Ford Endeavour Loses Features as New Toyota Fortuner Launch Nears

Ford Endeavour is recently a key product of the American car brand in our market. It is a hot-selling model in the full-size SUV segment. It will be a big disappointment for interested customers to know that Ford has decided to drop some features on the Endeavour. While other car brands are working on improving their vehicles and adding more goodies, Ford’s new decision would confuse many. The reason behind this development is not yet revealed; however, the increase in production cost is expected to cause this change. Also, this development comes in just ahead of the launch of the Toyota Fortuner facelift. 

Ford Endeavour is no longer available with active noise cancellation. For the 4x2 drivetrain variant, the steel scuff plate will be cut down. In addition, the ten-speaker audio system will be replaced by an eight-speaker system. On the Titanium+ and Sport trims, the auxiliary heater for the rear seats will be removed. As for the exterior, the dual-tone alloy wheels will be replaced with monotone alloys.

However, it is not the first time Ford removed features on its India-bound Endeavour. Back in 2018, Ford dismissed some minor features on the SUV. This time around, Ford has dropped even more important and helpful features. After the reduction of these features, Ford Endeavour will continue to go on sale with equipment like a panoramic sunroof, passenger seats, automatic day/night inside rearview mirror, 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, power-folding third row, one-touch power windows, to name a few. On the safety front, Ford Endeavour is fitted with seven airbags, ABS with EBD, semi-auto parallel park assist, parking sensors on both the front and rear.

Under the BSVI avatar, the Ford Endeavour is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder EcoBlue engine which pulls out 168 BHP of maximum torque and 420 Nm of peak torque. This engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. At the moment, Ford Endeavour is available in four variants, Titanium 4x2 AT, Titanium Plus 4x2 AT, Titanium Plus 4x4 AT and Sport Edition. The lowest variant on the range is priced from Rs 29.99 lakh. The price of this model goes up to Rs 35.10 lakh (ex-showroom).

The removal of these important features will put Ford Endeavour in a tough situation as other competitors in the segment are all well-equipped and feature-rich. For example, the MG Gloster which was launched on October offers various techs and features at attractive prices. Toyota Fortuner, on the other hand, is readying to receive a new facelift with a host of new equipment updates next year. As for Ford Endeavour, the car is reaching the end of its life cycle. It is expected that the new-gen model will arrive in the next few years. Hopefully, the all-new Ford Endeavour will be equipped with more features.