The homegrown automaker Mahindra and the American carmaker Ford Motor Company has announced to jointly develop two all new SUVs and a new electric vehicle for India and other emerging markets. The announcement came on March 22, 2018 when the two companies signed five new Memoranda of understanding (MoU). The MoUs are non-binding in nature and mark the progress made by two companies since they announced their alliance in September last year.
The two companies will also work on connected car technologies and solutions together.The strategic alliance between the two automakers will focus on leveraging the benefits of Ford’s global expertise and reach and Mahindra’s scale in India to make the alliance a successful one.
Also Read – Upcoming Mahindra Cars in India
Of the two SUVs that the companies will work on, one will be a mid-size sports utility vehicle and a compact SUV. It’s now clear that the new SUV will be based on the Mahindra Platform though the brands will sell the products separately. As far as the designs are concerned, both the brands will work separately to differentiate the co-developed vehicles.Therefore, it won’t be a plain rebadging like we have seen in the case of Mahindra and Renault (Logan). Both the brands have also agreed to share powertrain portfolios including the suppy of Mahindra powertrains to help increase Ford’s product range in India.
Also Read – Upcoming Ford Cars in India
“Today’s announcement is the next step in the collaboration between Mahindra and Ford,” said Dr Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. “Both teams are working together on joint development areas in keeping with industry requirements and leveraging mutual strengths. We are excited about the synergies unveiled through this collaboration and the potential opportunities it will bring.”
“Ford is committed to offering the best vehicles, technologies and services that fit the lifestyles and preferences of Indian consumers,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president and president of Global Markets. “Listening to our customers and incorporating their future needs is the core premise of this collaboration. With utility vehicles and electrification as key focus areas, we are glad to see the progress our two companies have made.”
