With added muscle and a few ornamental additions to its anatomy, the Thunder+ is a worthy contender if one really wants to do some serious offroading.
Design
This is a classical case of the butch getting bolder and bigger. At a length of 4,998mm, the Endeavour Thunder+ is longer than a Mercedes M Class and is easily the biggest SUV around. The Thunder+ proudly carries as standard factory fitment what earlier came as additional accessory or only featured on the Limited Edition Endeavour. The 16inch lockable wheel cover, the sporty rear spoiler, the rear ladder, 'Thunder+' side decals, stylish two-tone side body cladding, the exterior rear view mirrors with integrated turn indicators and puddle lamps, front bumper over-rider and  front fog lamp bezel give the exterior a rather classy appearance, but it must be said that the Thunder+ still resembles a truck.
It is in every respect the "thunder" it proclaims itself to be and has that towering road presence which sends lesser cars plying on the road helter-skelter. The monolithic chrome plated front radiator grille draped in front of a massive hood, the big-eyed headlamps, muscular overfenders and those huge 245/70 tyres that sit on 16inch rims guarantee to catch everyone’s attention by the collar.

Most Ford Endeavour owners might prefer to live in their car rather than in their home as the former offers more space and comfort. For the record, let me just tell you that I was merely indulging myself in that exercise us Indians so excel in, exaggeration, but at the same time I am quite sure that you got my drift. With the Thunder+ it is apparent that Ford has paid more attention on the exterior and engine facelifts than on the interiors. The Endeavour's interior has always been spacious and comfortable following a two-tone colour scheme aptly named 'Camel and Ebony', draped with leather the interior offered abundant amounts of legroom and headroom space and also convenient storage space for nick-knacks. The Thunder+ in addition comes decked with a roof mounted slide down DVD player as well as sporty pedals. The puddle lamps illuminate an area around the front doors when entering or exiting the car at night. The theatre style leather seats are very comfortable providing great under-thigh support and a commanding view of the road ahead. The leather tilt steering wheel can be perfectly positioned and is easy to grip, but Ford could have done away with the dash mounted handbrake lever which is inconveniently placed as it often hits the knee. The foldable and removable 3rd row of passenger seats scores low on comfort because it is too close to the floor forcing the back-benchers to sit with their knees close to their chins. On a brighter note though, the Thunder+ has a total storage capacity of 2,055litres which means that now it is possible to go on a road trip with the whole family, all their luggage and the pet Labrador included.
Comfort
On plain roads, the Endeavour Thunder+ is well-behaved and as comfortable as a car can possibly get. But drive it over patchy roads and you can expect a pogo stick kind of experience and especially for the passengers in the 3rd row. But since the car has been built of a truck-like chassis and employs leaf spring suspension system, the harsh ride quality factor is expected. The car has become easier to drive with more grunt available, negating the need for frequent gearshifts, but sadly the 5 speed manual transmission is still notchy. This robust SUV continues to be comfortable inside with 3 rows of a/c vents which provide efficient cooling throughout the interior. The rear passengers also get their own a/c control. The front seat belts are height-adjustable and there is a rear parking sensor available as an option. The 2nd row of seats is 50:50 split double folding enabling easy access to the 3rd row, while the 3rd row is completely removable as well. Though the efficient a/c, good ergonomics, humongous space and the practicality of the car make it very easy to live with, but having spent around 17 lakhs, it does pinch you that some expected features have been given a miss. Automatic climate control, powered front seats, power antenna and multi-functional steering wheel are all missing and are not even available as options!
Engine, Transmission and Performance
The Ford Endeavour Thunder+ carries the same engine as its lesser 2.5 litre sibling, but with a larger bore and stroke the engine capacity is bumped to 3 litres. It provides additional 8% of power and 15% of torque over and above the 2.5 litre engine. Apart from that, the engine dynamics remain similar with Dual Overhead Camshaft (DOHC), 16 valves and Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT). The change in performance is identifiable the moment you press the accelerator pedal. The 3 litre engine is capable of a higher maximum speed and shorter 0-100 dash timings. The reason behind that is a staggering 380Nm of torque produced at a maximum rpm of 2,500 and 156bhp of power developed at a maximum rpm of 3,200. The handling hasn't changed however from that of the 2.5 litre Endeavour. It is still impressive with minimal body roll inspite of the relatively height of the car. This a car which will find immense favour with the die hard adrenaline junkies having a penchant for seriously offroading. Thanks to the 4x4 transmission available, one can traverse over inhospitable terrain and get out of almost any precarious position; all it takes is a mere flick on of the 4 wheel drive mode. The engine is sweetly refined with the turbo kicking in at around 1500rpm. 90% of the torque comes into play at less than 1800rpm! The turbo lag which was pronounced in the 2.5litre is absent when it comes to the Thunder+ but the engine needs to be kept revved up at around 1500rpm in order to keep the turbo lag at bay. The Ford Endeavour shares an identical fuel economy with the 2.5litre version but has a much cleaner tailpipe emission.
Safety
It is absolutely imperative for a car that is meant to be a serious offroader to have some important safety features to fall back on. In case of the Endeavour Thunder+, it is good to know that Ford has paid heed to this requirement and bestowed it some active safety features like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) apart from driver and passenger-side airbags, front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters, front and side impact beams and various crumple zones which dissipate the energy of an impact. The Thunder+ also comes with increased diameter of the shock absorber, which facilitates better handling in all driving conditions and a repairable breakaway front bumper which also minimizes the impact of a collision. Let there be no doubt that the Ford Endeavour Thunder+ is easily the most powerful and capable SUV in its segment. Some industry experts even think that the Thunder+ might carve out a niche for itself. If this indeed becomes a reality then it will be interesting to see what the other carmakers come up with to rival the Endeavour Thunder+. Then again at Rupees 17,32,000 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi), the Thunder+ doesn’t really come cheap and this is where the 2.5 litre version might steal the show.