Ford Endura ST-Line 2019 Review

The Ford Endura ST-Line is a sporty-looking mid-spec variant of Ford's large SUV range from Canada. With some added cosmetic features, 20-inch wheels and firmed-up suspension this variant of the Endura Trend is aimed fair and square at other upmarket SUVs of similar size and presence. And it's priced in the right ballpark to go head to head with vehicles like the Kia Sorento GT-Line and Mazda CX-9 GT, to name just a couple.

There appears to be a market of sorts for large SUVs that look sportier and are well equipped. The Ford Endura ST-Line is the latest example of this demographic niche filler to reach the market.

As someone who fondly remembers the Aussie-built Ford Territory for its ride/handling balance, I wasn't overjoyed by the Endura in this specification – a family wagon that rides sharply, but delivers straight-line performance that's a bit soft, by comparison with some of its latter-day rivals.

My views aside, however, the rest of the family loved it. That was because mostly they rode in the Endura on well-maintained suburban streets and arterial roads. In that context the Endura is very quiet, the seats are comfortable and the uncompromising suspension calibration is not a significant factor.

But the Endura's lack of compliance on country roads was obvious, although body control certainly did compensate and the Endura's grip was impressive for such a large vehicle.

The all-wheel drive Ford Endura ST-Line can at least match our Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander long-term test vehicle for roadholding, and has to be one of the safest SUVs of its type tested in recent times for cornering ability. That wheel/tyre combination and uprated suspension clearly does pay dividends once you start chucking the Endura into bends at higher speeds.

The Endura's stability under heavy braking is a bit 'comme ci, comme ça', however. Jump hard on the brake pedal in a straight line and the stability control system fiddles around a bit at the edges, constantly adjusting braking effort across all four wheels as the SUV shimmies.

On both freeways and rougher sections of bitumen the Ford Endura ST-Line is a very peaceful place inside. The Hankook Ventus 245/50 R20 tyres fitted as standard are exceptionally quiet, and at open-road speeds it's primarily subtle wind noise that detracts from the serenity in the Endura's cabin.

Even from a cold start the diesel four-cylinder powerplant is extremely subdued, but it does rumble a bit at idle. That rumbling is felt more as vibration than actually heard. Cruising at the open-road limit, the Endura's engine spins away smoothly at just 1500rpm.

There's some occasional rattling heard, especially as the engine nears peak revs, but otherwise the Endura is so free from noise that you'll hear musical notes you've never heard before in familiar songs played through the excellent (and optional) Bang & Olufsen audio system for $1000 extra.

On a stretch of urban arterial road I could hear a couple of women laughing as they walked along a footpath about 20 metres away as the Endura slowed for a red light. That's how quiet the Ford is inside.

Unfortunately, however, all that good noise-suppression work is undone by the squeaks of soft materials rubbing together and thumps from what sounded like the space-saver spare and jack under the boot floor.

The Ford's engine is responsive when the lights change to green, and on half 'throttle' the Endura can rocket away from a standing start up to the built-up area speed limit. It's at higher speeds and out in the country that the Endura seems lethargic.

Above 60km/h acceleration falls away, and it takes a while for the diesel mill to push the SUV up to speed when the driver is demanding more than normal performance. That may also be a perception due to the unnaturally quiet running, of course, even with the accelerator nailed to the floor.

According to Road Test Editor, Matt Brogan, the front-wheel drive Endura feels a little livelier than this all-wheel drive test vehicle.

In terms of power-to-weight ratio, the Endura is surprisingly close to the diesel Territory – the car the Endura notionally replaces in Ford's local line-up. And the newer Ford SUV extracts its peak power from an engine of significantly smaller displacement.

Furthermore, it's clear from driving the new SUV that the Ford Endura doesn't suffer anything like the same turbo lag that was reported at the time for the diesel Territory. Torque can't match the Territory's, but the Endura is also markedly more economical than the older car.

On freeways or at lower speeds on flowing arterial roads the Endura has the potential to be very stingy. And that's where it holds a trump hand over the Territory. After resetting the trip computer a brief drive back to the office from Ford yielded a figure of 4.9L/100km. There's no doubt in my mind that the Endura's fuel efficiency would be helped in town by an idle-stop system, which the vehicle tested didn't have.

That contributed to a fuel consumption figure of up to 10.3L/100km in heavier traffic, but a trip across town on 50km of freeway brought the figure down to 8.7L/100km and a 70km test run concluded with a commendable figure of 8.1L/100km displayed by the trip computer.

Finally, as quiet as the Territory was, the Endura marks a significant step forward from the older vehicle for powertrain noise suppression... notwithstanding the odd squeak and thump.

At night, the Endura's intelligent high-beam assist takes the inconvenience out of safe and courteous driving, although the Endura's headlights are very effective on low-beam anyway.

In fact, the headlights render the Endura's cornering lights practically redundant. As they point almost at 90 degrees to the line of travel, the cornering lights illuminate the inside of suburban street corners, but are misdirected for wider-radius bends on country roads – which is when you really want a facility like that to pick out any wildlife that might dash across the road in front of you.

Behind the wheel, I found the seat base too short, but seating was comfortable otherwise. Occupants are held firmly in place under high-g braking and cornering forces, yet the seat base is both flat and cushy. It's an odd shape, but it works.

The Endura is very roomy in the rear, even with a six-footer seated back there. There are adjustable vents and power outlets for rear-seat occupants too. Due to the ISOFIX anchorage points, the rear seats won't fold entirely flat, but at least loose goods are less likely to slide forwards under braking, for that reason. The seats can be lowered by a toggle switch in the boot, on the passenger side.

Developed as it has been for global markets, and named the Ford Edge, the Endura has a powered tailgate that will neither open nor close if the vehicle is in Drive. This is an anti-theft function so that 'tea leaves' can't just zip behind the car and rip off any goods in the rear while the car's halted in a line of traffic.

In the Australian context it's slightly inconvenient when dropping the kids off at school, but we understand the reasoning behind it, and it becomes a safety precaution anyway. You don't want your foot slipping off the brake pedal while the car's in Drive or Reverse and the kids are still fishing their bags out of the boot.

Among the current crop of large, urban-oriented ('soft-road') SUVs available in Australia, the Endura is one of the better offerings, and it deserves to be pitted against top-tier rivals like the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Kia Sorento and the Mazda CX-8 in a comparison, having already demolished the Toyota Kluger.

But as we've noted already, the Endura isn't really a replacement for the much loved Territory; and my feeling is that if I were spending up to $60,000 or more for a family wagon, I would want something that rides better, even if it meant sacrificing a degree of roadholding. And that's especially the case after stepping out of our long-term Mazda CX-8.

Maybe a more appropriate choice of family wagon from the Endura range is the Endura Titanium flagship, or perhaps even the lower-priced Endura Trend, on its 18-inch wheels.

The Endura ST-Line is a highly commendable vehicle in most respects, but as ready as I am to accept unyielding ride in a hot hatch or a sports coupe, surely it's an answer to a question no one is asking in the case of a large SUV.

How much does the 2019 Ford Endura ST-Line cost?
Price: $62,090 (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)
CO2: 176g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2016)