 |
| At 1,240 mm (48.8 in) wide, the rear hatch is perfect for hauling large, awkward items. |
You can feel secure loading it up too, due to the eight sided frame's beefy construction and large reinforced steel cross-member - floor panels are corrugated for added torsional strength too. A 3-dimensional 'halo' surrounds its 1,240 mm (48.8 in) wide rear cargo opening, larger than most vehicles in its class. The hatch swings upward offering a shelter from inclement weather and allowing easier access when carrying heavy loads. Also, the glass window pops up separately for accessing smaller items.
The Endeavor's inner strength should translate into good crash worthiness. Mitsubishi's own evaluations show the new SUV as meeting and exceeding U.S. federally mandated performance criteria for 30 mph (48.2 km/h) frontal, 30 mph (48.2 km/h) oblique and 35 mph (56.3 km/h) rear collision tests. Standard dual front and optional side-impact airbags, pretensioning seatbelts, soft touch interior plastics and the vehicle's impressive active safety characteristics are also beneficial.
 |
| The Endeavor's taillights are refreshingly small in a world of oversize rear lamps. Styling cues? A bit of Diamante and some Galant but all Mitsubishi. |
The Endeavor marks a series of firsts for the Japanese automaker. It's the first midsize, car-based SUV in the company's history, and is also built on Mitsubishi's all-new midsize platform architecture - the first to use it out of four scheduled models. The new SUV is the first vehicle both designed and built in North America and first in the company's Project America series - I'm sure they meant North America when they named it that.