Here Are Five Cool Ford Imports On Our Wishlist For India

Ford recently announced that it will cease manufacturing and sale of its local model lineup in India and will only sell niche imports in the country. While the carmaker already confirmed the Mustang and Mustang Mach-E, here is our pick for the top five imports that we’d love to see here. 

F-150 Lightning

First on the list is the ‘Lightning’ moniker, which Ford revived back in May in the form of a pickup truck. Called the F-150 Lightning, it’s Ford’s first all-electric pickup truck, powered by a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain pushing up to 571PS. While the battery specifications haven’t been released yet, it targets an EPA-claimed 483km of range, and can be charged from 15-80 percent in a claimed 41 minutes.

A stand-out feature of the F-150 Lightning is LED DRL connecting both the headlamps. It also boasts features such as a 15-5-inch vertical touchscreen infotainment system, 12-inch digital instrument display as well as a 18-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system. It also gets four off-road modes: Normal, Sport, Off-Road, and Tow/Haul. While global deliveries are set to begin in 2022, this extreme pickup truck could be under consideration for India as the first electric pickup truck in the country.

Bronco

Just as Land Rover brought the revived Defender nameplate to India, Ford could also bring the resurrected Bronco moniker to our shores. Revealed in July 2020, this off-road SUV is offered in three body styles: two door, four-door, and an SUV-like Bronco Sport trim. It retains the icon’s boxy silhouette while giving it a modern twist, and doesn’t shy away from features like a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system with SYNC4 interface, over-the-air updates, FordPass Performance app and a 360-degree camera.

While there are multiple powertrain options on offer, the main party trick is of course its off-road credentials.  Codenamed GOAT (Goes Over Any Terrain), the Bronco Sport gets five modes--- Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, and Sand -- whereas its bigger siblings get Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl. The two Bronco Sport siblings also get either a two-speed electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case or a two-speed electromechanical transfer case with auto mode 4x4 systems to choose from. For more on what the Bronco packs, head here.

Focus ST

 

While Hyundai has given a small taste of the hot hatch realm with the i20 N Line, Ford could really bring out the big guns in this department with the Focus ST. It already grabs eyeballs with an aggressive body,  and can be specced with either a 280PS/420Nm 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, or a 190PS 2-litre EcoBlue diesel engine. Besides, the petrol-powered Focus ST can be specced with either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic transmission delivering a 0-100kmph sprint in under six seconds.

Other performance wizardry comes in the form of launch control, electronically controlled limited-slip differential, torque vectoring, as well as electronic dampers to make it a potent beast around a racetrack. There’s also three drive modes that alter engine mapping, throttle position, brake pedal and steering response (Normal, Sport and Race Track).

F-150 Raptor

Ford could bring in the F-150 Raptor to break the monopoly held by the Isuzu D-Max in the pickup truck segment. It’s a performance-focused variant of the F-150, looks ‘badass’ with a commanding presence, is the most connected Raptor thanks to a 12-inch infotainment system and digital driver’s display, and is powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The real party trick is off-road of course, being equipped with a five-link rear suspension, off-road tyres up to 37 inches, and Fox shocks. The shocks allow the F-150 Raptor up to 35.56cm of wheel travel at the front and 38.1cm at the rear. To know more about it, head here. 

Ford GT

What better way to round off the wishlist than the legendary Ford GT supercar? With a design inspired by the LeMans-winning GT race car of the late 60s, the Ford GT is the closest thing to a no-frills racecar one can get from Ford. Its twin-turbo 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 petrol engine can deliver 647PS and 745Nm. Coupled with a 7-speed DCT gearbox, the GT can sprint to 97kmph from standstill in less than three seconds and tops out at 347kmph. It would be a dream to have this supercar in India, but it's highly unlikely to become a reality.

Keep in mind that all this is simply our wishlist, and a confirmation has yet to come from Ford on its import model plan for India. Hopefully, some of these models do make it to India under the 2500 import rule. Which import do you think Ford should bring over to India? Drop a comment down below.