- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0DT, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
140kW, 400Nm
- Fuel
Diesel 6.7L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2016)
2019 Ford Endura Trend new car review
With apologies to Joni Mitchell, sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
The sentiment certainly applies to the Australian car industry - or at least models formerly designed and built on our shores. Ford gave it a good shake trying to stay relevant to customer needs, correctly anticipating that SUVs would enjoy more than a fleeting moment in the spotlight before investing in the locally-built Territory.
Blue oval executives insist that the new Ford Endura is not a replacement for the versatile and dynamically gifted Territory, and they’re right. But it is the first road-biased large SUV to emerge since Ford shuttered its manufacturing operations in Victoria, and a rival to high-riding machines such as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Holden Acadia.
What do you get?
Priced from $44,990 to $67,990 plus on-road costs, the Endura is available in a choice of three trim lines.
Entry-level Trend models (as tested here) receive a reasonable range of standard kit including 18-inch alloys, smart keys, electric driver’s seat adjustment, dual-zone climate control and an 8-inch infotainment screen loaded up with sat nav, smartphone connectivity features and a reversing camera.
A decent suite of driver aids including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and other niceties features on every Endura model.
Buyers looking for a little more can shell out $53,990 for a sportily-appointed ST-Line model with firmer suspension, black accents, 20-inch wheels and a mix of leather and suede trim amid other additions. The range-topping Titanium adds adaptive LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate and a suite of luxuries such as heated and cooled seats for $63,990 plus on-road costs.
All Endura models are powered by a four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels as standard, with all-wheel-drive a $4000 option. Other extras include metallic paint ($600), a tow bar ($1000), 19-inch wheels for the Trend ($1000) and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system ($1600).
Ford supports the Endura with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Capped-price servicing will set you back $299 per visit, a fee that includes a year of roadside assistance from state-based auto clubs.
What’s inside?
There’s a lot to like about the Endura’s cabin, which features a generous amount of room in the front and rear, numerous storage options (including a truly cavernous centre console) and a solid selection of power outlets with USB, 12-volt and household power point connections.
What you won’t find is a third row of seats - the Endura is a strict five-seater, something likely to bother many customers in this category.
But it wins back points with a truly enormous boot with 602 litres of capacity if you fill it to the top of the back seat, or more than 800 litres if you pack it to the roof. Split-fold rear seats add to its versatility,
It’s an effective space, though one which looks a little drab thanks to smooth-finish matte plastics throughout the cabin.
Stretching to access the high-mounted touchscreen might prove annoying for folks with T-Rex-levels of reach, and we don’t love a cheap-feeling rotary transmission controller which takes up the same amount of real estate as a conventional gear lever.
Under the bonnet
While there’s no fuel-saving electrification going on, you could argue the Endura is a “hybrid” in a biological sense, as it is the result of inter-species cross-breeding. Uniquely, Australia’s version is powered by a modified diesel engine borrowed from the Ford Transit van, as opposed to the turbo petrol power plant you’ll find in its native North America.
The 2.0-litre unit uses a claimed 6.7L/100km to produce 140kW and 400Nm maximum that are fairly average for this category. We saw more than 8L/100km in mixed conditions, including urban stop-start traffic where performance could have been improved by an idle-stop system.
Perky enough around town, the Endura can feel a little laboured at speed - we suspect it would also feel rather burdened when towing anything close to its 2000 kilogram maximum.
Refined in day-to-day use, you would be hard-pressed to pick the Ford’s origins as a load-lugging commercial vehicle, particular as it is mated to a clever eight-speed automatic transmission with shift paddles and a sports mode.
On the road
We tested the Endura in two-wheel-drive Trend form and were quickly reminded why rivals such as Hyundai and Kia choose to pair torquey turbo-turbo-diesel engines with all-wheel-drive layouts.
Ask for more than a middling amount of throttle and the Endura will struggle to get that grunt to the ground from rest, flaring into screeching wheelspin in wet or dry conditions. The big wagon’s ride can feel a little crisp on bumpy roads, though it does a decent job of keeping two tonnes in check when cornering - as usual, Ford has worked to make sure the car’s dynamics are better than average.
Active noise cancelling technology similar to high-end headphones helps keep unwanted sound under control, aided ably by a decent nine-speaker stereo fitted to all models.
Ford’s lane keeping and active cruise control systems are ok, but not quite as seamless as the best in class. The same is true of a digital dashboard which looks ok at first, but isn’t as intuitive or functional as what you’ll find in a VW.
While it is an SUV by name, the Endura is decidedly road-biased, with little of the larger Ford Everest’s rock-crushing, water-wading, go-anywhere bravado.
Verdict
No, the Endura isn’t a direct replacement for the Territory - its front-wheel-drive architecture results in a somewhat wayward driving experience, and lack of a third row will be a deal-breaker for some families. But it does a lot of stuff well, winning points with outstanding storage and connectivity credentials while presenting as a sharp value prospect in Trend form.
2018 Ford Endura Price and Specifications
Price: from $44,990 (plus on-roads)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 140kW at 3500rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 2000-3000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, FWD/AWD
Fuel use: 6.7L/100km