Is This The Ford SUV Based On Second-gen Mahindra XUV500?

Modified On Dec 09, 2020 12:57 PM By Rohit

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It is expected to be the first product under the Mahindra-Ford joint venture

Ford and Mahindra entered into a joint venture in 2019 for shared models.
Under this, Ford’s Indian operations will be handled by Mahindra.
A Ford SUV has been teased online and the source claims it’s been developed under the partnership.
It will feature completely new styling inside and out to distinguish it from the XUV500.
Expected to be offered with the second-gen XUV500’s petrol and diesel engines.
Ford could launch the SUV in India in 2021 at a price similar to the second-gen XUV500.

Back in 2019, Ford and Mahindra formed a joint venture (with the latter owning a 51 percent stake) to run Ford’s operations in India. The partnership involved a plan to develop shared models for our market. Now, an image of what is possibly the first product developed under this partnership (a Ford SUV) has surfaced online which claims to give us a glimpse of its front profile.

The Ford SUV is likely to be based on the upcoming second-gen Mahindra XUV500’s platform. As evident from the spy shots, it could feature a completely different top hat for a new exterior design. Images also reveal a typical Ford-like black front grille with a front camera placed below the logo. It is expected to feature LED illumination at the front and rear.

Ford could pack the SUV with a wide set of features including Ford’s connected car tech, cruise control, and a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. Safety could be taken care of by more than two airbags, vehicle stability control, and level-1 autonomous driver assistance technology that’s likely to feature on the second-gen Mahindra XUV500 as well.

Under the hood, the Ford SUV is likely to use the same engines as the upcoming Mahindra SUV: a set of 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines. We expect it to be offered with both manual and automatic transmission options along with an AWD (all-wheel-drive) drivetrain as well.

We expect Ford to launch its mid-size SUV based on the second-gen XUV500 sometime in late-2021. It could be priced in the same ballpark as the Mahindra SUV. Ford’s mid-size SUV will rival the likes of the Tata Harrier, Jeep Compass, Hyundai Tucson, MG Hector, and the second-gen Mahindra XUV500.

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