Slate, Ford, and...Mahindra? Three Paths to the Next Compact SUV

When Slate unveiled its compact truck, it garnered attention for good reason. Introducing a low-cost new vehicle concept in a crowded, skeptical market required serious planning and an

Could Mahindra compete in North America?

injection of entrepreneurial spirit, and with a nod to Slate, they succeeded. But an announcement is only the first milestone. Manufacturing at scale, securing supply chains, and building trust with buyers are still challenges to overcome. And it’s still unclear if Slate’s ultra-minimal, à la carte approach will resonate with buyers long term, or if the market will demand something more familiar.

Fast forward two months, and Ford, for its part, jumped into the compact vehicle foray by borrowing from China’s playbook. The company recently confirmed it will adopt a platform approach inspired by Chinese automakers, using large castings, modular components, and a new production flow to lower costs and speed development. In practice, Ford draws heavily from both Tesla and Chinese manufacturers while trying to blend in some uniquely Ford touches. Jim Farley called it Ford's Model T moment, and on the surface, though more information is certainly needed, Ford delivered on the announcement. For a legacy player still carrying the weight of legacy factories and high labor costs, this shift to competing not with Tesla, but with the Chinese shows how seriously Ford is taking the future of its company.

Then there’s Mahindra. On August 15, the company revealed four new SUV concepts: the Vision.S, Vision.T, Vision.SXT, and Vision.X, all built on a modular platform Mahindra calls NU_IQ. The headlines touted versatility: support for both combustion and electric powertrains, front- and all-wheel drive, left- and right-hand drive, compact and midsize body styles. Mahindra's engineers took innovation even further, touting a flat-floor layout uncommon for ICE vehicles, a 5-link suspension with a tighter turning circle than rivals, and lightweight construction that beats class benchmarks, combined with adopting global safety standards. This doesn't sound like Mahindra is looking to stay regional.

While I fully concede that Mahindra may have a whiff of notoriety in North America based on the now cease-and-desist Jeep-inspired Roxor-designed side-by-sides, I can assure you that there's a legitimate manufacturer behind them, with 260,000 employees operating in over 100 countries. The company sold over 800,000 vehicles in 2024, making it India’s second-largest automaker behind Tata—even before factoring in Tata’s ownership of Jaguar Land Rover. Despite past stumbles like the Roxor, this is not a fly-by-night startup. That scale puts the company closer to Ford than Slate regarding footprint. And where Slate still has to prove it can manufacture its first truck, Mahindra is already building the foundation to launch multiple SUVs into multiple markets by 2027.

The compact SUV segment is where affordability and practicality collide, and in an industry of rising ATPs, it’s a market begging for a fresh approach to product. Ford is reengineering how it builds. Slate is betting it can disrupt from scratch. Mahindra is quietly aiming to combine flexibility with scale. If each executes, consumers will benefit from more choices without compromising space, safety, or cost.

And before you laugh me off the page of my company's own blog, I leave you with this: In the late 1960s, Malcolm Bricklin brought Subaru to the U.S. when the brand was dismissed as unfit for American drivers. It took decades, but eventually Subaru was reshaped into a household name. In a world where hyper-manufacturing can cut years off production, could Mahindra, with its global reach and adaptable platform, pull off a similar feat in the compact SUV space? History suggests it’s not impossible.