The announcement that Ford would be leaving India's mass-market shattered many people's hearts, especially those who were owners and fans of its SUVs, the Ecosport and Endeavour. While the Ecosport is unlikely to reappear in India, a recent report may give those hoping for a Ford Endeavour a reason to cheer.
According to a recent report on T-BHP, Ford is considering reintroducing the Endeavour SUV to the Indian market. The Ford Endeavour was the American automaker's flagship SUV in India. Apart from its Chennai factory, the Endeavour is built in Thailand, Vietnam, and China, known as the Ford Everest.
Ford attempted to contract Endeavour's production by partnering with another automaker. Attempts in this way, however, failed, forcing Ford to shut down its production operations in India. Because it will be imported as a CBU, the price would most likely be in the region of Rs 60 lakh ex-showroom, making it significantly more expensive than the segment-leading Toyota Fortuner.
Ford has stated that it would now concentrate on CBU goods such as the Mustang coupe and Mustang Mach-E. Given Endeavour's tremendous popularity and strong sales results in the Indian automobile market, Ford is considering bringing the Endeavour back via the CBU route from Thailand.
The Ford Endeavour may no longer be a good value for money given the prospect of bringing it through the CBU method. It would be subject to import charges and other taxes, resulting in a significant price increase in the region of Rs 60 lakh. As a result, it will be far more expensive than its archrival, the Toyota Fortuner, which has already undergone significant price increases in recent years.
If the Ford Endeavour is transported to India in CBU form, it will be a little better SUV than previously, since it will receive a few modifications. The new 2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel engine, which employs two turbochargers instead of one in the powertrain of the now-defunct India-made Ford Endeavour, is the first and most significant perspective change.
The new bi-turbo engine will be far more powerful than the single-turbo engine used in the Endeavour marketed in India so far, with maximum power and torque outputs of 211 bhp and 500 Nm. The 10-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive, which the SUV previously had, will remain unchanged. Aside from the enhanced engine, the Ford Endeavour will also gain a few more amenities that are only available in the global-spec Ford Everest and are not accessible in the India-spec variant.
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