New details have been discovered about the upcoming SUVs to be manufactured under Mahindra and Ford JV
With the popularity of compact SUVs in India on a steady rise, auto manufacturers are rushing to add one in their lineup if they don’t already have one. The JV between Mahindra & Mahindra and Ford Motor Company will see the introduction of one compact SUV for both, built on a shared platform with the same engine options.
According to recent reports, the upcoming Kia Seltos rival from Ford and Mahindra will be built on the former’s VX-772 platform. The platform shall support a vehicle up to 4.4-metres long. It seems like Ford shall be providing the architecture for these SUVs, while Mahindra will be providing the powerplants for them.
Pawan Goenka, managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra, had previously confirmed that the three turbocharged petrol engines that were showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo – the 1.2-litre, the 1.5-litre, and the 2-litre – are all ready to use now. He has confirmed that the 1.2L turbo-petrol will power the Ford EcoSport, the 1.5-litre motor will also go into the upcoming Hyundai Creta rival, which will also underpin the next-generation XUV500.
The 2.0-litre mill will be offered with a new C SUV, which is currently being developed on Mahindra’s platform. This model would probably mostly be exported to international markets by Ford, although we don’t have a confirmation on that. The two upcoming SUVs have been codenamed W601 and W605. To reduce the cost of manufacturing, the W601 will be produced by Ford for both the companies, while the W605 will be produced by Mahindra.
Although we have confirmation on the development of these SUV, we have no launch timeline. Expect Mahindra to launch the next-generation XUV500 in 2021, while the Ford counterpart will follow in 2022. As for the engine change on EcoSport, we have two guesses. First guess: Ford will introduce the 1.2L turbo-petrol during the second half of 2021, replacing the ‘dragon’ series 1.5L motor.
Second guess: The current generation Ford EcoSport was first introduced in our market back in 2012, and then underwent a midlife facelift in 2017. Ford might introduce the next generation in 2022, and will debut this engine in it. This one seems highly likely.