Ford India has two SUVs in its portfolio for India. The Ecosport and the Endeavour. While both are brilliant vehicles, the price gap between the two is huge and for an SUV-obsessed market like India, Ford does need a mid-size SUV which fills the gap. What was brewing since quite some then, is now official. The Mahindra Group and Ford Motor Company have strengthened their ongoing strategic alliance in India with an agreement to co-develop a midsize sports utility vehicle (SUV) which will be built on a Mahindra product platform and powertrain.
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Under the new agreement, Mahindra and Ford will work together to introduce a benchmark product for India and emerging markets. The new agreement reinforces the steady progress made since the announcement of the strategic alliance between the two companies in September 2017, followed by an announcement on powertrain sharing and connected car solutions in October 2018. The new midsize sports utility vehicle (C-SUV) will have a common Mahindra product platform and powertrain, thus driving engineering and commercial efficiencies.
The strategic alliance between the two companies is focused on leveraging the benefits of both companies — Ford’s global reach and expertise and Mahindra’s scale and successful operating model in India. Teams from both companies continue to collaborate on all areas of mutual interest including electrification, distribution and product development. Earlier this fiscal year, the alliance signed an agreement with Mahindra Group to develop and supply a low-displacement petrol engine for use in Ford’s present and future vehicles, beginning in 2020. Mahindra and Ford also announced joint development of a telematics control unit.
Talking about the collaboration, Dr Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, M&M Ltd. said, “I am happy with the significant progress we have made and synergies we have created since the announcement of our strategic alliance with Ford in 2017. Today’s announcement is another significant step in the collaboration between our two companies. Having identified several areas for joint development, both companies will continue to work together to develop products using common product platforms. This will reduce product development costs and gain economies of scale for both companies.”
Jim Farley, President of Ford New Businesses, Technology and Strategy, said, “With today’s announcement, we not only strengthen our ongoing partnership with Mahindra but also sharpen our competitiveness in an important emerging market like India. Ford’s technological leadership combined with Mahindra’s successful operating model and product prowess will surely help us deliver a vehicle that will meet the expectations of customers in India as well as other emerging markets.”