The India bound, next generation 2015 Ford Endeavour/ Everest was spied undergoing rough road testing in Australia. Production of the all-new SUV will happen in Rayong, Thailand and Nanchang, China. India will get Thai-made CKD kits which will be assembled at Ford’s Chennai plant by sometime this year.
Designed and developed by Ford’s Asia Pacific design and product development teams, the production version stays true to the Everest concept showed by Ford an year back in Sydney, apart from the addition of a few production friendly elements like the tires and head-lamp washers. The 7-seat SUV will go on sale next year, in markets like China, Australia, New Zealand, India (Endeavour), Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa.
In China, the 2015 Ford Endeavor will be available with a choice of 3 power-plants:
- A 3.2-liter 5-cylinder diesel engine developing 197 bhp and 470 Nm of torque.
- A 2.2-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine developing 147.5 bhp and 385 Nm of torque.
- A 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, twin-scroll turbocharged, EcoBoost petrol engine developing 234 bhp and 360 Nm of torque.
Power is sent to all four wheels via a standard 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic. India is likely to get only the diesel engines.
For those who like to get their SUVs dirty, the new Endeavor boasts a 225 mm ground clearance and capable is of 800 mm of water-wading. Ford’s newest crossover SUV can also hold its own when the going gets a tad mountainous, thanks to a commendable 29 degree approach angle and 25 degrees of departure. With a towing capacity of 3,000 kilos (6,613 lbs) and a payload of 750 kg (1,653 pounds), the 2015 Endeavour shows some good hauling prowess.
Inside, the 2015 Endeavour benefits from an all-new dashboard design and the latest generation of Ford’s in-car connectivity solution, SYNC 2, which lets one use natural voice commands to control the car’s entertainment system, climate controls and connected mobile devices more easily. SYNC 2 also boasts an 8-inch touchscreen with color-coded corners for easy menu navigation.
The new Ford Endeavour also offers a handful of segment-first technologies, including Curve Control, designed to help drivers maintain control when approaching turns too quickly; Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Aid, two technologies that help prevent drivers from unintentionally drifting out of a lane; and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert, which informs drivers when there is a vehicle in their blind spot while driving or when preparing to reverse out of parking spots.
Other features include Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Alert with Collision Mitigation, Roll Stability Control and an Electronic Stability Program, along with Active Park Assist.
via CarAdvice