| Ford India recently unveiled the new Ford Endeavour. The vehicle boasts of a revised front fascia, door claddings, and a revised rear design. Though built on the same chassis as the outgoing model, Ford India has taken major steps in improving the overall package, including the interiors which now look more up-market and accessories include a reverse camera, multifunctional display and navigation system. The big change however is the debut of the 5 speed automatic on the top of the line 3.0 TDCi Endeavour 4x4. Obviously Ford wants to maintain their position in this segment and as the competition list grows, it's time for the fight to get tough. Vikram Gour caught up with Michael Boneham at the launch of the Endeavour to get an opinion on how Ford India sees the market shaping up and how the new Endeavour will take on the heat! ZW: How has the performance of the Rs 18-25 lakh SUV segment been over the past year? Michael: This particular market segment has had a tough time over the past year. Of course this was an industry phenomenon; however things are looking better now. We see a lot of opportunity in this segment and are expecting significant growth. Incidentally, the overall segment sales fell by almost 30 per cent in the last year, however we've managed to grow by almost 29 per cent. No doubt it shows that our product is well accepted in the market and that is what brings us to refresh its looks and keep the momentum going. ZW: You stated in your speech that the new Endeavour is the result of a lot of market research. Could you elaborate on this? Michael: We take pride in listening to our customers and when the time came for us to look at refreshing the Endeavour, it was common sense to ask our customers on what they feel the vehicle ought to be. The feedback we received has been taken well and we've tried to encompass what we practically could without altering the price point. After all price is an equally important buying decision and we need to keep that in check as well. The one major highlight that we received from the feedback was simplicity. Customers wanted a no nonsense vehicle and that is what we've set out to achieve. ZW: Was the automatic gearbox a result of the research? Why aren't you offering a manual option on the 4x4 3.0 TDCi? Michael: The Endeavour is treated as a luxury vehicle in India, and an automatic gearbox allows for an enhanced driving luxury. The 2.5 TDCi 4x2 is offered with a manual transmission, however if you want 4x4 then you have to opt for the 3.0 TDCi automatic. The automatic option fits in with our feedback on simplicity, for the owner does not have to worry about changing gears all the time and can enjoy the vehicle. Moreover the automatic gives us an edge over the competition. As far as offering a manual transmission on the 3.0 litre goes, I can't say anything right now. In the future we might introduce an automatic on the 2.5 litre TDCi as well and a manual on the 3.0 litre. It depends on demand and right now we feel that there is a need for an automatic box. ZW: The competition is growing and everyone is drawing comparisons between the Endeavour and the recently launched Toyota Fortuner. How do you feel about the competition? Michael: Competition is good; there is no doubt about it. With more entrants coming into this segment, it boosts everyone's confidence. As far as the Fortuner is concerned, yes it will be a competitor, however don't forget, the Endeavour was already competing against the likes of the Chevy Captiva, Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8, and on a price perspective, the Endeavour is also in competition with the Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mitsubishi Outlander and Honda CR-V. a new entrant at this stage just adds to the segment and helps it expand. We are keen on retaining our position in this segment and like I said earlier, pricing is key and what we've managed to price the Endeavour at is just ideal to take on the competition. We are bullish on how the market is going to unfold. | 
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