Ford had recently unveiled the Equator SUV for the Chinese market
In Ford’s line-up, the Equator will sit above the Endeavour and will be positioned as a direct rival to the likes of VW Tiguan All Space, Hyundai Palisade and Jeep Commander. The Equator will be offered in 6 and 7 seater configurations.
It will be drawing power from a 2 litre EcoBoost turbo petrol motor which will be available as standard across the range. In terms of dimensions, it is massive, as it measures 4,905 mm in length, 1,930 mm in width 1,755 mm in height. The SUV has now been detailed in official TVC.
Similarities with the 2021 Mahindra XUV500
Now that all details of the Equator are out, reports suggest that the Equator could possibly share some similarities with the 2021 Mahindra XUV500 and Ford’s India-spec XUV500 derivative. It is well known that both Ford and Mahindra had entered into a partnership under which they were developing new vehicles, including a C-SUV.
If one takes a close look at the exterior and interior design of the 2021 Ford Equator and the 2021 Mahindra XUV500 (which hasn’t been unveiled, as of yet), there are multiple similarities. For example, both the units get a split-headlamp design. One might argue that more than 50% of the SUVs which are getting launched in Asian countries have a split-headlamp design, but the similarities run deeper.
On the inside too, both, the Ford Equator and the 2021 Mahindra XUV500 will be getting a Mercedes Benz inspired dual screen infotainment-Instrument cluster combination. Possibly, Ford and Mahindra would have been jointly working upon the 2021 XUV500 and its Ford equivalent, and some of the learnings/design cues might have been used for the Equator too.
Ford’s India-spec C-SUV’s updates
As per reports, Ford’s XUV500 equivalent is expected to be launched in India by 2022. Till date, no spy-shots of the C-SUV have emerged, but considering Ford’s plans, test mules shall start their on-road testing in few months. Internally, Mahindra had codenamed the 2021 XUV500 as W601 while the Ford’s equivalent was called W605. The two models were supposed to share their platforms and even the powertrain.
But as per latest reports, Ford will not be using Mahindra engines. The W605 is expected to take considerable design inspiration from the Ford Equator, which was co-developed by Ford and Jangling (Ford’s Chinese partner), for the Chinese market.
Mahindra XUV500’s updates
The Mahindra XUV500 is currently undergoing its final testing, as can be seen from the latest spy-shots. If the global semiconductor supply condition would have been better, there is a high possibility that Mahindra would have unveiled the SUV by mid 2021.
