Ford C-SUV’s design duties will continue to be orchestrated by Pininfarina and the integration with Territory’s platform could be performed in Australia
With the proposed joint venture falling through, Ford and Mahindra are working on ways to expand their SUV range separately. At least three SUVs were said to be in the pipeline for Ford in collaboration with Mahindra including the much sought after C-segment SUV based on the upcoming XUV700 and it was previously expected to debut as early as 2022.
In a recent report, we told you that Ford will decide on the investment plans for India in the second half of this year and the plans to develop a C-SUV appears to be back on the cards on its own. The Blue Oval is said to utilise the Territory’s architecture instead and the SUV is currently on sale in the Chinese and Brazilian markets.
It will not only be longer than W601’s platform but also built on a lower cost base, which could cut down the production costs. The design of the Ford C-SUV will continue to be taken care of by the famed Italian styling house, Pininfarina. The integration of the styling of the C-segment SUV (CX757) and the Territory’s platform will likely underway at the brand’s Asia-Pacific Development Centre in Australia where the Endeavour was conceived.
The Territory’s platform, which is more cost effective than the one used by the SUV in Brazil, offers 2,716 mm long wheelbase in a similar fashion to that of the Mahindra W601 and thus styling chances Pininfarina need to incorporate could be minimum at its facility in Turin, Italy.
The American manufacturer produces the 2.0-litre EcoBlue four-cylinder diesel engine internally known as the Panther in India. The powertrain is currently used by the Endeavour and it may as well be plonked onto the CX757 with a different power and torque configurations. The Territory is powered by a 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine developing up to 150 horsepower and a 48V mild-hybrid variant is also available in China.
The interior of the seven-seater Ford CX757 could also be influenced by the Terriroty. Its features list comprise a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility, wireless phone charger, all-digitasl 10-inch instrument cluster, panoramic moonroof, 10-way power-adjustable driver seat, heated and cooled front seats, ambient lighting, eight-speaker audio, keyless entry with push button start/stop, leather steering wheel and so on.