Ford launches new EcoSport starting from Rs 6.79 lakh onwards

Ford India, launched the new version of its popular compact sports utility vehicle EcoSport, priced between Rs. 6.79 lakh and Rs.10.44 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). 

Ford India has readied the new version of the EcoSport to wrest leadership from Hyundai's newly launched Creta and counter Mahindra's new TUV 300. Hyundai Motor India, which launched the Creta in July, has already got more than 54,000 bookings for the SUV and is making on an average 7,000 units a month.

Visual changes are negligible, apart from signature light guides in the headlamps, which will now also feature daytime running lights/fog lamps. The interiors benefit from chrome treatment on inner door handles, cluster ring and cluster appliqué, window regulator switches and air register tabs, while the steering wheel and handbrake lever are now trimmed in leather.

"Ahead of the festive season, we have made our clever, compact SUV even more stylish with a host of smart features and enhanced power to delight consumers," Ford India president and managing director Nigel Harris said in a statement. 

The new EcoSport comes in three engine options. The petrol variant powered by 1.5 litre engine is priced between Rs 6.79 lakh and Rs 9.93 lakh, while the other petrol option powered by Ford's 1 litre EcoBoost engine is available at a range of Rs 8.53 lakh and Rs 9.89 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The diesel variant powered by 1.5 litre engine with improved power is tagged at Rs 7.98 lakh to Rs 10.44 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). 

In the new face-lifted avatar of EcoSport, Ecoboost petrol engine will also be available on the mid-variant Trend+. 

Here’s the complete variant-wise list of the additional features that will be offered with updated Ford EcoSport:

• Ambiente: 12V Power socket and rear folding seats
• Trend: ABS+EBD
• Trend+ (New Variant): IN addition to the features offered on the Trend trim, this will get dual front airbags, auto aicon, distance to empty, outside temp display, econometer, average speed, avg fuel efficiency, fog lamps, chrome grille, roof rails, signature light guide for the headlamps.
• Titanium: Smart Key, Keyless entry, Push button start
• Titanium+: Auto wipers, auto headlamps, daytime running lights, interior chrome pack, leather-wrapped handbrake.

Ford India said among other features, the new EcoSport is equipped with rain sensing wipers, automatic headlamps and electrochromic mirror that automatically deflects a beam of light from trailing vehicles to minimise obstruction to drivers.

The new version of the EcoSport, along with a new Figo hatchback and the Aspire compact sedan, will improve Ford's position in the Indian market. 

Ford launches its first compact sedan Figo Aspire at Rs 4.9 lakhs

Ford India launched its first compact sedan Figo Aspire in India today at a starting price of Rs. 4.89 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

With several segment-first features such as 6 airbags, 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, leather seats, etc, the Ford Figo Aspire takes on the likes of Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze, Tata Zest and others in the sub-4 metre sedan segment. The Ford Figo Aspire has become the first car in its league to offer driver and front-passenger airbags standard across all variants.

It will replace the company's ageing Fiesta Classic sedan in the Indian market, which had seen sluggish sales due to a proliferation of compact sedans like Maruti Swift Dzire, Honda Amaze and Hyundai Xcent in the last three years. Sub-four-metre sedans due to their shorter length get excise duty benefits and are priced significantly less than full sized bigger sedans.

The new sub-compact sedan is offered with three engine options - a 1.5-litre Ti-VCT petrol (110bhp), a 1.2-litre Ti-VCT petrol (87bhp) and a 1.5-litre TDCi diesel (99bhp). While the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel-engined variants will get a 5-speed manual gearbox, the 1.5-litre petrol model will come equipped with a 6-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox.

"There are many high end features that we are offering with the Figo aspire like six airbags and leather seats that are not on offer in this category," said Nigel Harris, president and managing director, Ford India. "It will also be exported out of here world over and Sanand will be a world class export hub. This is not a compromised car."

Figo Aspire is powered by a 1.2 litre petrol engine that belts out 88 PS power and 112 NM of torque and has a rated fuel economy of 18.2 kpl. The 1.5 litre diesel engine gives 100 PS power and 215 NM of torque with a fuel economy of 25.83 kpl. For a first, Ford is offering dual airbags as a standard feature in the Figo Aspire. The top end variant of the car is also equipped with six airbags - a first in this segment. 

The company will follow up the sedan with a hatchback version in the next few months that will replace the existing Figo small car. Compact cars is the largest segment in the Indian market accounting for 45% of overall sales or almost 1.1 million cars per annum. The segment is expected to grow to around 1.8 million cars per annum by 2018. Globally small cars are expected to account for 60% of overall sales in the near future.

In India, around 350,000 units of compact sedans are sold every year with Maruti Dzire the dominant leader with around 200,000 unit sales annually.

Ford launches new Figo at Rs. 3.85 lakh

Ford India, which launched a variant of its popular small car Figo, said it expects the sagging car demand to get a boost during the forthcoming festive season.

"It's a competitive market. Due to high inflation consumer sentiment is down. We will start to see a turnaround hopefully with the festive season," Ford India president and managing director Michael Boneham said.

"We will be seeing a lot of sales, I hope. The order book is looking quite encouraging," he added.

With the new Figo, priced at Rs. 3,84,999 for the petrol, and Rs. 4,81,999 for diesel (ex-showroom Delhi), the company said that it will stop production of the old Figo. The car maker had reported 8.29 per cent decline in sales in September at 9,418 units.

Stating that growth has been flat in the recent past, he said: "Remember we are all used to the massive growth two-and-half-years ago, we had growth of 30 per cent year-on-year. That is not sustainable. I think a 10-15 per cent growth is what we need to see. We are looking at the long-term. We are confident that by 2020, this will be our third largest market," he said.

He further said Figo sales are likely to improve with better macroeconomic environment and claimed that year after year the Figo sales have been growing by 10 per cent. On the new plant in Gujarat, where the company has invested about $1 billion to build a new manufacturing and engine plant, he said: "We are on track with construction. I went there two weeks ago and was very pleased. We are going to have 3,000 people on site. The first vehicle and engine are scheduled to come in 2014."

Ford currently exports to 35 countries from its Chennai facility, and is also looking at 15 new markets for exports.

"We are looking at the North African hub and the other developing markets for exports now," he said.

The 5 most-selling hatchbacks in India.

Car sales data of June suggest a slowdown in almost every segment but there are still some that have maintained sales and the title of being the most popular cars in India.

Sale of petrol cars suffered the most with the price of petrol going through the roof. Diesel cars were also hit after the government raised its price also.

Brand value, good features, good after sales and spares, reasonable prices, value for money and last but not the least good mileage made these cars more popular than the rest. While some of these hatchbacks have been around for years, a few were recent additions.

Maruti Swift

Maruti Swift, an A2 segment car, along with other hatchbacks like Maruti Alto, Maruti Wagon-R, Maruti Zen, Maruti Ritz and Maruti A-Star reached a sales figure of 52,599 in June this year a growth of 2.3 per cent over June 2010.

The reasons why Maruti Swift ropes in good sales figures compared to other cars such as Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo, Tata Indica and Chevrolet Beat are its brand value, track record and value for money besides mileage.

Maruti Swift was launched in January 2009.

Its image got a boost thanks to its 85bhp engine with turbocharger, which gave a mileage of 12.8kmpl in the city and 16.6 kmpl on the highways.

The Maruti Swift price ranges between Rs 409,000 and Rs 556,000 ex showroom in New Delhi.

Volkswagen Polo

Launched in May 2010, the Volkswagen Polo is now over a year old and is available in both petrol and diesel variants in the price range of Rs 457,000 to Rs 706,000.

The Volkswagen Polo petrol returns a mileage of 17.0 kmpl just less than Liva and Nissan Micra that delivers a mileage of 18kmpl.

Polo's strengths lie in its awesome looks, interiors and brand value.

Polo clicked a sales figure of 2,679 units in June out of a total of 5,397 Volkswagen cars sold in India in June this year.

Ford Figo

Introduced in February 2010, Ford Figo has touched a year-over-year growth of 53 per cent in June and recently reached 100,000 sales mark.

Good space, powerful engine, large boot and a big car drive feel has considerably pushed Figo sales in India.

The diesel version undoubtedly delivers unmatched performance.

Ford Figo petrol price ranges between Rs 359,000 to Rs 462,000 while the diesel version starts at Rs 493,000 ex showroom.

Figo is in competition with the newly launched Toyota Etios Liva, Maruti Swift, Volkswagen Polo, Maruti Ritz, Fiat Punto and Tata Indica primarily.

Ford as a brand has the highest backing for Figo in terms of sales.

Besides, its after sale service, and spares network are also considerably good.

Toyota Etios Liva

Liva, the 'Lively and Live Life to the fullest' car brings the 'Q' Class experience from Etios and offers QDR standard - Quality, Durability and Reliability at a price range of Rs 399,000 to Rs 600,000.

Launched on June 27 the 79bhp Liva returns a mileage of 18.31 kmpl as per ARAI.

Liva also comes with a 3-year, 100,000-kilometers conditional warranty.

Toyota is also thinking of bringing in a diesel variant of Liva in the coming months. Toyota's brand value besides spacious interiors and looks of Liva are its plus points.

The diesel variant is highly anticipated to further the sales of Liva.

Tata Indica Vista

Tata cars are next to Maruti or perhaps the first preference in terms of diesel cars.

Known for its sturdy nature and long life just like Maruti cars, Tata Indica Vista is a new avatar of Tata Indica.

New body style, new interiors, larger boot are some of the changes made to Indica to make it Vista.

The Vista Aqua has a new 1.3L Quadrajet Fiat engine that churns out 75 PS and delivers 18 kmpl on the highways.

Some users have in fact reported 22 kmpl mileage.

With the improved engine and new platform, the Vista has gained importance and is as maintenance free as any other car contrary to Tata Indica that needs frequent maintenance checks.

Ford Plans 8 New Models to Drive Sales in Growing Indian Market

Ford Motor Company will launch eight new vehicles in India by the middle of the decade as its plan to rapidly expand its presence in the fast growing market. Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa (APA), made the announcement today during a keynote speech titled ‘Managing Growth – Evolving Market Dynamics’ at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Conference in New Delhi.

“We have big plans for India and for this region,” Hinrichs said. “As we have seen from the spectacular early success of the Ford Figo, more and more Indian consumers appreciate the fuel efficient, economical, high quality, safe, and fun-to-drive vehicles that Ford offers. By the middle of this decade we will introduce eight new vehicles to India from our global platforms, in segments appropriate for this market. This is part of our ‘better plan’ to bring more and more vehicles from our vast global portfolio to India and other markets in Asia Pacific and Africa.”

Hinrichs’ remarks at the SIAM conference focused on strategies for managing change, specifically the impact of rising demand and increasing capacity on the value chain. He elaborated saying that, “Introducing eight new vehicles by the middle of the decade is an ambitious plan that will have tremendous impact on our manufacturing operations, supply chain, dealers and employees. As part of our better plan for India, we are working today to make sure the value chain is ready for the demands we will place on it in the years to come.”

Expanding capacity creates particular challenges for suppliers, which are responsible for a large part of a vehicle, and requires new approaches. Hinrich further explained that by 2012, more than 70% of the vehicles sold under the Ford brand globally will be built off 15 core platforms. By bringing suppliers into the development process earlier we can ultimately generate more profit for the supply chain.

The Figo has already made its impression on the people in India and having already accumulated a fan following, this announcement will make Ford lovers jump with joy. With eight new cars lined up for launch in the next decade, all eyes will be on the bait that Ford India throws out to its customers.

Renault to Launch 5 Cars in India

French car maker Renault's Indian unit will launch five cars between mid-2011 and mid-2013, including small cars in 2012, its India head said on Thursday, to cater to brisk demand in one of the fastest growing automobile markets in the world.

Its small cars will be built on its alliance partner Nissan's platform, Country General Manager Marc Nassif said on the sidelines of an automobiles conference.

The cars produced at its manufacturing unit in Chennai, built jointly with its alliance partner Nissan, will be Renault-branded, Nassif said, adding that they would be competitively priced.

In 2011, the firm intends to introduce its premium vehicle Fluence and the cross-over Koleos.

Separately, Renault-Nissan is working with Indian two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto

Renault, which this year sold off its stake in a joint venture with utility vehicles and tractor maker Mahindra & Mahindra which made the Logan sedan, is all set to storm the compact car market in India on its own.

Nissan, which is 44 percent owned by Renault, has started selling its compact Micra cars since June.

The compact car segment in India, with cars measuring between 3.4 to 4 metres in length, is a rapidly expanding segment constituting more than 70 percent of the total car market.

Though top carmaker Maruti Suzuki still holds sway, global majors such as Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Volkswagen and Ford are eyeing this lucrative sector.

General Motors' Chevrolet Beat and Ford's Figo compact cars have already seen runaway sales so far this year.

Renault's global sourcing from India is expected to rise 40 percent to 50 percent in the current financial year, Nassif said.
to make a low-cost car, which would be designed by Bajaj and launched by end-2012.

Hyundai to launch one new car model in India every year

Hyundai Motor India plans to launch a new model every year for the next few years as it seeks to hold its own in a fiercely competitive car market in the country. Besides, it will give a facelift to an existing model every year and also make minor modifications for a model year change.

(Auto makers refresh their line-up with small changes for the new calendar year, which they refer to as model year change.)

Over a buffet dinner at an Indian restaurant in Seoul's shopping district of Itaewon, Mr Han-Woo Park, Managing Director & CEO, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, told a group of visiting Indian journalists last week that this will be the company's strategy to meet competition, from the likes of Ford Figo, Chevrolet Beat, Volkswagen Polo and the new WagonR from Maruti Suzuki, besides the spate of new launches planned.

“I will launch minimum three models a year,” he told the journalists, on a visit sponsored by Hyundai Motor India to some of its parent company's facilities in South Korea.

“I feel that competition will be tough this year,” he said, and added that even in the face of the new launches by competitors so far this year, Hyundai Motor India's market share did not drop. This, he attributed to strong marketing and sales and the product line-up. Last year, the company's average market share was 20.6 per cent. In the January-April 2010 period, this increased to 20.7 per cent.

Hyundai Motor India sells the i10, Santro, i20 (all compact cars), Accent and Verna (sedans), and Sonata, a luxury sedan. It plans to launch the Santa Fe sports utility vehicle later this year.

The recently launched Ford Figo compact car has been reporting good sales numbers, especially the diesel option, which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the car's sales.

Will he look at a diesel engine option for the i10? Mr Park replied that the company had not thought of this option till now, but might consider it for the new i10, whenever it was launched.

Hyundai Motor India gets 1.1-litre diesel engines from Hyundai Motor Company for the export model i10.

Mr Park was confident of the automobile industry's prospects for this year, with sales expected to grow 10-12 per cent over last year. Hyundai Motor India expected to do slightly better than the industry average.

The company, according to him, will have a stronger rural focus in the coming years. Rural sales accounted for more than a fourth of the company's total sales. From January to April this year, the rural market had grown 27 per cent, with Hyundai's sales growing at about 40 per cent. The company's strategy was to have sales branches in the rural areas to push sales.

When would the company think of expanding capacity? “We will think of it when the domestic sales account for 70-80 per cent of total sales,” said Mr Park. Last year, the domestic and export sales were equally split, with domestic sales growing to 57 per cent this year.

Mr Park was firm in stating that the company would not yield any more ground to a section of the workers which is threatening an agitation.

Last year, he said, the company took back 20 of the dismissed 87 employees. But some of them had agitated against the management, even when they were still serving their probation period. There was demand to take back some more of the dismissed workers.

Mr Park said “we will take a firm stand this time. We will not reinstate even one person.” On humanitarian grounds, the company was trying for an out-of-court settlement. “We have reached a settlement with four persons and are negotiating with a few more,” he said.

The industrial relations scenario was a major issue for the company, he said, and added that it would not be possible to run a large organisation if the company had to repeatedly compromise its stand. Moreover, it would affect the other industrial units in Sriperumbudur area, where Hyundai Motor India's plant is located.

“I don't think reinstatement is the only option for a settlement on humanitarian grounds. An out-of-court settlement is also an option,” said Mr Park.

Ford India to phase out Fusion superhatch

On the sidelines of announcing its dealership rollout pan-India, Ford India Private Limited (FIPL) has stated that it has firmed up its plans to phase out its not-so-successful car, Fusion in the medium term, without revealing any timeframe. The Fusion was launched in the Indian market in 2004 and is available in three variants and the company had promoted it as a combination of a hatchback and sports utility vehicle.



"We will discontinue the Fusion and our focus in the small car segment will be exclusively on Figo in the Indian market. The Fusion was also giving us a relatively small volume and we hope to do well with the Figo," Ford India managing director and President Michael Boneham told reporters in New Delhi. He also maintained that the phasing out is part of a product rationalisation strategy with the firm looking to focus on the compact car segment, which comprises over 70 per cent of the Indian car market that is heading towards the two million mark per year. He said the Figo would be positioned in the small-car segment, competing with cars from the Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India and Tata Motors stables. He told reporters, “After all, this segment constitutes the bulk of the market and even a 10 per cent annual growth would mean a huge addition to demand.” He did not believe that the premium hatchback segment was the place to be in, given its smaller numbers.

Meanwhile, as Ford India gears up to launch the small hatchback Figo, it has said that it will launch a new car every 12-18 months for the next few years. The Indian arm of the Detroit auto biggie affirmed that that it is better to be a volume player in the country, for which being aggressive in the small-car segment is the way forward. Ahead of its ambitious entry into the compact car segment, the company’s Indian subsidiary Ford India, on Tuesday opened 28 dealerships across 24 cities in the country, with small cities (Tier-II, III) as the main target market growth.

“What we are planning to do here is launch a new car every 12 to 18 months,” Michael Boneham, told reporters recently. Nearly 70 per cent of all cars sold in the country fall in the small car segment. “For us the majority of new launches will be in that segment across the next four to five years,” he said.

Ford boosts dealers ahead of Figo launch

Ford India, preparing for the launch next month of its new [previous generation European Fiesta based] Figo, has signed up 28 new dealers which opened their doors this week.
The new retailers take Ford’s network to 164 facilities in 97 cities across India, an increase of 30% in the past two years.

The introduction of the Figo will mark a significant shift for India’s role in the global ONE Ford strategy that is transforming how the company brings more small cars to market.

It has invested US$500m to double annual production capacity to 200,000 units at its Chennai manufacturing facility which positions it as a regional centre of excellence for small car engineering and production.

Export Figos will also be produced at the plant and the factory will also produce diesel and petrol engines for local vehicle production and export within the Asia Pacific and Africa region.

The Figo hatchback was designed and engineered to compete in India’s small car segment, which accounts for more than 70% of the new vehicle market. It uses Fiesta small car platform architecture already familiar to Indian customers as it underpins existing sedan models built and sold in India.
Ford India president and managing director Michael Boneham said: “Growing our dealership base, building strong business fundamentals and getting closer to our customers are areas of high priority as we gear up to launch our new Figo and enter this high volume segment in 2010.”

Placing dealerships in close proximity to city centres – where they are conveniently located for customers – has been a core focus area as the automaker continues to broaden its local product range.

Boneham added: “As we expand, we are making sure that our low cost of ownership message is heard by people making buying decisions.”

All the newly-inaugurated showrooms are 'Brand@Retail' dealerships built according to a global standard to improve the ownership experience and ensure a long-term association with the b;ue oval brand.

Boneham said Ford India had been working with dealers to ensure facilities met specific requirements. Staff were trained according to Ford’s global guidelines to meet the demands of increased volume selling. The automaker has tripled dealer sales people from 480 in 2009 to nearly 1,500 this year.
In the past two months, over 1,700 dealer personnel from 97 cities attended in-depth training sessions on the new model.

New dealers have opened in New Delhi, Sangrur, Haldwani and Gwalior in the north; Durgapur, Dhanbad and Guwahati in the east; Hyderabad, Chennai, Warangal, Vellore, Salem, Vijayawada and Malappuram in the south; and Bilaspur and Mehsana in the west.

There is also a new showroom in the East Delhi metro rail station – the first time Ford has displayed its products in such a location in the Asia Pacific region.

New showrooms and workshops also are now located in Jaipur, Thane, Ahmednagar, Pune, Vapi, Ahmedabad and Cochin.

Ford to increase market share by new car launches

Michael Boneham, president and MD of Ford India here on Thursday indicated that the US car maker, Ford has decided to launch a new car every 12 to 18 months in India to enhance its market share. However, he did not indicate what sort of market share the company aims to achieve in the long run. Talking to newsmen at the inauguration of Ford’s new dealership, Victoria Ford, Mr. Boneham said: "We now have a marketshare of nearly 2% and we want to grow it significantly in coming years. Launching of new cars from the Ford stable, will play a crucial role in growing our market share in India."

For 2009, Ford India aims to achieve sales of 30,000 cars compared to 29,000 cars sold in calendar 2008. "In September ‘09, we have been able to sell 3,500 cars which is a 50% increase year-on-year basis," said Nigel Wark, executive director (marketing, sales and services). By investing $500 million, company will expand production at its Chennai plant from 1 lakh to 2 lakh vehicles, apart from producing 2.5 lakh engines, both in petrol and diesel.

SUV Ford Endeavour with some added facilities is being relaunched by Ford and Boneham informed that the new Ford Figo, on which the company is depending to get into the lucrative A segment, would be available in both petrol and diesel variants also. The company exports its cars produced in India to South Africa. Ford’s foray into the Indian compact car market with Ford Figo is expected by the first quarter of calender 2010 and the vehicle would be exported to Asia Pacific and Africa along with sales in India. Last year, the company had exported nearly 4,000 cars.

Ford Figo Unveiled

The much-awaited small car from the US auto major Ford has been unveiled in New Delhi. The car has been christened Figo.

Ford Figo is a four-door hatchback that will be available in both diesel as well as petrol engines.



Figo has the main elements of Ford’s kinetic design language such as modern headlamps, grille shapes and sculpted bonnet of its distinctive face to the subtle integrated spoiler and chamfered window shape at the rear, which the company has used in world renowned vehicles such as Ford Mondeo, Ford Focus, and the Ford Fiesta. It also has very contemporary features, with a completely new look that is very different from the usual Ford models.

Figo is a synonym of car that has essence, superiority and intelligent designing, which is truly Italian inspired very similar to the name of the car which in Italian means cool. It also has a solid posture and a very spacious and elegant. The Figo is designed to suit the best the urban driving conditions.



The Figo also has a molded body side with chiseled front fenders, a “comet tail” undercut in the doors and additional light-catching sculpting in the lower body side.

The Figo has a bold graphic with large side window shape and spaciousness awaiting occupants’ front and rear and the side window graphic has a blacked-out B-pillar.

The engine specification or transmission details are not available.

The production of the car will begin in the early months of 2010. The company has also not yet unveiled any details about the pricing of the car, but it is expected to be priced at something higher than Rs. 3 lakh.