Ford Endura Titanium 2019 Review

Ford’s latest SUV, the Mondeo-based and Canadian-built Endura, arrived belatedly to replace the Australian built and developed Territory in late 2018.

The Endura ranks in Australia’s sub-$70K large SUV class and is based on a platform that supports either front or all-wheel drive configurations. It is dimensionally very close to the Territory (in fact it’s a little bigger in most measurements other than wheelbase), yet offers only five seats.

Its main strength is its newness (it stems from the recently-facelifted Ford Edge SUV sold in worldwide markets including Europe and the USA), which translates into high levels of safety technology and all the latest infotainment systems.

The drivetrain comprises the lower-output 140kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel that is subservient to a more powerful 154kW/450Nm version – which itself sits beneath the 2.7-litre and 3.5-litre petrol engines available in the North American Ford Edge – seen in other markets.

The Endura reviewed here is a front-wheel drive, Titanium spec model which sits at the top of Ford Australia’s SUV tree and is priced, before on-road costs, at $63,990 (or $4000 less than the AWD version).

It’s well represented in terms of safety technology and equipment: The Endura Titanium comes with part-leather trim, powered, heated and cooled front seats, dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning, sat-nav and LED headlights as well as (low-speed) autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian avoidance, lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, cameras all-round, speed limit sign recognition and, most significantly, automated self-parking.

There’s also a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and servicing is conducted every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. Provision of a loan car during servicing, auto club membership (which Ford carefully advises is available to “eligible” customers at “participating dealers”), roadside assist and $299 fixed-price servicing for the first four years or 60,000km of ownership is also part of the Ford Endura deal.

There’s no question the Ford Endura belongs to a new generation of large SUVs with its well-resolved on-road dynamics, a surprisingly strong (despite what some say), silent and quick to fire-up four-cylinder turbo-diesel and an intuitive, conventional eight-speed auto gearbox complete with shift paddles.

With a penchant for smooth-riding, silent cruising, the Ford Endura is a great car on the freeway as the torquey 140kW/400Nm four-cylinder ticks over with almost nonchalant ease, swallowing long uphill gradients without fading or constantly down-shifting.

As we’ve noted previously – without any surprise – the quoted official claims and the actual fuel consumption don’t match: On test we saw a best of 7.3L/100km and a worst or 9.1L/100km – both well away from Ford’s claimed 6.7L/100km.

The Ford Endura went on sale locally in December 2018 with three models on offer: The base Trend tagged at $44,990 (FWD) and $48,990 (AWD), mid-spec ST-Line ($53,990 and $57,990) and top-spec Titanium ($63,990 and $67,990 as previously mentioned), all before on-road costs, all automatics and all powered by the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel.

With only three months of sales so far recorded since its December 2018 launch, the Endura has yet to make a sizeable ripple in the sub-$70K large SUV pond.

With 474 sales it sits in 18th place behind a long rollcall of contenders that lists similarly-conceived SUVs such as Toyota’s Kluger (2799 sales), Subaru’s Outback (2174) and Mazda’s CX-9 (1651). Even the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace (1265 sales), Mazda CX-8 (743) and Holden Acadia (682), all 2018 arrivals, outpace the Endura in 2019 year-to-date figures.

So far, Ford is facing a significant hurdle that discourages it from even thinking about clearing the bar to better Endura sales: The fact it’s a five-seater only. All but a couple of the aforementioned competitors (Subaru Outback and Jeep Grand Cherokee) offer seven-seat accommodation – or at least make an attempt.

That deficit aside, the large Ford SUV presents with a massive 800-litre boot (extending to 1847 litres with the rear seat folded) and, with a braked capacity of two tonnes, towing abilities that equal Kluger, CX-9 and Acadia rivals.

Because there’s no need to provide for a third row of seats, the Endura is able to look comfortably after five passengers with good legroom (more on that in a minute), shoulder room and headroom for all passengers.

Despite what must have been a disappointing premiere for the Endura, Ford must lay some of the blame for that on the aforementioned paucity of passenger-carrying capacity.

That said, there is the fact that, if we look at the favourable results of a recent comparison test between the Endura and Toyota’s admittedly-aging Kluger, little suggests that, in isolation, our findings now would alter compared to our findings then.

Except maybe that, while we would slightly downgrade our judgement about the generosity of rear-seat legroom, we would also more loudly sing the praises of the Endura’s space-making, virtually-flat floor in the rear passenger compartment.

The problem for Ford appears to finding the traction needed to get the Endura a foothold in an almost overwhelmingly well-represented segment of the SUV market.

Whether that be through outstanding good looks, pricing undercuts (the Endura is nothing if not competitive) or simply a universal recognition of inherent qualities and abilities, the ball is in Ford’s court to grab the Endura some of the much-needed attention it deserves.

A seven-seater sure would help here. How frustrating can it be, as a car-maker, to know you have a truly good product, but fail to get enough buyers to recognise it?

How much does the 2019 Ford Endura Titanium FWD cost?
Price: $63,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/400Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.7L/100km (ADR Combined); 9.1L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 176g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP