Toyota Fortuner sails through but Ford Endeavour gets stuck: We explain why

Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour share an old rivalry with each other. The two premium full-size SUVs from the brand are the most loved products in the segment. In the stock form, both have almost similar capabilities but here is a video showing something different. Let’s find out what’s happening here.

Toyota Fortuner vs Ford Endeavour

The video shows a new-generation Ford Endeavour at the start. The Endeavour takes on the deep pit that tests various capabilities of the SUV. The pit is built to test a vehicle’s departure angle, approach angle, ground clearance, traction and power distribution to both the axles. The Endeavour gets inside the pit without any problems which shows that the SUV has satisfactory departure angle. It also crosses a pit inside on two wooden planks successfully.

The Endeavour goes through a tough time while coming out of the pit. Even though the vehicle gets low-ratio transfer case that provides enough torque for the vehicle to climb up the steep incline and the wide approach angle, the ground clearance of the vehicle becomes a major problem for the SUV while negotiating the sharp exit angle. The left side of the Endeavour gets beached while coming out due to the side steps of the vehicle. The stuck Endeavour gets rescued by the Isuzu D-Max V-cross, which is a much capable vehicle in itself.

The old-generation Fortuner takes on the challenge next and it completes the challenge without any sweat. It even goes back into the pit in reverse and comes out of it again just to show that the first attempt was not a fluke.

Why does Fortuner clear it easily?

The old-generation Fortuner we see here is modified to the core for such off-road ventures. The vehicle gets the off-road front bumpers that are made of solid steel to ensure that scrapes while off-roading does not leave any signs on it. It also gets a lift kit from IronMan that ensures that the ground clearance is much higher than the stock. It also gets a snorkel for deep water wading without a problem. All these modifications in the good old Fortuner ensure that it does not gets beached while coming up the pit and clears it without any problem.

However, had this been a stock Fortuner, it might have faced similar problems like the Endeavour. The stock old-generation Fortuner has a ground clearance of 220 mm, while the new-generation Endeavour gets a ground clearance of 225 mm. In fact, the stock older generation Fortuner could have been easily stuck in the challenge. However, the higher ground clearance, thanks to the IronMan kit, makes the Fortuner much more capable off the road.

Also, it should be noted that both the vehicles are similarly equipped with the low-ratio transfer case. The transfer-case increases the torque output by multiple factors and provides higher torque at the lower RPM, which in turn makes both the vehicles quite capable. It is the modifications of the Fortuner that makes it more capable in this particular scenario.

Modifications for off-road

Modifications to any stock vehicle is imperative to make it a hardcore offroader SUV. Modifications like off-road spec bumpers, tyres and lift-kit are one of the basic modifications required to increase capability. Then there are high-end modifications like locking differentials, aftermarket suspension kits, winch and snorkel among many other accessories that further increase the capability of any vehicle.

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