Ford Says ‘It Completely Quits’ With Mahindra

Ford India has announced a number of cooperative product programs with Mahindra have been called off. A quick rewind to the beginning of 2021 saw both carmakers dissolving the joint venture due to changing global economic and business conditions caused by the pandemic. However, Mahindra announced that products in the advanced stages of developments like the new-gen XUV500-based mid-size SUV won’t be affected, but it looks like that won’t be the case now.  

A statement from Ford said, “We announced on Dec 31 2020 that Ford and Mahindra had jointly decided not to proceed with the proposed JV. As part of winding down our relationship, a number of cooperative product programs will no longer proceed. We are currently re-scoping those product programs.”

The latest announcement from the American carmaker means all projects shared between both manufacturers have been scrapped. This included the Ford EcoSport turbo petrol with the 130PS 1.2-litre mStallion petrol engine, the Mahindra XUV500-based Ford mid-size 7-seater SUV, and a Marazzo-based Ford MPV.  

Ford is yet to give light on its future product lineup and Indian ops. The Blue Oval hasn’t launched an all-new model for quite some time now in India. Its current lineup includes the Endeavour flagship SUV, EcoSport sub-4 metre SUV, Freestyle crossover, Aspire subcompact sedan, and the Figo hatchback. 

Mahindra, on the other hand, is also facing issues and delays. The 2021 XUV500’s market introduction has been delayed, certainly due to global supply chain issues. Even the XUV300 Sportz with the 130PS 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine and the XUV300 EV haven’t made it to Mahindra showrooms despite both models being showcased at Auto Expo 2020.