Battle of beasts: Ford Endeavour vs Toyota Fortuner

India is one of the prominent and growing car markets of the world. At the same time it’s extremely competitive. Manufacturers strive really hard to be at par with rivals by launching new products.

Premium SUV segment, however, have started suffering since companies have started launching cheaper crossovers that are value for money.

From EcoSport to Duster and Innova, these powerful yet frugal cars have caught the fancy of Indian buyers.

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Recently, Ford India re-launched its premium SUV Endeavour for the model year 2014. This launch has invigorated the old rivalry between Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner.

The interesting fact that makes Endeavour a priority is its pricing which is a couple of lakhs cheaper than the arch rival Fortuner.

Moreover, the new 4X4 variant in automatic transmission is missing in Fortuner line-up. Let’s look at how the two fare when pitted against each other.

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The Exteriors

The all new Ford Endeavour 2014 boast of muscular grille with chrome lining, sleek new headlamp cluster, revamped fog lamp bezels and the redesigned bumper with skid plates

The masculine looks are enhanced with the new 16-inch alloy wheels.

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The rear profile remains intact with radiant twin tail lamps and the spare wheel mounted on the tailgate.

New Blind Spot Passenger-side mirrors have been added that enhances driver visibility on roads while the aluminum side stepper shows the dynamic appearance of the car.

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Toyota Fortuner, on the other hand has daunting stance in terms of exterior styling.

The front profile consists of company’s signature grille with chrome slats and the self-leveling projector headlamps while the badge is placed at the centre.

The unique things to be noticed on the bonnet are acute character lines with air-scoop provided for cooling the intercooler.

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On the sides, a pair of 17-inch aluminium cladded alloy wheels looks energetic and the body coloured ORVMs and door handles just flows through the overall structure.

Fortuner has an edge over Endeavour when it comes to ground clearance which is 11mm high.

Rear portion has dual circular tail lamps and chrome bar that appears vigorous.

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The Interiors

Both the SUVs comes with seating arrangement for 7-8 people, so there is hardly any complain when it comes to interior spacing.

Ford Endeavour which is lengthier in dimensions than Toyota Fortuner, offers ample legroom to the occupants.

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The new Ford Endeavour gets the latest gizmo in the form of touchscreen SATNAV entertainment system which has features like navigation, Bluetooth audio control, stereo system and the reverse parking camera.

The car is loaded with tons of safety features which include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, front disc brake, engine immobilizer and even anti-theft security feature.

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Fortuner is also loaded with top-notch features and the cabin is dressed in quality material that speaks of Japanese style statement.

The third row as compared to Endeavour is little squeezed, so adult person will feel uncomfortable and is only good for kids.

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Other stress busters in the car include leather dressed steering wheel with mounted audio controls for ease of access, six-way driver seat adjustment, Optitron Meter, Multi Information Display, etc.

Safety features include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and Multi-Reflector Quad Headlamps.

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Engine and Performance

The new Ford Endeavour comes in two engine options; 2.5L Duratorq TDCi engine with Variable Geometry Turbocharger which produces 141bhp and 330Nm of torque and the bigger 3.0L with the same Duratorq technology churning out 153bhp and torque rated at 380Nm.

The 2.5L engine is paired with five-speed manual transmission while the 3.0L engine is paired with five-speed automatic transmission gearbox.

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Contrarily, Toyota Fortuner sports a 3.0-litre Direct Injection Common Rail diesel engine with intercooler turbocharger that produces 168bhp and peak torque of 360Nm.

The SUV is coupled with five-speed automatic transmission system. Both Ford Endeavour and Fortuner now come equipped with 4X4 driving mechanism while this feature is available with automatic transmission in Ford Endeavour only.

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Pricing

Pricing is one of the crucial factors that determine the sales of a vehicle. Ford Endeavour now comes in three variants which start from 4X2 MT that comes at Rs 19.83 lakh, the 4X2 AT that comes at Rs 21.28 lakhs and the top-end 4X4 AT variant priced at Rs 23.06 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

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On the other hand, Fortuner is priced higher than Endeavour. It comes with five different variants with the basic model starting at Rs 21.81 lakh while the high-end variant comes at a price tag of Rs 23.41 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

It would be interesting to see how the new Ford Endeavour will tune up the sales for the company and put a dent in present market leader Fortuner's sales.

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