Review: Ford Endura (2018-on)

Overview

To be released in Australia in late 2018, the Ford Endura is a large, five-seat SUV. Manufactured at Ford’s Oakville plant in Ontario, Canada, the all-wheel drive Ford Endura will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine that is mated to a six-speed double clutch transmission (Ford’s ‘Powershift’).

In international markets, the Ford Endura is called the Ford Edge. AustralianCar.Reviews is baffled as to why Ford Australia would choose a different name for the Australian market.

All-wheel drive system

The Ford Endura has an ‘Intelligent all-wheel drive’ system which consists of an electro-hydraulically controlled multi-plate clutch and uses 25 sensors to monitor vehicle movement and traction at 16 millisecond intervals. While torque is directed to the front wheels in normal conditions, the torque distribution can be pre-emptively adjusted to avoid wheel spin. When fully engaged, the multi-plate clutch can transfer up to 50 per cent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels. According to Ford, this transfer can occur in less than 20 milliseconds.

Dimensions and body

The Ford Endura is underpinned by Ford’s CD4 platform which is shared with the Ford Mk5 Mondeo . Compared to the Ford Mk2 Kuga , the Ford Endura is 284 mm longer (at 4808 mm), 90 mm wider (1928 mm), 7 mm taller (1692 mm) and has a 159 mm longer wheelbase (2849 mm). In Europe, kerb weights for the diesel-powered Ford Endura range from 1913 kg to 1949 kg. Furthermore, the Ford Endura has approach and departure angles of 18.8 and 22.4 degrees, respectively.

The Ford Endura has a luggage volume of 602 litres beneath the luggage cover, though this increases to 1847 litres when the rear seats are folded and luggage is filled to the roofline.

Suspension

The Ford Endura has MacPherson strut front suspension with L-shaped lower control arms and multi-link rear suspension. Furthermore, both the front and rear suspension are mounted on isolated sub-frames and have anti-roll bars.

Steering

The Ford Endura has rack-and-pinion steering with electric power assistance; its turning circle is 11.9 metres. In the UK, the range-topping Ford Edge Titanium was equipped with Ford’s ‘Adaptive Steering’ system which varies the steering ratio according to vehicle speed. At lower speeds, the system reduces the steering ratio so that fewer turns are required; at higher speeds, the ratio increases for more precise control.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Ford Endura is expected to include dual front airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, front seat-mounted side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters.

In the UK, the Ford Edge/Endura is fitted with the following active safety technologies as standard –

• Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection: monitored the road ahead and assessed potential collision hazards. If detected, the braking system would be primed for maximum response when the driver applied the brakes. If the driver failed to respond, the brakes would be applied automatically to avoid or reduce the severity of the collision. It is understood that Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection operated at speeds up to 50 km/h;
• Lane Keeping Aid: operating at speeds above 60 km/h, if the front camera detected an unintentional drift out of the vehicle’s lane, the driver would be warned via a vibration in the steering wheel; and,
• Traffic Sign Recognition: used a digital camera to identify traffic signs on either side of the road and on bridges, providing the driver with information such as the speed limit and overtaking regulations via the instrument cluster display.

The Ford Endura is also expected to be equipped with Ford’s ‘SYNC 3’ connectivity system which includes an ‘Emergency Assistance’ function that can call local emergency services operators in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags.

Euro NCAP testing: Ford Edge

In Euro NCAP testing , the Ford Edge (as it is marketed worldwide) received a five star safety rating which included an 85 per cent adult occupant protection rating and a 76 per cent child occupant protection rating. In the frontal offset test, protection of the driver’s head, thighs, lower legs and feet were rated as good, while chest protection was rated as adequate (i.e. a slight risk of serious injury). While maximum points were awarded in the side impact test, chest protection was rated as marginal in the more severe pole test.

Features: Ford Endura

In the UK, standard features for the Ford Edge include 19- x 8-inch five-spoke alloy wheels with 235/55 R19 tyres, a nine speaker sound system with digital radio tuner (DAB), Ford’s ‘SYNC2’ connectivity system with eight-inch colour touchscreen, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, a four-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, cruise control with speed limiter, front fog lights, dusk-sensing headlights with auto high beam, rain-sensing wipers, a rear view camera, remote central locking, power adjustable and heated door mirrors, power windows, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, push-button start, an electronic parking brake, rear privacy glass, tyre pressure monitoring, black roof rails, an alarm and immobiliser. For Ford’s ‘SYNC’ connectivity system, the voice recognition feature enabled the driver to operate phone, entertainment, climate and navigation systems using conversational language.

The Ford Edge also features Ford’s ‘MyKey’ which enabled vehicle settings to be set for specific users, such as speed limit reminders and limiting audio volume – these settings were then automatically applied each time the key was used.

As standard, the diesel-powered Ford Edge models are equipped with ‘Active Noise Control’ which used three microphones positioned within the cabin to monitor engine noise – this information was then used to generate and emit reverse phase sound waves through the audio system to reduce engine noise (even when the entertainment system was switched off).

Further information regarding features for the Australian market will be available closer to launch.

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