2019 Ford Endeavour Facelift Review

There are very few names in the SUV space that have achieved a 'cult status' and when you list them down, you cannot leave out the Ford Endeavour. It was back in 2016 that the company launched the third generation model of the SUV, and by all means, it was a big step up from the previous generation of the Ford Endeavour we had in India. It was bigger, butcher, capable and more feature packed than ever, everything buyers in the big premium SUV space wanted. Even the numbers speak for themselves. Ford managed to sell over 19,000 units of the third-gen Endeavour in India, which, in this segment is a pretty good number. However, it's been three years since the SUV was launched in India, and Ford has finally decided to give the Endeavour its first comprehensive facelift. With this facelift, Ford wants to make the Endeavour a car that takes on the current and more updated rivals like the new-gen Toyota Fortuner and the Mahindra Alturas G4. We went to Jaisalmer to meet the new facelifted version and drive it on the Thar desert.

We went to Jaisalmer to meet the 2019 Ford Endeavour and drive it on the Thar desert

Right off the bat, let me tell you that the 2019 Ford Endeavour will not be getting the much anticipated 2.0-litre diesel engine that the Thai-spec Everest gets. That is most likely to come with the BS6 update, next year. However, what we do get is the same tried and tested 2.2-litre TDCi and the larger 3.2-litre TDCi diesel engines, under the hood. Both the oil burners come mated to the very familiar 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission, but backed by popular demand we now also get an optional 6-speed manual gearbox, only for the smaller 2.2-litre model.

To keep things simple and interesting, Ford is now offering the Endeavour in only two variants - Titanium and Titanium+. While the former gets the smaller 2.2-litre engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, the top-spec Titanium+ trim comes with the option of both, the 2.2-litre engine and the 3.2-litre motor paired with the 6-speed automatic transmission as standard. It's all very well figured out then and that simplification is also seen in the changes made to the exterior.

2019 Ford Endeavour gets the 2.2-litre and 3.2-litre TDCi diesel engines, we got to drive the latter

Also Read: Ford India Reveals The Endeavour Facelift

Visually, the changes made to the facelifted Endeavour are quite limited but it's all about giving it a premium look. Up front, the SUV now gets a new, more prominent chrome grille with chunky chrome slats and borders, and along with it, the front bumper has also been updated with a new skid plate that now extends to house the larger airdam and the horizontal foglamps. Now, it also comes with a new, sportier set of 18-inch 6-twin-spoke alloy wheels, along with the addition of puddle lamps on the ORVMs, and a new Diffused Silver body colour, which looked quite apt for the sandy setting of Jaisalmer. However, most of the other exterior elements like the projector headlamps with LED daytime running lamps, LED taillamps, rear bumper remain unchanged, included the badging placement areas.

2019 Ford Endeavour Facelift comes with a new grille, skid plate and 18-inch alloy wheels as standard

Step inside the cabin of the 2019 Endeavour and it will be as if you are still in 2016, it's as if nothing has changed. But the biggest change is the push-button engine start/stop function. I hopped onto the front passenger seat and found out that I no longer have to search for a lever to adjust the seat because now, even the co-driver gets an 8-way adjustable power seat. Although this power will only be in the hands of a passenger sitting in the top-end Titanium+ trim, the co-driver in the lower Titanium variant, still has to work the levers to get the perfect seating position. Later Ford revealed a few unseen additions made to the cabin. The Endeavour comes with 6 airbags as standard, while the Titanium+ trim also offers a 7th - a driver's side knee airbag.

2019 Ford Endeavour Facelift now gets engine start/stop function and power seat for co-driver

The rest of the 7-seater cabin, however, remains unchanged, and to be frank, I don't really mind it, because the Endeavour had a pretty stylish and well-equipped cabin, to begin with. The SUV continues to come with the beige and black dual tone interior with generous use of premium quality material and soft touch plastic. Even the Titanium+ trim continues to come with the soft IP dashboard with contrast stitching. The centre stage, of course, in both the models, is taken by the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system powered by Ford's SYNC3 connectivity system, loaded with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The multi-functional steering wheel has also been retained featuring controls for voice command, music, cruise control and more. Similarly, the instrument cluster also remains unchanged featuring two MID screens, offering loads of information like tachometer, fuel gauge, driving modes gear position indicator and more.

2019 Ford Endeavour gets the same dual tone beige-black interior with a well-equipped dashboard

Among other creature comforts, the Endeavour facelift comes with premium leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear AC vents with a controller for the 2nd and 3rd row, and rear armrest with extended cup holders. The biggest highlight, of course, is the panoramic sunroof, which according to Ford covers almost 50 per cent of the roof.

2019 Ford Endeavour gets smart-looking premium leather upholstery and dual-zone climate control

Ford continues to offer some smart functions like power folding third-row seats, along with semi-auto parallel park assist which can search for a parking spot and parks the SUV all by itself! A pretty nifty feature when you have a big SUV like this eh? However, the newest addition to this list is the hands-free power liftgate function, which practically allows you to open and close the tailgate by simply waving your foot below the rear bumper. This helps in offering easy access to the large 430-litre boot when your hands are otherwise occupied carrying luggage or shopping bags.

2019 Ford Endeavour's hands-free power liftgate allows you to open and close the tailgate by simply waving your foot

As for safety features, in addition to 7 airbags, the Endeavour also gets ABS with EBD, hill launch assists, electronic stability and traction control, rear view camera with active guideline, remote keyless entry, tyre pressure monitor and much more. Save for the 7th airbag, all of these are part of standard fitment, while if you opt for the Titanium+ trim you'll also get the front parking sensors, electrochromic IRVM, and hill descent control.

2019 Ford Endeavour Facelift gets both hill start assist and hill descent control

So, now that I have covered everything that the 2019 Ford Endeavour has to offer, let us tell you how it drives. I only got to drive the 3.2-litre model with the 6-speed automatic gearbox and as always the engine is a beast. The motor continues to offer a maximum output of 197 bhp that reaches its peak at around 3000 rpm and you get a sense of this power even in the lower rpms, so the engine doesn't really feel sluggish, especially when the motor is tuned to develop a peak torque of 470 Nm, from as low as around 1700 rpm reaching its maximum capacity at 2500 rpm. Overall the engine feels eager at all times and ready to charge, and it would have been a little more enjoyable if the gearbox was a little more responsive. There is nothing wrong with this automatic gearbox, it's just that it takes some time getting used to. Initially, it feels like the shifts are delayed, so after spending some time with it, you kind of get used to the way this gearbox functions and you adjust your driving style accordingly. While there is a manual mode on offer which can be accessed by shifting the lever to right and toggling it up and down, we would have preferred if Ford had offered paddle shifter, at least this time. As for the 2.2-litre engine, continues to offer 158 bhp and 358 Nm of peak torque.

2019 Ford Endeavour Facelift's 3.2-litre engine makes 197 bhp and 470 Nm of peak torque

Before we could hit the sand dunes, which was around 40 km away from Jaisalmer airport, we had to go through the narrow roads of the city, and some of them were simply single-lane roads. And it's here that you start to realise the bulk of this SUV. The Endeavour is massive and there is no denying that, and it could be quite intimidating on the road as you sit higher compared to everyone else on the road. But despite that, the ride and handling is quite smooth. The steering is well weighed and you don't really feel that it's a big car that you're driving. The suspension, assisted by the locking differential, handled some of the worst potholes and broken roads with great ease, and before we knew it we were on the highway, and from there onwards it was smooth sailing. The brakes in the Endeavour also do their job pretty well offering a good amount of bite and progression, supported by the antilock brakes and electronic braking distribution.

2019 Ford Endeavour gets a Terrain Management System with 4 modes - Road, Sand, Snow/Mud, and Rock

The 2019 Endeavour also continues to get its much-appreciated Terrain Management System (TMS). The system offers different driving modes - Road, Sand, Snow/Mud, and Rock, and it's the former two that I got to experience during this drive. The system works independently of the low-range gearbox and rear differential lock offering different stability control intervention, traction control severity, and throttle response to allow greater flexibility off-road.

2019 Ford Endeavour Facelift's TMS is quite smart and does all the hard work for you

In the sand mode, the TMS increases the sensitivity of the accelerator and offers more wheelspin, in order to gain more traction on a loose surface like sand. The system is quite smart and does all the hard work for you, making even a novice like me look like a pro, all you have to do is guide the vehicle with mild steering inputs. But it's important to know when to floor the accelerator and when to take it easy else you might sink the wheels.

2019 Ford Endeavour Facelift comes in only two variants Titanium 4X2 and Titanium+ 4x4

With just two variants on offer, choosing between the Titanium and Titanium+ variants is not really a difficult task. The former comes with the 2.2-litre engine with 4x2, mated to a manual gearbox, while the Titanium+ is available with both, the 2.2-litre 4x2 and the 3.2-litre 4x4 engines, mated to the automatic transmission. Surely the Titanium+ variant comes with a tonne of features, that said, the Titanium trim is not really a bad trade-off considering most of the new and updated features that we spoke about come as a standard fitment. Priced at Rs. 28.19 lakh to Rs. 32.97 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the 2019 model, the Titanium+ trim in particular, is now cheaper than the pre-facelift model by up to Rs. 40,000, making it a strong value proposition. Also, with the revised prices, it now sits right between the newly launched Mahindra Alturas G4 and the segment leader Toyota Fortuner, making life difficult for both these competitors.