This upcoming SUV will be a product of the recently formed JV between Mahindra and Ford, with the former holding majority stakes
Homegrown carmaker Mahindra and American giant Ford last year announced a JV wherein the two would co-develop, market and distribute Ford vehicles in the Indian market. Under this JV, Mahindra will enjoy a 51 per cent stake, while Ford will own a 49 per cent stake.
While this joint venture would lead to several new developments, a highlight of its plan is to develop and launch a new compact SUV that would rival the likes of Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, MG Hector, Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass. The upcoming 2020 Mahindra-Ford SUV is one the 9 SUVs that are planned to come from this JV.
Read on to get to know about the top 5 things about this SUV-
1. Platform Sharing With Next-gen Mahindra XUV500
The upcoming Mahindra-Ford SUV will share its modern platform with the next generation Mahindra XUV500 (Codename- W601). It may be noted here that the next-gen XUV500 will be underpinned by an all-new monocoque platform that should lead to better dynamics and crash safety than what the current model provides. Also, it should lead to a slight increase in the dimensions. All these qualities will be even reflected in the upcoming Ford-badged C-SUV.
2. Will Have a Mahindra 2.0L Engine
It’s not just the platform that the upcoming 2020 Mahindra-Ford SUV would share with the next-gen XUV500. Like the latter, even the upcoming Ford-badged C-SUV would be powered by Mahindra’s all-new 2.0-litre diesel engine that will be BSVI-compliant.
The motor likely offers a maximum power of 180 hp and will be even used in the next-generation models of the Thar and Scorpio, albeit in varying power-tunes. Also, the Ford-badged SUV will even have a different suspension setup for better road-handling.
3. Different Aesthetics
While the engine and the platform will come from the next-gen Mahindra XUV500, the aesthetics of the 2020 Mahindra-Ford SUV will be highly different from those of the donor vehicle. The exterior and interior design of the new model will be based on the Ford design theme and will be exclusive to the upcoming SUV. That said, this SUV will share the production line with the next-gen XUV500 in Mahindra’s Chakan plant in Pune.
4. Will Not Have SYNC3
In all likelihood, the upcoming 2020 Mahindra-Ford SUV would share its touchscreen infotainment unit with the all-new Mahindra XUV500. If anything, there would be slight changes in the interface and the graphics. But one thing that’s quite clear is that the SYNC3 system found on the top-spec EcoSport or Aspire won’t be used in the upcoming compact SUV.
5. Launch and Price
The 2020 Mahindra-Ford SUV will likely launch around the mid next year. It will be positioned above the EcoSport and would hence go on to rival the likes of Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Tata Harrier and MG Hector. Prices will be at par with those of the next-gen Mahindra XUV500.
Currently, the XUV500 retails in a price range of Rs 12.31 – 18.62 Lakh (ex-showroom, Gurgaon) and the next generation of the company’s original Cheetah-inspired SUV could easily cost Rs 13.5-20 lakh. Hence, even the Ford-badged SUV, which would share aplenty with the next-generation model of the XUV500, could pretty much retail in the same price bracket.
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