear seats which lifts the aura of the cabin with the shade in open position. Because of the massive sunroof which is quite wide too, the air conditioning vents for the middle row are placed in place of roof mounted grab handles. There are grab handles on the pillar though to ease the process of climbing-in.

The best part is that the rear passengers get their own air and temperature control for the HVAC. This theoretically makes it a 3-zone system. The middle row passengers also have a dedicated option of directing air to their feet apart from the vents below the front seats which are linked to the front HVAC.

Middle row


Protruding seat belt buckles


Floor hump


Sliding middle row (in extreme position)


Panoramic sunroof view from rear


Dedicated HVAC control for rear passengers


Access to the 3rd row is a bit tricky as the seats don’t tumble forward but there is just about enough space to get in and out after tilting+sliding the middle seat forward with a single lever. The head space is limited by the sloping roof and the leg space is just about adequate. The latter can be increased if the middle row passengers are in a good mood and slide the middle row forward.

Boot space with the 3rd row up is more than adequate for couple of cabin bags and folding the same, via dedicated switches for the electrically operated 50:50 split seats, liberates huge amount of space. Folding the middle row back liberates massive space and the loading bay is straight from the boot till the back of front seats.

Access to 3rd row


Leg space in 3rd row


Boot space with 3rd row up


Boot space with 2nd and 3rd row folded flat with roof liner showing different positioning for 3rd row vents

[A.G.]

Features: A question to ask here is does it miss out on anything imaginable apart from the Engine Start / Stop button.

Starting with Safety, the Endeavour gets 7 airbags – for Driver, front passenger, curtain, side and driver’s knee. The usual electronic aids in form of ABS + EBD + ESP + TC are also there. The Ford MyKey is a nifty feature which lets you configure the key to say limit the maximum speed when handing the vehicle over to someone else. Then there is the Hill launch assist and Hill Descent control. To go a step further, the seatbelt reminder (applicable for both driver and front passenger) would mute the audio until the belts are buckled-up. Still, incase of an accident, there is Emergency Assistance which reaches out to two preset contacts. The tyres are equipped with Tyre Pressure Monitoring System. For the safety of the Endeavour itself, there is the Volumetric Burglar alarm system which senses for any motion inside the vehicle once active.

Sensors for the Volumetric Burglar alarm system


On the Exterior, the low beam is HID (self levelling but has now been replaced with manual one on newer models with the aim being set too low) while high beam and fog lamps are normal halogen bulbs. However, Ford has removed the headlight washers. The rear spoiler has high mounted stop lamp and there is subtle use of chrome on the exterior on fender grill, ORVMs (with integrated indicator and puddle lamp), door handles, side steps, front grill and a strip tail gate. To gel with the white light of HID & DRL, the puddle lamp & rear license plate bulbs have been upgraded to LED.

Panoramic Sunroof for the lovely view


Control for the Sunroof with lights


Rear spoiler with aero kicker


Puddle Lamp in ORVM with extreme portion of mirror having added curvature


Puddle Lamps after being upgraded to LED


ORVM in closed position


Moving to the Interior – there is leather everywhere including the top of the dashboard. There is a Power outlet for each row. The driver seat is power adjustable with manual lumbar adjustment. The 50:50 split 3rd row of seats are individually electrically foldable and the tailgate is powered as well (the latter operable with transmission in P mode only). There is multicoloured ambient lighting (for front seats only) and chrome interior door handles with non-illuminated scuff plates (again front only).

Lighting colours


Lighting in the door handle which changes to Red when the door is opened


As far as Comfort is concerned, all the windows get one touch up & down with defogger for rear window and heated ORVMs. Incase global feature is enabled, all the windows and sunroof tilt (with it’s sunshade) can be opened or closed using the remote. There is Dual zone front HVAC with separate controls for rear HVAC for both air, temperature & direction control. The front wipers are rain sensing and rear wipers have intermittent function. There is Voice command control which switches to Google Assistant or Siri in Android Auto or Apple CarPlay respectively. The IRVM is auto dimming type and the Rear camera is equipped with dynamic grid lines having a centre line for helping in trailer attachment as well. The rear camera can be configured to have a delayed turn-off which if enabled would turn-off the rear camera once the speed goes above 10 kmph in forward mode. The rear camera is complemented by 4 rear parking sensors, 4 front parking sensors and 2 parking sensors on the side of the front bumper. All these sensors activate automatically at low speeds to warn about impending closeness with other road users which can be disabled. There is Cruise control which can be activated above 30 kmph and speed limiter is also present. The Semi-Auto Parallel Park assist is operable for either left side or right side parking selected via turn indicator. To top it all there is the Panoramic sunroof and once all the windows are closed, there is the Active Noise Cancellation resulting in a silent cabin. Phew.

Light controls, control for Power folding ORVM and tail gate operation button


One of the mic for the active noise cancellation


Individual buttons for the powered folding / unfolding 3rd row seats


Tail gate close button


The SYNC3 with navigation Infotainment system is feature rich and would require a dedicated post. As an overview, it comprises of 4 pairs of door mounted speakers + tweeters, 1 center speaker on the dashboard and 1 sub-woofer on the rear-left end of boot. FM, AM, Bluetooth streaming or playing songs via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The climate control for the front as well as rear can also be controlled using the system. There is even an option to lock the rear controls and render them in-operational. The Bluetooth connected phone can be controlled via separate menu. There is built-in navigation. The Mobile apps works to enable compatible apps (installed on phone) to be available via Voice command button.

[A.G.]

SYNC3 Infotainment system (version 2.3): Open the door and the SYNC3 system comes to life and now greets with the Raptor animation instead of the original Ford logo. The home screen is divided into 3 menus with top and bottom navigation bar present on all the screens except when Android Auto is in use. The left half is dedicated to Audio while the right half is again divided into 2 part – top showing the magnetic compass and bottom phone status. The display in night turns to black theme.

The changed boot screen


Home Screen


Climate Control screen at night


Clicking the Audio icon opens the last played source. Incase USB or Bluetooth streaming is used, the album cover using Gracenotes or on the Bluetooth source respectively are displayed. Tapping on Sources reveals all the audio sources available at the moment. In the image below, MapmyIndia Map is listed as a source as the Applink detects the app installed on phone and voice commands can be used after selecting this source.

Audio page


The Climate control can be controlled using the dedicated buttons or by tapping the Climate icon on the screen. If the ignition is OFF, the controls appear greyed out. With the ignition ON, the last status is restored. Turning it ON / OFF can be done via the centre button for the same on the top. Once turned ON, the icons are blue filled to denote ON status and blower speed shows as white filled bars. Tapping the DUAL icon on the Top Left enables the dual control for both the front seats. Incase the blower or temperature is adjusted with the buttons on the dashboard, overlay animation is displayed on screen. The rear blower speed as well as temperature of the rear cabin can be adjusted via the display by tapping the REAR icon which opens the controls overlay. The physical controls at the rear can be disabled if Rear Lock is enabled.

Climate page


The Phone icon opens the phone sub-menu. The system is capable to read out text messages. With the phone connected, the voice commands to dial a particular contact or dial a spoken number also function.

Phone page


The Navigation icon opens the menu for the same. After displaying the usual warning prompt to which OK needs to be pressed, you are shown the current location on the map. Clicking on the bottom left arrow icon showing heading opens the Trip Computer showing GPS measured speed, Altitude and Heading. The 3 horizontal bar icon on bottom right opens the navigation menu via which routing can be selected. The Useful Information icon opens up the submenu via which you can see the current lat-long coordinates or get other info.

Navigation page with trip computer and main menu


Navigation sub-menus


The Mobile apps page shows the compatible apps installed on the phone. Among the other compatible apps, the SYNC3 could recognise only 2 – AccuWeather and MapmyIndia Map. Below picture shows the AccuWeather info which can be asked via voice command as well.

Mobile apps page with AccuWeather app


The final icon takes us to Settings page. The settings are spread on 2 pages as you can change the settings for sound, clock, Bluetooth, phone, ambient lighting etc. The WiFi submenu can enable you to connect to a WiFi hotspot for the SYNC3 system to update if there are any. The Valet mode is good to have if you don’t someone playing out with the system. Just enter your choice of code twice and the system locks out.

Settings


The SYNC3 system switches to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay as soon as the phone meeting the requirements is connected via USB cable. My review is limited to Android Auto.

The first screen which pops-up is the home screen which shows the audio last played / currently being played and host of other notifications pending on the phone (for privacy, the same have been hidden).

The voice command changes to Google Assistant and asking it to ‘Play Pink Floyd’ obliged with the right result and song playing instantaneously. The dedicated music button shown as the headphone icon at the bottom of the navigation bar can take you to the Google Play Music page.

Google navigation is useful as it can help with traffic avoidance. There is a separate page for the same

Android Auto screens


The latest version for the SYNC3 is version 3.0 which is DIY update. But the changes it brings about in terms of looks are very limited. Could notice following differences between SYNC3 Version 2.3 and 3.0

Pros:
1. Better and snappier animations
2. Larger fonts in Audio mode with better slider
3. Different icon set for Navigation and in settings
4. Direct option to turn off display in display settings
5. Voice recognition is improved
6. When a phone is connected, direct loading of Android Auto can be disabled now

Cons:
a. Android Auto connection is buggy
b. Google Maps cannot be accessed from SYNC3 Nav icon
c. Still no voice support for SYNC3's in-built navigation
d. Still no split screen support or navigation on Instrument panel in-line with Owners Manual

[A.G.]

Engine and Performance: There is no replacement for displacement. Period. For the technically inclined, the 3.2L Duratorq TDCi Puma series engine is 3198cc, Five cylinder, long stroke motor putting out a healthy output of 147 kW (200 PS) @ 3000 rpm and 470 Nm torque between 1750-2500 rpm. The cylinder head consists of two parts and is made of aluminium – the lower part contains four valves for each combustion chamber and the two camshafts while the upper part houses the rocker arm frame with the roller rocker arms which have integrated hydraulic valve clearance adjustment.

The 6R80 transmission is widely used electronically controlled transmission since 2009. It is based heavily on the ZF 6HP26 transmission. Interestingly, ‘6’ signifies Six forward gears, ‘R’ for Rear wheel drive applications and ‘80’ for 800 Nm nominal max input torque capacity. The engine power reaches the transmission by a torque converter with an integral clutch. It uses 2 planetary gearsets to obtain the 6 forward and 1 reverse gear. It has dual overdrive in 5th and 6th gears and interestingly while 1st gear ratio is 4.171, Reverse is just 3.403. The final drive ratio is 3.73. It features torque converter lock-up capability in all 6 gears.

Crank the engine and it settles into a silent idle both inside and outside. On the move, the growl from the rising revs, though muted by the active noise cancellation, is music to ears. It is the sound you would associate with an American Muscle car. None of the contenders from the Toyota stable come close in terms of silence and refinement and with the Active Noise Cancellation working once the windows are rolled-up, it further dampens the external sounds.

Slot the gear in ‘D’ or ‘R’ and there is no hesitation in movement as soon as the brake pedal is released. In the city, the throttle feels a bit over sensitive as it is difficult to maintain a smooth rhythm in bumper to bumper traffic. On the open road, the well mated engine-transmission don’t let you down whatever you demand. The performance is quite deceptive and with every update to the PCM, it gets better.

Sedate and spirited drivers both would be happy as the transmission is always in the right gear for the moment. When driven sedately or in the city in the ‘D’ mode, the gearbox would not upshift unnecessarily when lifting of the throttle. While coasting, you even get engine braking which with the latest updates downshifts with drop in speed to give more engine braking. Only on a rare occasion does the gearbox confuse and make a gear change while lifting off the throttle for braking. It seems the torque converter of the gearbox has a high stall ratio as there is no hesitation whatsoever when 2nd gear is manually selected in ‘S’ mode to move from a standstill or holding to manually selected 3rd gear at even 10 Kmph. Out on the highway with a light foot, the shifts are seamless and go unnoticeable. To overtake, with a light throttle input, the gearbox would continue with the same gear utilizing the might of the engine and torque converter reducing the unnecessary gear hunting.

For the spirited drivers, there is ample performance on offer. Even in ‘D’ mode, the gearbox downshifts if the throttle commanded is beyond the scope of the torque converter alone. Then there is the ‘S’ mode which elevates the game to another level altogether. It keeps the engine in the powerband and hold the revs for longer. It is also eager to downshift as the slightest hint of demand.

There is an option to change gears manually in ‘S’ mode. Push the lever forward to downshift and pull the lever to upshift. The drivetrain responds to the commanded gear instantaneously. It is good to use this mode if you want even more engine braking. The engaged gear is displayed in this mode only and any shift with which the vehicle cannot comply starts blinking. Also, in manual mode, the upshift is not done even at the red line but it will downshift once the speed reduces to prevent engine stall.

The adaptive recognition algorithm of the gearbox works truly like a charm and it is always in the right gear as if the same had been commanded manually.

The engine bay


The recommended oil for it which Ford is using during every service


High set air intake and struts for automatic lifting of the bonnet


Bumper, Grill and Lights extended way beyond the radiator


Panel type airfilter


Manual gear selection changes the instrument panel to display tacho + gear indicator

[A.G.]

Ride and Handling: I mentioned in the start that even with all the test drives, we found the ride to be a bit bouncy. With the upsized tyres offering more sidewall, the comfort quotient too has been improved.

The ride improves with speed and there is no denying the fact that it betters the Pajero Sport for comfort if a bit higher speed is maintained. Go over a pothole at 20 kmph and it feels sharper. Try it again at 40 kmph and you don’t even know it was there. Also, the silence with which the suspension does it’s job is commendable. In the Pajero Sport, you can hear even the various thuds when crossing over expansion joints so much louder but in the Endeavour, you absolutely get to hear nothing from the suspension.

On the highway, the long wheelbase helps and you experience less of the long wave bounce. The anti roll bars at front and rear with watt’s link at the rear help keeping body roll in check. The latter has a huge affect on giving the feel of a connected rear end and not the one that is all over the place.

The Electronic power steering is a delight to use and that is the first thing to be noticed when I switched to Endeavour from the Pajero Sport. The difference just cannot be expressed in words. It is light at parking speeds and weighs-up nicely as speeds increase. The lightness of the steering at city speeds masks the sheer size of the Endeavour and out on the highway, it feels equally at home giving enough confidence.

Braking is handled by discs all around. They offer good bite and can shed speeds in a manner better than the Pajero Sport. The braking action is linear however the pedal travel is a bit longer. Panic situations are handled well by the usual driver aids but you do find loss of grip from the MRF tyres despite the massive 265mm section tyres. This was also one of the reasons to upgrade to better tyres. The Hill Start Assist activates automatically on any slope and is a great tool for holding the vehicle from rolling back for a couple of seconds after releasing the brake pedal.

Front suspension


Rear suspension


Side view of the Watt’s linkage


4WD – Equipped with the Terrain Management System having 4 modes (Ford was the parent company of Land Rover when Terrain Response System was introduced), the driveline is permanent 4x4 with rear bias (60:40). There is no lockable mode for the transfer-case and the torque is varied by the electronics judging on the best possible response for the situation based on the grip levels from the tyres. The ground clearance of 225mm (unladen) with water wading depth of 800mm (provided constant speed of no more than 7 kmph is maintained) are highest in the segment. There is the low ratio in the transfer case with a ratio of 2.48:1 which can surprisingly be engaged only in Normal and Rock modes only. The rear differential is electronically locking type which can be manually locked-up in off-road situations on the fly upto 30 Kmph and can be automatically disengaged by the Terrain Management System to aid manuverability. The ability to start moving in 2nd gear is an added benefit.

The Terrain Management System is equipped with 4 modes:
a. Normal Mode: There is standard torque split of 60:40 in this mode and should be used on hard road surfaces. The Low ratio can be activated in this mode. The electronic locking differential can be locked but will automatically disengage once the speed crosses 32 kmph.

b. Mud/Snow Mode: This mode should be used where a firm surface is covered with loose or slippery material. Among others, this mode alters the throttle response which becomes dull to combat wheelspin. Also, the gear selection is altered to reduce wheelspin with early upshifts and delayed downshifts

c. Sand Mode: This mode should be used in deep sand or deep mud. This mode increases pedal sensitivity and contrary to Mud/Snow mode, this allows for more wheelspin in the interest of maintaining momentum. The upshifts are delayed and downshifts are early.

d. Rock Mode: To enter this mode, Low range must be selected as this mode cannot be used in High range. With reduced throttle response, this mode gives focuses on low speed control and holds onto 1st gear for longer.

Interestingly, shifting to Low range will deactivate engine traction control but brake traction control remains.

The Hill Descent Control (HDC) operates with ESC while descending slopes. Once activated, the HDC allows for descend speed to be increased or decreased even via the cruise control buttons. With this activated, the user can focus on the manoeuvring part.

The rear end of driveline with visible Fuel Tank protection


The front end of driveline with visible sump guard but missing protection for Transmission Oil pan


The Terrain Management System mode selection dial with HDC button in the centre


Bottom right two buttons for electronically locking rear differential and 4x4 LOW


Off-road modes on the instrument panel


Off-road gauges screen on the instrument panel

[A.G.]

Finer details in pictures and videos

Letter from Ford India kept in the vehicle informing the reason for high mileage at delivery - now that's transparency


Hook for holding the tools cover in place


Sample of Leather cleaner with microfiber cloth provided in kit


Non-alloy R17 spare wheel


Cool Ice Blue backlight for buttons at night…


and visible during the day as well


Even the rear controls are backlit


Additional rubber beading strip to prevent dust / mud from reaching the crevice of rear doors

Video of Exterior & Interior Walk-through

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_QhUxx1lvA

Video of Engine sound with underbody shots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5VdUht8T8s

Video of Semi-automatic Parallel Parking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAHFFOhmrdM

The first off-road outing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INveMLTbous

Crossing the river

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ndf531P6mHo

The Dashcam perspective of The Great Ford Endeavour Drive (Part 1/3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6czic1y2yw

The Dashcam perspective of The Great Ford Endeavour Drive (Part 2/3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veax0yrcv7c

The Dashcam perspective of The Great Ford Endeavour Drive (Part 3/3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAi90YkHr9M

[A.G.]

The journey so far:

Service:
In terms of service, Ford has really priced the service parts reasonably well. Apart from the free inspection at 1K Kms, the first service cost at 10K Kms was Rs. 5,372/- which included wheel alignment and proactive replacement of fuel filter (originally recommended at every 30K Kms).

The Second service at 20K Kms costed Rs. 9,635/- which included wheel balancing, wheel alignment and proactive replacement of both air & fuel filters.

More importantly, these costs also included 9.8L of Shell 5W30 Fully Synthetic Engine Oil used during each service.

Mods & additions (Part 1):

a. Correctly aiming the Low beam: The Low beam was set too low. There is however a manual screw provided for adjusting the vertical cut-off of the low beam. Following the Headlamp aiming procedure of U.S. DoT (link), it was clear that the low beam cut-off was incorrectly adjusted and was close to 3 inches lower than what the standard recommends. Also noticeable was the difference in the cut-off of Left and Right beams.

Adjustment was a 10 minutes job with major time spent on correctly positioning the vehicle at the right distance, measuring the height of center of bulb and marking the new cut-offs with respect to center of the bulbs.



b. GPS Tracker: Got the GPS tracker from manufacturer whose tracker I had already used. Due to 'continuous improvements' this time got the MV1B-i model for around Rs. 2,000/-. The executives were helpful during setup and even added both the trackers to the same login. In the Endeavour, the power to some of the fuses when the key in ACC mode is still there when the key is removed turning off completely after sometime. Hence, the power was tapped fuse which work with key in Ignition ON position. For testing, I had installed it in the boot with the ignition and battery wire plugged to the 3rd row power outlet using the extra cable I had. Finally, it has been placed in the interior fusebox hidden from view.



c. Dashcam: Got the A119S which has Sony sensor and very good night clarity but it sacrifices on the horizontal adjustment of the lens and the lens itself has a slightly narrower Field of View. The kit included Circular Polarization Filter to avoid capturing glares, GPS mount, Hard Wire Kit and fuse tap. I had wrongly specified the fuse tap to be Micro Fuse Tap and received the same but the Endeavour uses Micro2 fuse. A Class 10 memory card was separately purchased.

The Kit


Actual Placement of Camera



d. LED Light Bar: Finally decided to put the LED light bar as couldn't adjust to the stock lighting. Found 3 holes behind the lower grill on the frame using which mounts could be fabricated. However due to the vertical slats in the lower grill, the size limitation came into the picture. Due to this, selected the 90W combo bar (flood on sides and spot in middle with separate wire for both) with CREE LED which could fit between the slats of the lower grill. The LED bar which has been wired in such a way that the White Spot beam turns ON when only the Low beam is ON, the Amber Flood beams at the extremes turn ON when only Fog lamps are ON and with the High beam, the entire LED bar turns ON. However, with both the Low beam and the Fog lamps turned ON, the LED bar is disabled irrespective of whether the High beam is ON or OFF. This control logic enables the operation of the bar from the existing switches and control stalks.

[A.G.]

Mods & additions (Part 2):

e. Tyres: After driving 5K Kms on the stock MRFs, their higher noise and low grip along with the grouse of comfort led me to search for the new tyres. An upsize would address these issues but there were only a few options available. It was an eyeopener that the stock size was available in HT with premium brands (Michelin / Pirelli) and the stock size available in AT (Yokohama / Maaxis) were actually priced higher than the upsized version. It was clear that upsize would be the end solution all 3 problems involving the least dosage of Vitamin M.

The tyre size was finalized at 285/60R18 and this link was very helpful in understanding that this upsize would not require any re-engineering. As per this link, the section width would increase by 20mm (8%), sidewall would increase by 12mm (8%) and the overall diameter by 24mm (3%) over stock tyre. The increased sidewall coupled with a tyre having better rubber compound would definitely aid comfort. The only confusion was related to scrub radius being changed by -4mm over stock but Wikipedia suggested that it would provide greater stability.

Out of the blue came a suggestion for the Nexen Roadian AT Pro RA8 tyre - a quick search revealed some good reviews about grip in wet, low noise and comfort with added advantage of running for high mileage. A video even claimed it to be among top 5 AT tyres and this tyre even won top score in Jeep test (link).

At the time of replacement at 5K Kms, the MRF’s looked as if they had developed uneven roughness and the tread depth was between 7mm to 7.5mm as opposed to 8.5mm found on the new spare tyre of the Endeavour. The new Nexen tyres had a tread depth exceeding 9.5mm and even their sidewall looks very aggressive. As per user reviews, they are known to be long lasting (MRF had a Tread Wear rating of 360 while these tyres have 560). They were manufactured in South Korea and looked like a recent import as the manufacturing date read 2817.

Comparing with the stock MRF


Fitting just inside the body


The tyres have proven their off-road ability during the off-road event organised by Ford where-in they allowed my request of taking the lap in my own truck. The only problem I have faced with these tyres is the number of punctures I have had – almost 2 or more per tyre. The other problem of speedo calibration which could not be addressed by Ford was solved by myself with reprogramming of correct tyre size.

f. Raptor Grill: The grill really transforms the entire look of the front end. With the front and back fog lamp surrounds painted black, the look is enhanced further. The lights of the grill have been connected to the DRL.

Night view of the front


g. Raptor Splash Screen: With the Raptor look outside, why not the Raptor look inside



h. The climate menu: This has added the convenience of adjusting the driver side Temperature and Blower speed using the steering wheel buttons.

The blue themed Climate option on the left panel


Incase off the HVAC was off previously, can be turned ON from the menu directly


Temperature adjustment with blower getting set to auto


Blower speed if adjusted represented via bar graph

[A.G.]

Mods & additions (Part 3):

i. The Puddle Lamps: The original puddle lamps were simply like lanterns when compared to the LED ones.

Throw of LED Puddle Lamps


j. Rat Mesh in the fresh air vent: I had an unanswered question - whether the fresh air vent is closed or open when the blower is off in the Endeavour. First the answer to the question - with blower turned off and ignition off, the vent is neither fully open nor fully closed. This position of the vent could be a potential access for any Rat or even dust when the vehicle is parked. The cabin air filter can save the day but once a Rat is inside, it's game over.

Picture showing the Vent at around 50% position with Blower Off, Ignition Off


Picture showing the Vent at fully closed position with Blower Off, Ignition Off, Vent manually switched to internal re-circulation mode


Picture showing the Vent at fully open position with Blower Off, Ignition Off, Vent manually switched to fresh air mode

Video showing the vent in action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WlYJQNjtMA

With the question answered and mesh available, there was no point in closing the panels without putting the mesh in place. The DIY took close to an hour as I wanted to plug the 2 vents directly in front of the fresh air duct and not the 3 cut-outs in the panel of the cavity in front of it. This was done to avoid any surprises as there could have been 3 more openings below the drive side cover or more importantly, if the cavity area between the actual 2 vents (which I covered with mesh) and the outer cut outs had any opening, the whole exercise would become pointless. Due to the limited access available to the 2 vents behind and through the 3 cut outs in front of them, the measurements were crude and the mesh was made with trial & error correction method which took time.

Passenger side cowl cover removed showing vents to be meshed


Close-up of Mesh...


... which needs to be installed with limited access through the front cut outs


Meshing done


k. Pillar lights: Ever since I saw them in action, wanted to install them. Got it from Aliexpress and the package arrived in a fair amount of time. Installation was DIY as I don't trust electrical connections done by others. Installation was hardly 10 minutes job but knowing which locks to open and how to open them without breaking and scratching anything took sometime.

Trim cover removed


First light after installation


For the tapping the connections to the Brake and Parking light, the rear tail lamps were removed. The process again was fairly easy and simple. The wires were tapped using 3M Scotchlok and then sealed completely with tape.

Tapping the wires


The final effect at night


l. Skyline style gauges: The OBD2AA app was the best and most useful mod but unfortunately Google had other plans – they banned the app in the name of safety. Combined with Torque Pro and a good ELM327 OBD2 adapter, the OBD2AA was able to pull data from the Endeavour and display it in form of gauges on the SYNC3 using the Android Auto functionality. The best part is that it added the Tyre Pressure values too.

The dedicated TPMS menu - just need to set it up once on the phone with some custom PIDs


The customized gauges look straight out of a Nissan Skyline / GTR

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[_nitink_]

A very well put together review. Wish you the very best for the coming miles. The Endy is a great car with lots to offer. I am sure this beast will never let you down.

[KrisTvpm]

Wow! This almost rivals the T-BHP official review of the vehicle; such a detailed & crisp write-up, thanks A.G. !

As a natural upgrade from my current drive Ecosport, my dream vehicle is Endeavour ! Enjoyed every bit of your write-up, would definitely serve as a pointer to Endy fans & aspirants.