Ford

Ford Fiesta has been a beloved mid-sized sedan on Indian roads for quite some time now with its superb style quotient and great engine performance. The car has been churning good sales volumes for the company till date. However, this stability seems to be at stake as Volkswagen is all geared up to launch a new mid-sized sedan on the Indian roads soon- Volkswagen Vento.

US auto major Ford has a reason to smile after the success of its recently launched hatchback Ford Figo. The car maker is all set to come up with a smaller car than the Ford Figo, which is code named ‘B156’ and might hit the market by 2011. And this is not where the good new ends for the company is also looking to foray into the compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment. The new compact SUV is expected to be based on the Ford Figo platform. To add to the list is the hatchback version of the Ford Fiesta. Till now Ford Figo has sold over 16,000 units, and there are bookings for another 21,000. Ford India managing director Michael Boneham had told a national daily about the small car that “As a policy, we do not develop any car for a single market so this is being developed on a global platform....we need to have multiple products in the small car space.”

With a foray of cars being launched across various segments and many soon to be launched, the year 2010 is offering great bucks to major car makers including Maruti, Ford, Tata, Fiat, Skoda and many more. Lets have a glimpse of what each of these Car makers have in their respective stables for Indian car buyers.

When Ford launched Figo at an attractive price of Rs 3.29 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi) it kick started an all new price war. With a low price tag and all new features and design the Ford Figo received amazing response. So, much so that it has kept other market leaders like Maruti and Hyundai on their toes. But the car might soon loose the attractiveness of its price tag due to inflation and changes in other price affecting factors.

In a recent visit of two days by CarDekho to the Ford's manufacturing plant at Henry Ford road in Chennai, the mechanisms used at every stage of Ford car's production took our breaths away. The facility is widely spread and has designed a customized robotic mechanism for every phase of manufacturing except the assembling of glasses. We found out a niche that Ford has imbibed in all its cars, due to which one does not need to change every part on damage. Having a look of all the sections in the plant it is pretty simple to assume that Ford has invested a lot in making the manufacturing unit and the work experience for its employees class apart. The unit presently has a staff of 4000 employees, but with the escalating demand of Ford Figo the company is keen on increasing production by increasing the number of shifts over time.

Ford India reached another benchmark by rolling out the 1,00,000th Ford Fiesta from its Chennai manufacturing facility. The company has been in the news lately for its brand new hatchback Ford Figo. According to Michael Boneham, Ford India president and managing director, “After a terrific sales record in March-April the rolling out of the 1,00,000th Ford Fiesta is a new milestone for us.

The Ford Fiesta falls in mid-size car category and the Ford Fiesta provides a highly stable ride along with high comfort levels. Ford Fiesta is designed specifically for India and therefore performs well in Indian conditions. Ford Fiesta has always been one of the most sought after sedans in its segment. The April sales figures of the Ford Fiesta were also pleasing and the car managed to sell 7,509 units in April this year while it was able to sell 2,034 units in the corresponding month last year.

Ford has intensified the competition between small-car makers by pricing its Ford Figo at Rs 3.5 lakh. So, now Maruti Suzuki, General Motors, Volkswagen and Hyundai would be slugging it out for a piece of the lucrative market. And they would soon have Nissan and Toyota for company as the two carmakers plan to launch cars priced around Rs 4-lakh. Here is an overview of some of the options available in the small cars segment:

Ford has announced the Ford Figo price which was much awaited for the Indian auto market from past few months. The company has set Ford Figo price in the range of Rs 3.49 – 5.29 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). Ford Figo has been designed keeping the Indian customers and Indian roads in mind. The new Figo comes in 1196cc petrol and 1399cc diesel engine versions. The petrol engine produces 71PS maximum power at 6,250 rpm with a maximum torque of 102Nm at 4000rpm. The deisel engine produces 69PS maximum power at 4,000rpm and 160Nm maximum torque at 2,000rpm.

Ford India officially launched the Ford Figo today announcing pricing for the much anticipated new compack car. "Our dealers are excited, customers are waiting and the new Figo is now ready to hit the streets," said Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia, Pacific and Africa. "From the start we wanted to offer all the features of a B-Segment car at a Sub-B price. We've accomplished that with Ford Figo."

Four different Ford Figo models – LXI, EXI, ZXI and Titanium – will be available with different trim levels and designed to suit a variety of consumer tastes. All models also will be available with a Duratorq diesel engine option.

The Indian hatchback market has got another new product to boast about in the form of Ford Figo that has finally reached showrooms. Ford had been preparing in advance for Figo's arrival by strengthening its dealership network across the country. The all new Ford Figo is available in the 1196cc petrol engine that produces 71PS maximum power at 6,250 rpm with a maximum torque of 102Nm at 4,00rpm and the 1399cc diesel engine that produces 69PS maximum power at 4,000rpm and 160Nm maximum torque at 2,000rpm.