Ford announces Endura SUV for Australia

FORD has announced it will be adding a new SUV to the local line-up, called the Endura.

Sold as the Edge in other markets, the Endura effectively replaces the hole in Ford Australia’s range left by the locally-built Territory.

The five-seat SUV will be sold in Blue Oval showrooms in Australia from 2018. It joins the Escape, Everest, and recently updated EcoSport.

While full pricing and specifications are yet to be released, Ford confirmed the Endura will only be available with a diesel engine. Globally the Edge is sold with four different engines, three of which are petrol, with the 2.0-litre tubo diesel ‘Duratorq’ engine that’s bound for our shores also found under the bonnets of Euro-market Ford Edges.

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The engine was developed by Peugeot engineers on behalf of PSA and Ford, and is available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed ‘PowerShift’ dual-clutch automatic.

Ford Australia President and CEO Graeme Whickman claims the Endura is an important addition to the local SUV range.

“The Endura reflects the dynamic motoring landscape in Australia, where buyers are now looking for more specific features and attributes in their SUVs as opposed to a one-size-fits-all solution,” he added.

“The appetite for SUVs in this country is impressive, so we’re excited to bring a premium new offering from our global portfolio to local audiences.”

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The locally designed and engineered Everest and the mid-size Escape SUV that will bracket the Endura are both expected to receive updates next year as part of Ford’s SUV range revamp.

A legal bid to use the Edge name in Australia was dropped by Ford earlier this year. Ford Australia had hoped to use the globally recognised badge, but Toyota Australia owns the local trademark for the Edge name after applying it to limited-run Corolla and Hilux models.

It was the second legal battle over a car name between Toyota and Ford, with the Japanese manufacturer also holding rights to the Raptor badge in Australia. This has been relinquished for Ford to use on its upcoming hot Ranger dual-cab pickup variant.