After filing a patent in India for the Endeavour, listing new business opportunities and backing out of the sale of its Chennai plant, Ford has sparked speculation about a possible return of the Endeavor to India. In fact, our sources tell us that the American auto giant is preparing to return to sales in India after its 2021 shutdown.
The filed patent is consistent with the design of the current generation Endeavor sold in markets such as Thailand, as the Ford Everest four-wheel drive vehicle. After launching in international markets in 2022, this generation has not arrived in India and will therefore be new to our market.
The new endeavor could arrive before 2025
The plan is to assemble the Endeavor at the company's factory in Chennai. However, our sources also tell us that it is also being considered for importing it directly. With the import of completely built cars still permitted without approval (up to 2,500 units per year), Ford could import the current Endeavor into India much sooner, as it gears up for local assembly in 2025. Moreover, with the price of its flagship car has risen significantly with high-end models fetching Rs 60 lakh on road. The all-imported Endeavor will be competing against the Fortuner. Ford has also previously made clear its intention to be open to the idea of selling direct imports to maintain its foothold in the domestic market.
New Ford Endeavour: the local assembly is at stake
Ford had two factories in India: one in Sanand, which was sold to Tata Motors in 2022, and another in Chennai, which it also put up for sale only to decide to keep, despite multiple offers from OEMs like Vinfast, MG and Tata Motors. All regulatory approvals for the sale of the plant have been obtained and the workers' compensation issue has been resolved, so the sale of the plant, or as it now appears, the restart of Ford operations, will not face any major obstacles. In addition, since the plant was already producing the previous Endeavour, which shares some underpinnings with the new generation SUV, restructuring to produce the new Endeavor will be relatively easier.
As such, resuming Ford sales was always on the table. Even after sales stopped, the company maintained some service operations and periodically announced service and warranty packages. Unlike General Motors, which chose to exit the market to focus on key areas, Ford did not want to exit, but had no choice after its deal with Mahindra fell through.
New Ford Endeavor: most prominent exterior design features
The new Ford Endeavor continues to sit on the Ranger truck platform, which means it still has the ladder-frame architecture. It also shares a fair number of design elements, body panels and powertrains with the Ranger.
It has a squared-off front fascia with a large grille featuring a horizontal stripe in the middle, extending beyond the grille to the new Matrix LED headlights with C-shaped daytime running lights. The new SUV definitely has a more squared-off design, with a straighter rear end featuring new inverted L-shaped LED taillights that extend into the straighter tailgate; The lights are connected by a black plastic plate.
New Ford Endeavour: interior details
The three-row cabin is all-new with a more modern dashboard design dominated by a vertically oriented 12-inch touchscreen (10.1-inch on lower models) running Ford's latest SYNC infotainment software and a 12.4-inch (8.0-inch) digital instrument cluster. inches in entry-level models).
New Ford Endeavor: Safety and technology
On the safety front, the new Ford SUV has nine airbags, hands-free parking, adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist, and Ford Pre-Collision Assist with Intersection Assist, which allows the car to apply the brakes if it detects an impending collision. Either with the car in front of you or with traffic coming from the opposite direction.
New Ford Endeavor: Powertrain details
Engine options for the new Everest include two 2.0-liter turbocharged engines (a single-turbocharged version and a twin-turbocharged version) and a new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6, like the new Ranger. Gearbox options include a 6-speed manual and a 10-speed automatic, depending on the engine. Some markets also get the SUV in 2WD configuration.
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