Ford iosis X concept SUV to be made by Changan Ford

Ford iosis X concept crossover – which makes its debut at the Auto Show Shanghai 2007, will be produced in China at Changan Ford in the near future.

 According to Ford, the iosis X is intended to send a very strong message that Ford will be entering this market in a few months from now, and that the new model will be both stylish and individual. "Customers will be able to get a feel for the design direction our production model will take, and when we do reveal that model next year the relationship between it and the iosis X will be immediately apparent," said one Ford official.

Based on iosis X, the introduction of the iosis X concept SUV, is predicted to be named as X-Max after volume production. The model will represent a whole new auto segment being created by Ford, which has gained great popularity in North America SUV market but not that upscale in Europe and Asia.

The Ford X-MAX is based on the existing Ford Focus platform. It is aimed at the likes of the Toyota RAV4, VW Tiguan and the Honda CR-V - somewhat like the Ford Escape., and will further validate Ford's innovative new design philosophy.

The Ford X-MAX will be available in both two wheel drive and four wheel drive drivetrains. The 4WD version will use the Volvo V50 AWD's transmission system, which operates in front wheel drive mode most of the time until traction is required at the rear. This positions the X-MAX most likely as a mid-range C-segment SUV, Engine variants would most likely be the same as the Focus, and the top of the range will use Ford and Volvo's 210 horsepower 2.5 liter inline-5 turbocharged engine.

Price of the model hasn't been decided yet. Currently Ford S-MAX was sold at EUR25,500 in Europe, while its rivals HONDA CRV and Toyota RAV4 are priced at EUR27,000 and EUR26,500, it is forecast that this X-MAX may be priced roughly at EUR25,000.