That Ford and Mahindra are jointly developing new SUVs for the Indian market is not news at this point, but sources now tell us that these SUVs will be designed by none other than Pininfarina.With a legacy of creating some of the most desirable designs, including a long line of jaw-dropping supercars, this news bodes well for how eye-catching the upcoming Ford SUVs will be.
- New range of Ford SUVs to be designed by Pininfarina
- First Pininfarina-designed Ford SUV will be based on the next-gen XUV500
- Next-gen EcoSport also expected to be designed by Pininfarina
Which is Ford’s first Pininfarina-designed SUV for India?
The first model to emerge from the Mahindra-Ford joint venture will be a new C-SUV.The platform and engines will be shared between what will be the next-gen XUV500 (code: W601) and Ford’s version of the SUV(code: CX757).
This new Ford C-SUV, which will rival the likes of the Tata Harrier and MG Hector and sit above the likes of the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, will be the first one to be designed by Pininfarina.
When Ford’s new SUV arrives after the launch of the next-gen XUV500 early next year, it is expected to share its180hp, 2.2-litre diesel and the 190hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engines. The latter has recently made its debut on the second-generation Thar.
Which other Ford SUVs will be designed by Pininfarina for India?
Following the launch of the C-SUV will be a smaller B-segment SUV that will directly rival the Creta, Seltos and Nissan Kicks, and will have a length of 4.3m.
The Ford BX745 will be unveiled in the second half of FY22 and share its underpinnings with the upcoming Mahindra XUV400 (S204). Like the C-SUV, the Ford BX745 SUV will also be designed by the Mahindra-owned design house.
A 163hp, 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine from Mahindra’s mStallion family and a 123hp, 1.5-litre diesel engine are expected to power both B-SUVs.
While Ford’s current compact SUV is nearing the end of its lifecycle, the next-gen EcoSport (code: BX744) is said to be underdevelopment and is also likely to get design inputs from Pininfarina. Although a 2021 launch was mooted, this may be delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Expect it to carry forward the engines from the soon-to-be-updated current EcoSport, there are more details on that below.
Both brands had confirmed that while the new SUVs may share certain mechanical components, they will be unique in design. Whether this means Mahindra’s SUVs will not be designed by Pininfarina is yet to be confirmed.
The American company also promises that its models will retain the fun-to-drive character that Ford cars are known for.
What else is in the pipeline for Ford India?
Before these three new SUVs arrive, the current Ford EcoSport will soon get a Mahindra engine, the 1.2-litre T-GDI engine that made its debut at Auto Expo 2020 in the Mahindra XUV300 Sportz.
As this three-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol unit makes 130hp and 230Nm of peak torque, the EcoSport will continue to be the most powerful compact SUV on sale. Expect the Mahindra-powered EcoSport to launch early next year.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
