Ford Territory – The China Connection
Since the JV between Mahindra & Ford collapsed, 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 products like Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. It was expected that Ford could use the Territory that it has in its foreign markets like China and Brazil. However, the Ford Territory has a major connection from China and in this article, we will be exploring the same. Let’s go.
What is the Chinese connection?
Ford already has the Territory in the Chinese market. Interestingly, as Ford was looking to partner with Mahindra for the platform in India, the American brand in China had partnered with JMC, a Chinese carmaker, for platform sharing. 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 styling elements. With sharing of parts, the involved brands manage to lower their individual costs, allowing them to price their products more competitively and also enjoy better profits.
What basically is the Ford Territory?
The Ford Territory is in easy terms, a rebadged JMC Yusheng S330. Ford took the Yusheng S330 and made changes like putting a new grille, new alloy wheels, new headlights & tail lights, reworked interiors & dashboard and a few other changes here and there. The car however gets powered by engines from Ford. In the Chinese market, it comes powered by a 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine that makes 138bhp and 225Nm of torque. On the inside, the car gets features like a touchscreen infotainment system, a large panoramic sunroof, connected car tech, wireless charging, a 360-degree camera, hill start assist, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist, active park assist and other such features. Along with an IC engine, the car also comes in an EV avatar. The Ford Territory EV delivers a range of 435km when fully charged.
What can be expected from the India-spec Territory?
With Ford developing an India-specific strategy, it could probably use the Territory to make its mark in the C-SUV segment here. If Ford does plan to bring it here, we expect to see some elements from the China-spec car carried forward here as well. Also, as per the Indian market is concerned, the car will mostly be brought with petrol and diesel engines for a wider footprint. Bringing the Ford Territory EV could also be beneficial for Ford India, as it would be able to launch a direct competitor to MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona, with minor tweaks to do here and there.
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