Ford Endeavour to make a comeback in India next year

Key Highlights

• The 2022 Ford Endeavour which is sold in Thailand as the Everest will launch in India next year.
• The Endeavour will be the first Ford offering in India since its exit in 2021.
• Upon launch, the SUV will directly rival the Toyota Fortuner.

After closing its operations and pulling from the Indian market in 2021, Ford will finally make a comeback next year. The American automaker is expected to launch the Ford Endeavour SUV in 2025. Ford has already filed a patent for the Endeavour in India and listed new job openings. Earlier, the automaker retracted its decision to sell its Maraimalai Nagar facility in Tamil Nadu, hinting towards a possible return.

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Ford Endeavour: A Comeback Story

Back in 2022, Ford sold its Sanand manufacturing facility in Gujarat to Tata Motors, a year after it announced that it would be closing operations in India. The automaker’s second facility in Maraimalai Nagar near Chennai was also put for sale, with Tata Motors and MG India being the front runners for the acquisition of the plant. The American auto giant has now decided to hold on to its last remaining plant in India and use it to assemble the Endeavour.

The current-gen Ford Endeavour was launched internationally in 2022 and is sold in Southeast Asian markets like Thailand as the Ford Everest. This model is expected to make its way to India next year. Ford is currently in the process of deciding whether the SUV will be imported as a Completely Built-up Unit (CBU) or a Completely Knockdown Unit (CKD). The latter would mean local assemblage of the SUV at the Chennai facility and more competitive pricing.

The 2022 Ford Endeavour features a chrome-embellished front grille flanked by headlights with C-shaped LED Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs). The SUV gets inverted L-shaped tail lights at the rear end. It has a 50mm longer wheelbase than its outgoing counterpart, which means more cabin space and legroom for the passengers. Along the sides, the SUV rests on 21-inch alloy wheels.

The ‘Everest’ is offered in two engine options – 2.0-litre turbo diesel and 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel. The former produces a maximum power output of 168hp and 405Nm of torque. It is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The bi-turbo diesel engine puts out 208hp of power and 500Nm of torque. It comes with a 10-speed automatic gearbox. Both engine variants are available in RWD and AWD options.

In terms of features, the 2022 Ford Endeavour gets a 12-inch vertical touchscreen infotainment system and a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster. The infotainment system supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The SUV also gets wireless and USB charging, front parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, and safety features like 7 airbags, hill descent control, TPMS, hill hold control, traction control, stability control, and an ADAS package.

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Conclusion

Before the automaker ceased operations in India, it used to produce the Endeavour at its Chennai plant. This will enable it to resume functioning without any significant hiccups when the SUV makes a comeback in 2025. The plant was active until 2022 when it rolled out the last EcoSport compact SUV meant to be shipped to foreign markets. Upon its return, the Ford Endeavour will directly rival the Toyota Fortuner, MG Gloster, Mahindra Alturas G4, and Isuzu MU-X.

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