Volkswagen Tiguan vs Ford Endeavour vs Toyota Fortuner

While SUVs have been becoming a favourite for many buyers in recent times, this segment has seen a lot of upgrades as well. As buyers get demanding and the scenario gets more and more competitive, SUVs are getting better and better. Having come close to sedans in terms of features and comfort, SUVs nowadays offer almost all creature comforts that a buyer seeks. We compare three SUVs that fall in similar price brackets but each one of these has its own advantage and is distinctive. We are talking about the Volkwagen Tiguan, which is the newest entrant and we compare it to the Ford Endeavour and the Toyota Fortuner. So Which one do you think is the best? Which one would you buy? Read further for the Volkswagen Tiguan vs Ford Endeavour vs Toyota Fortuner Comparison.

Design

The Volkswagen Tiguan is the odd one out it this comparison as it is the only one to have a monocoque chassis. The other two are ladder frame ones. Both these structures have their own advantage. A monocoque chassis will give you a more car-like feel, while a ladder frame chassis is more robust.

The Tiguan looks neat, however not as intimidating as the Endeavour or the Fortuner. It has a typical VW front look with a wide grille. The side and rear are not flashy but subtle and they do have crisp lines. The headlamps even have daytime running LEDs integrated into them. The dimensions appear to be ore compact than what it is. The SUV is wide and hence it doesn’t seem to be tall, especially when compared to the other two. There are 18-inch wheels offerd on the top end variant.

The Ford Endeavour 2016 reminds you of the classic American muscle trucks. It comes with a new trapezoidal front grille which has horizontal slats. Then there are projector headlamps with LED DRLs, a roof-mounted rear spoiler and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The new-gen Fortuner does look radical. It has a lot of elements on it that make it look stylish and new. There are 18-inch wheels on offer. The side profile looks sporty. This SUV looks intimidating for sure.

Road Presence: Endeavour & Fortuner

Interior

A high quality cabin is what the Volkswagen Tiguan has. They are plain but the quality and fit and finish is at par with the German competition. The steering wheel is leather wrapped and looks similar to that on the Polo/Vento family. There is an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There is even reverse camera, push start/stop button (only on Highline) and even Panoramic sunroof, which is also made available on the Highline variant only. The steering wheel can be adjusted for rake and reach but it isn’t electric.

The front seats are spacious and offer good amount of head room and leg room. Here there is even lumbar support adjustment and good enough side support. The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable and it offers memory also for the seat and the mirrors.Then there is an armrest and rear AC vents too, which temperature control option. The boot is large enough as it is large enough for use.

The contemporary interiors of the Endeavour provide a premium feel. The neat, straight and a proportionately laid out dashboard is pleasing to the eyes. The colour theme is two-tone black and light beige which looks rich and feels luxurious too. The dashboard top is covered in leather. A touch-screen is placed in the centre with two vertical AC vents on either sides. The Auto AC switches are placed below which feature a dual zone climate control. The steering wheel of the Ford Endeavour 2016 is chunky and a delight to use. It is loaded with buttons on both sides.

The second row in the Endeavour is comfortable and spacious, but the same cannot be said about the third row. It it best suited for children only.The third row seats are electrically foldable, with the help of a button placed in the boot. This makes it very convenient during loading luggage.

The cabin design is all new. It has black interiors with stylish looking dashboard. The instrument cluster is easy to read. The interiors of the Fortuner are not as plush as the Tiguan’s , nor do they look as good as the Endeavour. The other features include 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, multi-functional steering wheel with paddle shifters, automatic climate control and electrically adjustable door mirrors with power folding function.

The second row seats are large and comfortable. These seats can slide and recline too. There are roof-mounted AC vents for the second and third row. The third row seats recline too. These are comfortable for tall passengers also, when the second row seats slide forward.

Cabin Quality : VW Tiguan

Interior Space and Practility: Toyota Fortuner

Engine 

A 2.0-litre diesel engine is the only option that powers the Tiguan. This mill churns about 140bhp of power and 340Nm of peak torque. This comes mated to a seven-speed DSG. The engine is highly refined and has low NVH levels inside the cabin. You can hear minimal diesel clatter when it crosses about 3000rpm. The performance of the Tiguan is good and it has sufficient power to drive in the city and even on the highway.

The Ford Endeavour has two engine options, one is a 2.2-litre diesel with 158bhp of power and 385Nm torque The other is a 3.2-litre diesel unit with 198bhp of power and a massive 470Nm torque. The 2.2-litre engine comes mated to a six-speed manual as well as a six-speed automatic transmission. The manual gearbox has a 4×2 as well as a 4×4 option. The 3.2-litre comes only with the six-speed automatic and 4×4 option in the Ford Endeavour 2016.

A 2.8-litre diesel engine is offered on the Toyota Fortuner, with manual, automatic and even 4×2 and 4×4 options. This engine is major selling option. It churns decent amount of power and torque – 174bhp and 450Nm. It has decent performance and drivability too. The 4×4 comes on the fly, as it has an electronic switch.

In terms of on road performance, its the Tiguan which is the winner. Its has a smaller engine but is high on performance and beasts the Endeavour and Fortuner in this regard.

Performance: VW Tiguan

Ride and Handling

The ride on the Tiguan is a bit on the stiffer side. Despite the stiffness, the ride is good enough as the SUV doesn’t feel unsettled on most of the bad roads. The handling is good enough making it ideal for daily city use. You will enjoy driving it even on winding roads.

The steering of the Ford Endeavour 2017 is very light during parking and weighs up brilliantly with increase in speed. The Endeavour is very easy to maneuver in the city, the park assist function further aids parallel parking. On the highway, the vehicle shows great composure and handles superbly, with body roll being well in control.

The Fortuner steering feels a bit heavier in comparison. Also the ride quality is not very supple and feels stiffer than the other two. But it has very good all round visibility and is easy to drive in the city. Parking is also easy, thanks to all the aides. On the highway, it cruises well and doesn’t not have too much body roll. However, it lacks in the ride department compared to the other two.

Ride and Handling: VW Tiguan

Off-Roading

Now, the Tiguan is not a hard core off-roader and this is where it loses the battle compared to the other two SUVs. It doesn’t get a low-range ratio and also the ground clearance poses an issue sometimes. The Endeavour and Fortuner are hard core off-road capable vehicles with a fully functional 4×4. The Endeavour gets terrain selection modes also.

However, in our test it was the Fortuner which came out with flying colours. The SUV is just so effortless on ant terrain, be it slush, loos soil, climb, anything. The Endeavour comes close but is not so effortless and loses out on the tyres as well.

Off-road performance: Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour

Verdict

To arrive at a clear winner is difficult because all three SUVs are good in their own way. However, when you are spending in excess of INR 35 lakhs for an SUV, there are certain things that matter. The Tiguan feels more of a crossover than a full-fledged SUV. It is also a five seater and not a seven-seater. Also in terms of the main purpose of an SUV, which is off-road ability, it falls short.

The Ford Endeavour on the other hand is a very good combination of ruggedness and comfort. It feels plush inside and gets good number of features. It is quite refined and has a powerful motor and premium looking interiors. But it loses out on space in the third row and also the kind of effortless off-road capability of the Fortuner.

That brings us to the winner of this shootout, which is the Fortuner, though by a thin margin. The reason it wins is that it is the most spacious vehicle and a genuine seven seater. It is fuel efficient and has the road presence too. It has the best visibility when driving. Moreover, in terms of off-roading it is clearly the best.

And if you add in the benefits of the Toyota brand value, such as a high ranked service network, customer trust and better resale value, suddenly the Fortuner begins to make very good sense.

Winner – Toyota Fortuner