2019 Ford Endeavour (Everest) facelift revealed: Toyota Fortuner needs to worry?

• 2019 Ford Endeavour will go on sale in Australia first
• New grille, updated headlamps and tweaked bumpers are the main changes
• New 2.0-litre diesel mill mated to a new 10-speed automatic transmission

American carmaker Ford Motor Company has revealed the updated Endeavour SUV which is also known as Everest in some markets. The 2019 Ford Endeavour facelift is due to enter the Australian market soon and the India launch is expected in early 2019.

Since it is a mid-life facelift, the new Endeavour gets only minor changes. However, you will have to keep your eyes wide open to spot them. Upfront, the grille is less chrome heavy. The three horizontal slat arrangement is intact while the lines are slim now. The headlamps also feature minor tweaks and the integrated LED daytime running lamps are now longer. The bumper has been reworked and the SUV now gets 20-inch wheels in place of the 18-inchers currently offered in India.

If you are still not able to note the exterior changes on the 2019 Ford Endeavour, take a closer look at the pictures below.

On the inside, there are no significant changes. Ford claims it will feel more luxurious now because of more soft-touch surfaces. The cabin is an all-black affair. Ford has updated the Sync 3 infotainment system with better smartphone connectivity options including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. On the safety front, the SUV now gets autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection.

One of the major addition in the 2019 Ford Endeavour lies under the bonnet. The company has added an all-new 2.0-litre diesel mill mated to a new 10-speed automatic transmission. The mill made debut with the Ford Ranger pickup truck recently and it will be offered in two states of tunes- 180hp/420Nm from the single-turbo version and 213hp/500Nm from the twin-turbo version.

When Ford India updates the Endeavour, this new engine is not expected here. The India-spec SUV will be continued with the current two TDCi diesel engines - 3.2-litre Duratorq five-cylinder TDCi diesel and 2.2-litre Duratorq four-cylinder TDCi diesel units. While the 2.2-litre engine develops 158bhp and 385Nm of torque, the 3.2-litre engine develops 197bhp and 470Nm of torque. Both the engines come paired with a six-speed manual and automatic transmission.

Toyota Fortuner needs to worry?

The 2019 Ford Endeavour goes up against Toyota Fortuner, Skoda Kodiaq, and the soon-to-be-launched Mahindra SUV which will be the rebranded SsangYong G4 Rexton. The Toyota Fortuner is the market leader. Since the new Ford Endeavour is a nip and tuck, it may not pose a big challenge to Toyota Fortuner in India.