First image of Ford’s Mahindra XUV500-based SUV for India leaked

Mahindra and Ford joined hands in India for their future products and sharing of the technology. Both the manufacturers will work together to bring new products to the Indian market. The joint venture will bring six new products to the Indian market – three each from Ford and Mahindra. The first vehicle that will come out of the partnership is the next-generation Mahindra XUV500. While we have seen the next-generation Mahindra XUV500 testing on the roads multiple times, this is the first glimpse of Ford’s iteration of the vehicle.

Ford’s iteration of the next-generation Mahindra XUV500 will come after the launch of the all-new XUV500. Even though both the vehicles will use the same platform, the vehicles will look distinctively different from each other. The next-generation Mahindra XUV500 will get a design that is inspired by the Funster concept while Ford’s SUV will be designed by legendary Pininfarina, which is now a Mahindra own brand.

The new picture of Ford’s Mahindra XUV500 based SUV shows a product that is close to the production version. The front grille gets multiple horizontal chrome lines that look like floating. On the sides of the front grille, a different pattern can be noticed. The picture also reveals that the vehicle will have a split headlamp set-up. The main headlamp cluster can be spotted right next to the grille and the DRLs are likely to be positioned high.

Also read: Watch the Mahindra XUV500 pull a huge truck out of a hole (Video)

Even though the Ford and Mahindra SUVs will be based on the same platform, they will completely different from each other unlike the rebadged Maruti Suzuki and Toyota India products at the moment. Ford will carry on its distinctive American looks while Mahindra will use its new-age design language.

The all-new SUV from Ford is codenamed as the CX757 and it will bridge the gap between the Ford EcoSport and the Ford Endeavour. It will be the brand’s first vehicle in the segment and will compete with the likes of Tata Harrier and MG Hector. In fact, even the top-end variants of the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos will compete with the all-new Ford SUV.

Details like engine options and transmission options are not known yet. However, Ford’s vehicle is likely to get the 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine that will power the next-generation XUV500. It will generate a maximum of around 190 PS. The petrol variants of the respective SUVs will get the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol mStallion engine that made its debut with the all-new Thar. Both the engine options will get a manual as well as an automatic transmission option.

While not many details are out about the next-generation Ford’s SUV, the all-new XUV500 has been spied on multiple occasions in the past. The XUV500 will come with a dual-screen set-up on the dashboard that looks inspired by the new-age Mercedes-Benz cars. Both the vehicles will be heavily loaded with features. Mahindra will build both the vehicles at its Chakan plant near Pune and the launch is expected to happen by mid-2021.

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