Since the Mahindra-Ford joint venture fell through, we haven’t heard much about Ford’s future plans. The brand was supposed to launch a car in partnership with Mahindra to compete with the likes of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. It was believed that Ford could leverage the existing territory in its overseas markets like China and Brazil. However, Ford Territory has an important connection with China and in this article, we will explore exactly that. Let’s get started.
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What is the Chinese connection?
Ford already has the Territory in the Chinese market. Interestingly, while Ford sought a partnership with Mahindra for the platform in India, in China the American brand had partnered with JMC, a Chinese carmaker, to share a platform. The end result of this partnership was the Ford Territory. The Ford Territory is based on the JMC Yusheng S330. Both cars share the same platform with very minor changes in dimensions and design elements. By sharing parts, the brands involved manage to reduce their individual costs, which allows them to price their products more competitively and also earn higher profits.
What is essentially the Ford Territory?
The Ford Territory is, simply put, a rebadged JMC Yusheng S330. Ford took the Yusheng S330 and made changes such as a new grille, new alloy wheels, new headlights and taillights, a revamp of the interior and dashboard, and a few other changes here and there. However, the car is powered by engines from Ford. In the Chinese market, it is powered by a 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine that produces 138 hp and 225 Nm of torque. Inside, the car gets features like a touchscreen infotainment system, a large panoramic sunroof, connected car technology, wireless charging, a 360-degree camera, hill start assist, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, active parking assist, and other such features. Apart from an internal combustion engine, the car is also available as an electric vehicle. The Ford Territory EV has a range of 435 km on a full charge.
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What can we expect from India-Spec territory?
With Ford developing an India-specific strategy, the company could likely use the Territory to make a mark in the C-SUV segment here. If Ford plans to launch it here, we expect some elements of the China model to be adopted here as well. Also, as for the Indian market, the car will be launched primarily with petrol and diesel engines to allow for a wider range. The launch of the Ford Territory EV could also be beneficial for Ford India as it would allow it to launch a direct competitor to the likes of MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona, with minor tweaks here and there.
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