The Great Ford Endeavour Drive  Delhi

Ford Endevour 3.2 AT Off-Road Experience : Beastly Prowess

I am not a big SUV fan. I think they are bulky, difficult to commute in and consume far too much resource for what they’re meant to do 90 percent of time. However, there are a few things which only SUV’s can do. And when I am stuck with no option but to do those things, I’d bet my buck on the SUVs from the Blue Oval. The new Ford Endeavour is as perfect a premium SUV can get for our conditions, and my colleagues from Mumbai have been raving about the big machine ever since they drove one.

So when I got a chance to drive the big beast on a specially made off-road trail, I was both elated, and sceptical. I mean, I wanted to drive the car, but at the same time I wanted to find some flaws with the big machine, which my Mumbai colleagues’ generally sharp eyes may have missed out upon.

Let’s find out what the fuss is all about. I am a purist at heart and that was one reason I really wanted to drive the Ford Endeavour. While the SUVs these days come in all sizes, Ford Endeavour is a chip off the old block. It is a full blown SUV with a proper 4×4 drive system, body on ladder chassis and a size larger than a 2 BHK flat in Mumbai (snigger, snigger)

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With the help of an off-roading group namely Terrain Tigers, Ford had charted out a course full of steep hill climbs, descents, rumble strips, inclines and what not. Basically everything that one can throw at a true blooded SUV was prepared.

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I was driving the top of the line 3.2 Litre 4×4 Automatic version of the Endeavour. The engine belts out 200 bhp @3000 rpm and rotates the wheels with 470 Nm of torque coming between 1750-2500 rpm. The section did not have any tarmac driving. For that we suggest your read our full review of the behemoth.

I was going to do the second session so I chose the first session to photograph the car in action. Standing there clicking pictures, seeing all six of the Endeavours clear obstacles with panache, I could not wait to get behind the wheel of one. It was about 2 km long specially designed stage and we all got two laps of it. We were going to test all the settings in Ford’s Terrain Management System

Safety First

At Motoroids, we believe in safety as much as we believe in pushing the cars to limits. This event took place in a controlled environment on a track designed by experts and there were field marshals guiding us all through. All the occupants in the car – even the rear passengers were wearing seat belts at all times. There were no lose items rolling around in the cabin. We advise our readers to follow the safety procedures while off-roading.

Downhill Section

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We lined up at the start. Tough section started from a hill top as we had the drive down a steep slope. For the first lap, I used the downhill assist. The systrem takes care of the acceleration and braking. On a downhill slope, the acceleration is not really needed. Theoretically, the driver can just take the foot off both the pedals (though not advised) and just steer the SUV. The system was very smart and with feathered braking, made sure we climbed down the steep hill without a hiccup. On the second lap, I did not switch on downhill assist, and yet the car managed just fine. All one has to do is dab the brakes gently and not lock up the wheels. I was mighty impressed by the insane approach and departure angles. When climbing down what seemed like a vertical fall, the bumper did not touch the ground. Ford has done real good job with the clearance.

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Ford had so much confidence in their car that they made a downhill slope so steep that even they knew the downhill assist will not help. So it was upto the driver to take control. I like that. While it’s confidence inspiring to have all these complicated drive control features, the real fun of off-roading is when the driver takes control.

Uphill Climb

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Soon after the down hill section, we had an uphill climb. However, I was feeling very confident with the Endeavour’s torquey motor and all the sophisticated systems at work. All I had to do was put the car in D, press the accelerator pedal to almost the middle position and keep it on. The tyres grab all the dirt they can and take the giant up the sand wall without breaking into a sweat.

Dirt Road

There were sections of the track with long sand trails which also included some turns. They gave us a chance to test the power and traction control. 470 Nm of torque trying to move a giant will result in wheel spin on sandy surface if you’re too harsh with the throttle. You might even end up getting the car beached. However, with the right traction control, the sand mode does its bit to avoid wheelspin inspiring confidence over soft, boggy sand.

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Rumble Strips and Articulation

This section is where the Ford Endeavour really gets in its hardcore mode. We switched the car into ‘Rock’ Mode. What this mode does is, gives power independently to each wheel, keeps the gearbox in low ratio and as much traction as a geko. To switch to this mode, these are the steps we have to follow:

Step 1: Come to a complete halt

Step 2: Shift the automatic gearbox to N

Step 3: Shift the Traction Management Knob to Rock Mode

Step 4: Push the 4×4 Low button.

Step 5: Wait till the shifting is done. You get an indication when the shifting is done.

Step 6: Shift back to D and start driving.

There is hardly an obstacle you’d find within reason which can keep this beast at bay in this mode. On the Rumble strip, we did really get to know how good the ride quality was. I am not saying that our coffee did not spill on craters deeper than moon, but they were cleared with aplomb. In the articulation section, I went very slowly to experience which wheel was in air and which wheel had the traction. The troughs on the track were handled with so much ease that you hardly ever realise that at times the car is balanced only on two wheels. .

Mud Section

This was definitely the trickiest bit of the specially made trail owing to the slippery mud, a total lack of traction and zero knowledge of the surface beneath the water. There were two sections. The first one was more of a flat ground with lots of mud while the other one was more of a huge pit fulled of slush. For the straight muddy section, we just put the car in mud/slush/snow mode, kept a constant throttle and the Endeavour slithered its way through. Sure, it did lose traction on the surface which was slippery as though it was drenched in lube. However, with the right throttle input and traction control and all gadgets working overtime, the car was out of the section without much trouble. Your everyday car would have spun around like a top in those conditions.

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Then came the ditch, large enough to swallow a couple of small hatchbacks whole. It was filled with slush with the driver getting no idea about its depth or the surface beneath. This is when I was asked to lock the differential so that the car could wade through the deep water and climb up the steep slope that lay ahead. We went down the steep slope very carefully and waded through deep water.

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Once the whole car was in the mud, I pressed the accelerator a tad harder and within no time the Ford Endeavour was emerged out of the water like an incarnation of the Loch Ness monster. The whole exercise is a  little awkward at first but a lot of fun to watch and do.

Summing it up

I have participated in quite a few such off-road events with a variety of carmakers. This one, however, owing to the generous length of the track, and the extreme nature of the course was one of the best experiences I’d ever had. Ford Endeavour is definitely the bid daddy of the SUVs made by the mainstream manufacturers. There’s no obstacle large enough to stop this monster. Rather than pausing and getting its forehead creased, this one instead laughs at the tribulations ahead and says “Let’s do it”. The endeavour is an insanely capable off roader, and you really have to drive it to know what we are talking about here. Do try it out if you’re fishing for an SUV is this segment. You’d be as smitten as our Mumbai colleagues are!

Don’t forget clicking on the thumbnails below for a mega image gallery 

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