Ford Endeavour received a mid-life refresh in India last year but unlike the international version, the India-spec off-roader chose to continue with the existing engine options instead of bring the new bi-turbo 2.0-liter diesel engine to the table.
Rushlane has learnt that, Ford India will finally introduce the new motor in question as a part of BS6 update. The older motors are not likely to be updated to the new emission regulations and hence are expected to be discontinued by April 1, 2020. Ford has not confirmed this update.
To recap, the BS4 version of the Ford Endeavour is available with two diesel engine options. The base 2.2-liter diesel motor pushes out 160 hp and 385 Nm of torque while the larger 3.2-liter unit has 200 hp and 470 Nm on tap. The former is available only 4×2 configuration with 6-MT and 6-AT transmission options while the latter is available in 4×4 configuration with standard 6-AT.
Shifting to a smaller 2.0 liter diesel motor will help Ford India to keep the Endeavour prices in check. Updating the current 2.2 liter and 3.2 liter motors to BS6 would have resulted in price hike in the region of Rs 3-5 lakhs. For the same reason, Toyota India has discontinued their larger 2.8 liter diesel engine from the Innova Crysta BS6 and soon to be launched Fortuner BS6.
The new down-sized 2.0-liter diesel engine adds an additional turbocharger to compensate for the lack of displacement. The new motor is good for 210 hp and a heady torque of 500 Nm. The engine is paired to a new 10-speed automatic gearbox. A uncamouflaged prototype of what is believed to be the Ford Endeavour BS6 was recently spotted testing. There are no cosmetic changes compared to last year’s facelifted model.
The burly ladder-on-frame SUV will continue to fight it out with the likes of Toyota Fortuner, Skoda Kodiaq and Isuzu MU-X. The Endeavour’s strong selling points include plush interior, fully packed equipment list, excellent cabin refinement (thanks to noise cancellation system) and good off-road capability.
Expect the 2020 Ford Endeavour BS6 to witness an inflation in the price owing to the new powertrain. The existing model retails between INR 29.2 lakh to INR 34.7 lakh (Ex-showroom). Despite its steep pricing, the premium SUV has been managing to clock around 700 units on most months. In fact, the Endy has been consistently bringing higher sales volume than the much cheaper and mass market Aspire compact sedan.
The updated Ford Endeavour BS6 is expected to go on sale sometime before April this year. It is to be noted that the American automaker has chose not to participate in this year’s Auto Expo.
