2020 FORD ENDEAVOUR BSVI

Might not look like it, but the Ford Endeavour gets a sizable update in its quest to meet BSVI norms

- TUHIN GUHA

For much of the last two decades, if you’ve wanted a big, burly, 7-seater SUV that doesn’t have a luxury badge on the front of it, you’ve aspired for the Toyota Fortuner or the Ford Endeavour. The Fortuner has been the sales leader but the Ford Endeavour is the one that has been a perennial OVERDRIVE favourite.

As with the rest of the industry, the Fortuner and Endeavour have both been updated to meet the BSVI norms coming into effect in April. The update to the Endeavour is more significant and we recently found ourselves in the arid landscapes around Jaisalmer to see what these changes have done for the Ford.

It doesn’t look any different…

Not entirely, the Endeavour’s face has been freshened up a bit with the addition of a new full-LED headlamp cluster. These units are a sizable improvement over the earlier halogen projectors with a throw that is longer and wider. The sharper internals also add a bit more intent to the already imposing look of the SUV. Another minor change is that the louvres on the sides now just say Endeavour and not the engine specs.

While this was a good opportunity to give the Endeavour a more significant visual update, we don’t think that it desperately needs one just yet. Ford India had added a larger, more chrome-laden grille, a revised front bumper, dual-tone alloys and the diffused silver paint shade seen here last year, and these changes have held the Endeavour’s in good stead.

What’s changed then?

The entire drivetrain. The Endeavour now comes with a single 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine, replacing the earlier diesels. The new BSVI compliant EcoBlue engine is the diesel equivalent of Ford’s Ecoboost petrols. The motor is a ground-up new design focussed on improving efficiency, refinement and meeting emission norms.