Ford files patent for another new car. Is it an MPV or SUV?

It seems like Ford is slowly crawling its way back to the Indian market. The brand has filed a nameplate trademark for the Mustang Mach-e, they have also filed design trademarks for the new-gen Endeavour which will be sold as Everest in the Indian market and another SUV that could enter the sub-4 metre segment or a mid-size SUV segment. Now, the brand has filed another design patent for a new vehicle which seems like an MPV.

It is important to note that filing a design patent does not ensure that the manufacturer will launch the vehicle in the market. However, if Ford brings this new MPV to the Indian market then it will compete against the Kia Carens and Maruti Suzuki XL6.

Another thing to notice is that a few of the design elements of the design sketch are quite similar to the XUV700. For instance, the size of the panoramic sunroof, joints, window panes etc. So, there is a possibility that this is the vehicle that Ford was working on along with Mahindra before the company exited the Indian market and scrapped the project. If this is a SUV then it will be competing against the Mahindra XUV700, Tata Safari, Tata Harrier, MG Hector, MG Hector Plus, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and Hyundai Alcazar.

The previous design patent that Ford filed was for a sub-compact 4-metre SUV. Interestingly, the design patent is very similar to the SUV codenamed W605 that was leaked a few years ago, before Ford exited the Indian market. As of now, there are no details on the powertrain options of the upcoming SUVs. There could be a petrol and a diesel engine on offer. Apart from the ICE vehicles, Ford has also filed a patent for ‘Mustang Mach-E’ moniker. So, it is expected that the brand will bring it to India soon.