Photo: Florin Profir
Introduced in 2014 for the 2015 model year as a global model, the Ford Edge is sold in both the United States and Europe. But over in the Land Down Under, the Edge will arrive as the Ford Endura.
And it’s not the seven-seat Edge built in the People’s Republic of China, but the five-seat Edge manufactured at the Oakville plant in Ontario, Canada. As if that wasn’t underwhelming enough considering the Territory used to offer a three-row seating arrangement, the Australia-spec Endura will be available exclusively with the somewhat thirsty 2.0-liter TDCi turbo diesel four-cylinder.
The four-banger isn’t bad at all considering the heft of the Edge, with the oil-chugging engine capable of thrusting the mid-size crossover forward with ease in bi-turbo specification. The single-turbo variant of the 2.0-liter TDCi, meanwhile, is somewhat overcome by the 1,900-kilogram curb weight.
Despite the fact Ford of Australia describes the Endura as the “one-size-fits-all” solution to those in the market for a roomy utility vehicle, it isn’t. Other than the two fewer seats compared to the Territory, the Endura will be well-equipped from the get-go, which means that the starting price will be higher than that of the Territory. For reference, the predecessor used to retail in 2016 at AUD 38,490 for the TX RWD AT with the Barra inline-6 engine.
Although pricing information for the 2018 Ford Endura isn’t available, nor is detailed information about the trim levels, it’s safe to assume it will slot between the compact-sized Escape and ute-based Everest. Think AUD 42,000 if not more like AUD 45,000 for the entry-level model, which is more than half the average yearly salary in Australia according to government statistics.
Without further beating around the bush, the Endura is nothing more than a “that’ll do” for the Blue Oval in the Land Down Under. Not as roomy or capable as the Territory, priced out of the reach of people who want an honest-to-God sport utility vehicle, the Endura caters to the upper echelon of Ford buyers in Australia. Given these circumstances, it remains to be seen how commercially viable the Endura proves to be once it goes on sale.
The four-banger isn’t bad at all considering the heft of the Edge, with the oil-chugging engine capable of thrusting the mid-size crossover forward with ease in bi-turbo specification. The single-turbo variant of the 2.0-liter TDCi, meanwhile, is somewhat overcome by the 1,900-kilogram curb weight.
Despite the fact Ford of Australia describes the Endura as the “one-size-fits-all” solution to those in the market for a roomy utility vehicle, it isn’t. Other than the two fewer seats compared to the Territory, the Endura will be well-equipped from the get-go, which means that the starting price will be higher than that of the Territory. For reference, the predecessor used to retail in 2016 at AUD 38,490 for the TX RWD AT with the Barra inline-6 engine.
Although pricing information for the 2018 Ford Endura isn’t available, nor is detailed information about the trim levels, it’s safe to assume it will slot between the compact-sized Escape and ute-based Everest. Think AUD 42,000 if not more like AUD 45,000 for the entry-level model, which is more than half the average yearly salary in Australia according to government statistics.
Without further beating around the bush, the Endura is nothing more than a “that’ll do” for the Blue Oval in the Land Down Under. Not as roomy or capable as the Territory, priced out of the reach of people who want an honest-to-God sport utility vehicle, the Endura caters to the upper echelon of Ford buyers in Australia. Given these circumstances, it remains to be seen how commercially viable the Endura proves to be once it goes on sale.
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