Ssangyong to be part of Mahindra-Ford alliance
The recently initiated alliance between Mahindra and Ford will now also include Ssangyong. The Korean brand is a subsidiary of Mahindra and caters to both South Korean and global markets. This means that the new models being co-developed by Mahindra and Ford for Indian and other emerging markets will also be available to Ssangyong. Also, products that Ssangyong develops will also be used by Ford in other markets.
The Mahindra-Ford JV is set to develop two models, to begin with. The first of these is a C-segment SUV that is being developed by Mahindra. This SUV will be sold separately by both brands, with unique styling and driving dynamics for each of the cars. This will be followed by a smaller B-segment SUV that Ford will develop in India. This will again see two different versions with different packaging. It is also expected that there will be powertrain synergies between both firms in the BSVI era, it has been rumoured that the Ford Ecosport's Ecoboost turbo-petrol will be replaced by the 1.2-litre turbo from the XUV300. Also, Mahindra is know to be working on an EV version of the Ford Aspire sedan. With Ssangyong joining this alliance, the B-segment and C-segment SUVs will also be sold under the Ssangyong brand in certain markets.
It has also been reported that Ford officials will travel to South Korea to work out the details of this deal soon. In related news, Ford has created a new International Markets Group which became operational from January 1, 2020. The product portfolio for this is being headed by Ford's Indian head Anurag Mehrotra and will cater to over 100 global markets, with over 18 million units.
Bringing Ssangyong on board will increase the economic viability of this partnership further, allowing for better economies of scale and reach in new markets. Mahindra sells a the Ssangyong Rexton in India as the Alturas G4, the XUV300 has also been derived from the Ssangyong Tivoli.
Source: ETAuto
Starts Rs 5.99 Lakhs
1498cc
Manual
96
215
26.1 Kmpl
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