Amidst splash flood of fresh and face-lifted SUV's from Indian and International car-makers, American car-maker Ford is expected to join the bandwagon with the Everest SUV for the Indian market. The Everest Concept SUV was recently showcased at the Bangkok Motor Show. The SUV shall be manufactured in Thailand and shall be sold in India through the CKD route. The new version of Hyundai Santa Fe imbibes a Fluidic-derived Storm edge design philosophy. The SUV has recently been relaunched with a face-lifted version to appeal to the local market.
The Hyundai Santa Fe is powered by the same 2.2 liter diesel engine that produces an impressive 194 bhp with a torque output of 436 Nm. Two-wheel drive/Four-wheel drive pattern shall be available with an option to choose from Automatic transmission or Manual Transmission. Six air bags and all-wheel drive come as standard on the top variant. Design is worth a watch. The SUV has undergone quite some changes, on the exterior front, the Santa Fe features a bolder-looking grill and the headlights are mated to flow through its sides. The sides also feature a smooth contour bringing out the Fluidic design at its best. The SUV's teardrop-shaped fog lamps are integrated into the front bumpers. Single-sided quad shaped exhaust at the rear has been retained along with a large bash plate. The car now features a smaller glass pane between the C and D pillar. The interior in the Santa Fe is stated to be based on Fluidic design. It features a GPS device, leather seats, sunroof and a convenient start-stop system for the engine. Legroom for the rear seats have also been worked upon and can seat up to three people with ease. The interiors look elegant with generous use of beige.
As per sources, the Everest SUV from Ford is expected to be powered with two engine variants – The 2.5 Litre engine is mated to a five speed manual transmission engine and generates about 145 Ps of power. The other variant is available in 3.0 Liter engine that is mated to five speed automatic engine that generates about 155 Ps of power. As per sources, the Everest SUV was developed and designed by Ford Australia, the vehicle made its debut at the ‘Go Further’ event in Sydney last year. Moreover, the seven seater Everest is stated to be conceived on Ranger SUV platform with certain structural differences like enhanced wheelbase and a spring rear coil. On the exterior front the SUV sports trapezoidal chrome grille that is well complimented with a neat set of horizontal headlights. The bumpers are adorned with matte silver skid plate. Smooth flowing horizontal lamps add a distinctive style to the tall bodied structure. The Everest SUV is available in 4 x 2 and 4 x 4 variant. Ford India has not revealed details on the exact launch date or price for the Everest SUV, but it is anticipated that the car may be launched with an attractive price tag to compete against its long list of competitors. The SUV is expected to be launched sometime in early 2015.
