Ford Endeavour: Big beast conquers all topographies

It came down easily from the deep steep, it didn’t get stuck in the pool of mud and slush, though all the four tyres of the vehicle were like they lay buried inside; it was easily making its own way down the path, where there was not even a speck of tar in the surroundings!

The easy movement across various obstacles and the first look of the Ford Endeavour will drive any passionate off-roady crazy. The huge 3.2-litre fully-loaded engine taken for off-road testing on the outskirts of Bengaluru, where the real power of the vehicle was demonstrated by a group of off-roading experts.

The vehicle was on top of a rock, and there was not even a proper path for its movement, but big ditches, and meandering ups and downs. It was experienced on a track simulating challenging off-road conditions, including hill climbs and descents, slush, and water wading among others.

Though it was looking like a rally track, the car would have toppled at any point if the driver accelerated it amateurly. This off-roading track (natural terrain) was surely tailor-made to test the capacity and the power of a proven SUV beast.

The daring off-roading drive included — sharp turns, steep hill climbs and hill descent, wading through slush, uneven surfaces, and driving at a 30-degree tilt, among others. The powerful four-wheel-drive and terrain management system with Normal, Snow/Mud/Grass, Sand and Rock modes were ensuring the driver to have complete control of the car even over harsh ground. The terrain management system (the first-of-its-kind in this particular segment of cars) has included the modes for all the possible obstacles in the off-roading track and makes the owner feel ‘ready to conquer’.

Terrain Management System
As said earlier, it is a first-of-its-kind feature in the Ford Endeavour. The four different modes are designed in such a way of having an off-road expert beside you. The modes are classified as:

Normal: For all regular driving in normal road conditions. In this mode, the machine passes the torque to the front wheels (when necessary), depending on the movement of throttle and steering-movement. This also minimises wheel slip.

Snow/Mud: Helps the vehicle’s movement over slippery or loose surfaces. Allows the wheel to spin in ups and downs, and make the drive feel smooth.

Sand: For driving on the rutted condition tracks. Helps the driver maintain the same power through sand with aggressive torque transfer.

Rock: This mode provides maximum traction for low-range four-wheel-drive, and prefer low-speed control, which will enable one to easily navigate through extreme off-road terrains.

Hill Descent Control: This mode helps one set and maintain the constant speed, which tackles the steep descents with ease. This also helps in taking the feet off from the pedals and concentrate on the steering movement.

With all the special modes, the car was tested using a specific modes for different obstacles.

Halted on the slush: Even when the vehicle was completely halted in the slush, the water-wading capacity of 800 mm along with 225 mm of ground clearance helped it easily come out of the ditch even in the sharp turns. Compared with any other road vehicle, the Ford Endeavour can be halted in between the slush, instead of rushing the obstacle.

Hill climbing with rock mode: This obstacle was cleared by switching into the Rock mode and turning on the 4X4 drive. The only work of the driver is to handle the steering wheel and keeping the feet on acceleration pedal. This mode can make the car climb any steep rock without any difficulty.

For the wrong step: To reduce anxiety on the track or to correct the wrong move, the Semi-Auto Parallel Park Assist helps the driver locate the right place to halt and proceed while off-roading.

70-degree steep down: It was a deadly obstacle on the off-roading track, where it should only be done by experts. The vehicle was made to come down from the hill which had a climb of 70 degrees, and safely landed on the flat surface. The breathtaking obstacle was fought by turning into the Hill Descent Control mode with extra caution. Though one may be a passionate off-roading driver, perfection in this obstacle needs extra practice.

Other obstacles: After clearing the deadly obstacles, rest of the other tests over the track were easily done by the big machine. The vehicles easily crossed the multiple speed breaker and multiple pits, and also climbed other steep rocks effortlessly.

As a passenger: After the tough 2 km drive, covering all the possible obstacles that one might face during an off-road drive, we also tested the vehicle by sitting inside as fellow passengers. With the off-roading driving expert on the wheel, climbing and getting down the tough terrains, crossing other obstacles will make passengers feel the drive is straight out of an amusement park. Just make sure that every individual inside the car has his seat belt on.