Ford’s C-segment SUV is expected to be based on the next generation Mahindra XUV500, which is bound for early 2021
Ford India is waiting for the approvals from state level regulatory bodies regarding its JV with Mahindra. The agreement between the car manufacturers was made last year as the JV valued at just over Rs. 1,900 crore was signed with Mahindra having the majority stake of 51 per cent and Ford with 49 per cent in Mahindra Ford Automotive Private Limited.
As it waits for approvals of its joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), US carmaker Ford is slated to roll out a range of high-performance vehicles to capture a higher mindshare in the Indian market. The Competition Commission of India had already approved the Joint Venture but it has not been formalised yet to be put into effect.
While the discussions between both the brands in the JV will progress as planned despite the delays due to the health crisis, they are working with governments of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat for necessary approvals as early as possible as well. A host of new Ford vehicles are in the pipeline as premium SUVs and powertrain sharing will be part of the equation.
The JV will result in exporting vehicles to Ford’s operations in the international markets and help in expanding the brand locally by bringing in new products on consistent basis. The American auto major is certainly struggling in gaining volumes locally with the absence of any significant product except for the EcoSport compact SUV and Endeavour full-sized SUV.
Both of them are the only decent sellers as Ford definitely needs fresh products into the mix. Amidst the market recovery in recent months, Ford’s market share got reduced to just 2 per cent in the first half of this financial year. The company will also be refreshing its existing portfolio as the Figo, Freestyle and EcoSport will receive updates to stretch their lifespans.
A recent report emerged on the internet suggested that Ford is considering the debut of high performance models as Focus RS, Mustang EV, Bronco and Ranger Raptor are considered besides the BSVI Mustang. A C-segment SUV is in the works and it is underpinned by the same architecture as the next generation Mahindra XUV500 bound for early 2021.
The report further indicated that the C- and B-segment SUVs co-developed with Mahindra will be introduced in 2022-23. As for the performance, the C-segment SUV could use the 2.2-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol engines from the 2021 XUV500.