Here’s are some quick facts about SUVs. These are large, intimidating, and brawny machines that have proven to be extremely desirable over the years across the globe. Why does everyone want an SUV? Perhaps to stand out from the crowd, or to seat high and feel like the king of the road. But, then, do these people really need an SUV? Not necessarily.
You see, on our bad roads, having an SUV gives the driver a certain advantage. While sedans and hatchbacks do struggle a fair bit to tackle broken roads, SUVs easily glide through without even giving the driver the heebie-jeebies of scraping the bottom.
That explains the popularity of SUVs in the Indian market. But the next question that comes to mind is, which one shall one pick amongst a swarm of these? Since you’ve already read the title of this blog, it’s clear we’re going to talk about two full-size SUVs today.
But, wait. We cannot talk about full-size SUVs and not mention the Toyota Fortuner, which has been at the forefront for quite some time now. Well, for this comparison, we’re restricting ourselves to the Ford Endeavour and Mahindra Alturas G4, the reason being the Fortuner is due for a mid-cycle update. And since the Isuzu MU-X still needs to go under the knife to get the BS-VI approval, it leaves us with the Ford and Mahindra.
So, starting off with the exterior design, both these SUVs do fulfil the purpose of being brawny and intimidating. And, of course, these carry a boxy design, which every customer seems to prefer these days. But as to compare these two, it is the Ford that looks a bit more muscular with its exterior styling. The Alturas G4, on the other hand, looks a bit more contemporary, but only by a very small margin, it looks less intimidating than the Endeavour. Once again, styling is a subjective matter. And, to our eyes, both these SUVs look great.
Now stepping into the Ford, you’re welcomed with a nicely balanced black-and-beige interior. Taking the centre stage here is an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Ford’s SYNC3 technology and, of course, Apple Carplay and Android Auto support. The Endeavour gets tons of features, of which, the most remarkable is the active noise cancellation system, which, as its name implies, cancels outside noise with the help of a number of microphones. The seats are really comfortable and space is not an issue here by a long shot.
Now, to the Mahindra, unlike the Endeavour, it gets an unusual black-and-chocolate brown interior. However, it looks great and certainly more upmarket than its rivals. It, too, gets an 8.0-inch screen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto support taking the centre stage. The materials here, too, feel a bit more upmarket and the fit-and-finish levels are impressive. Also, space inside the Alturas G4 is quite impressive as well. The first and second rows are really very spacious, but it’s the third row that really takes the ante up as it, too, can accommodate a full-size adult.
Onto the powertrains, both the SUVs are powered by a diesel engine. Where the Ford gets a new 2.0-litre engine, which is capable of making 168bhp and 420Nm of torque. It comes mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The Alturas G4, on the other hand, is powered by a 2.2-litre diesel mill, which makes 178bhp and 420Nm of torque. It comes mated to a 7-speed automatic gearbox.
While both seem to be neck-on-neck as far as on-paper figures go, it’s the Alturas G4 that gets a slight advantage. However, it’s still the Endeavour that impresses on the road with its taut handling and a better dynamic prowess. The Alturas G4, too, handles quite nicely, as we found out as we pushed it on the track last year, but it isn’t as dynamically connected as the Endeavour.
So, there you have it folks, a detailed specification comparison between the Ford Endeavour and Mahindra Alturas G4. Of both, it’s the Endeavour that impresses on the dynamic front, but the Alturas G4 hits back with its slightly more upmarket feel. So, then, it all boils down to whether if you need that extra luxury or if you’re an enthusiast like us. Either way, both these SUVs are great and should be on top of your preference list. To read more like these, be sure to tune in to autoX.
