Ford's Endeavour may  not be as popular as it was before Toyota’s all-conquering Fortuner arrived on the scene, but all that may change. In the process of putting finishing touches to its all new Endeavour (or Everest, as it is known in some markets), Ford is leaving no stone unturned in its effort to make it simply class leading.

For a start, that outdated upright and boxy look is gone. In its place, a taut, toned muscular form, that has a hint of contemporary sophistication. The new grille conveys plenty of ruggedness, the cowl looks tough enough to run through a wall unscathed and Ford has used many cues earlier seen on their successful ‘light’ trucks in the US.

The insides are an even bigger breath of fresh air, especially for this middle-of-the-road SUV. Ford says it wanted to achieve a sort of G-Shock-watch-like rugged techiness on the inside, and to this end you can see plenty of modern but robust looking forms. The insides look tough enough to withstand a sledgehammer, the design of the protruding central console is chamfered with all sorts of protective ridges, and there is a strong simplicity to the steering wheel and instrument panel. Second- and third-row passengers are expected to get more legroom and space, the massive glovebox can take a full sized laptop and Ford says it has paid plenty of attention to making space for electronic gadgets used in today’s digital age.

The mammoth Endy will be all-new under the skin as well. There’s a new, stiffer ladder chassis, plenty of electronic driver aids and there are two new engines too. A smaller-capacity 148bhp 2.2 diesel will replace the 2.5 currently available, and for those hooked on torque there is a new 3.2-litre inline five-cylinder that puts out 198bhp and 48kgm of twist! All in all, a really exciting new SUV from Ford; one that has the potential to shake things up.