Ford Ecosport to be launched by Jayalalithaa, 8 new products in pipeline for India

Since Ford came to India in late 90’s things have never been so interesting in Ford India. The reason for it is the Ecosport mini SUV which will be launched in India early next year. According to the latest news, the Ecosport will be launched by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa who has agreed for the invitation by Ford India.

Ford pins lots of hopes on the Ecosport, and why not, the muscular looking mini SUV could be a new blockbuster car in India after the Maruti Swift. In fact we feel the Ecosport looks to be a perfect mini SUV when compared to Duster and Quanto. The rear tailgate mounted spare wheel adds to the rugged SUV looks of the vehicle.

If you are thinking just about the looks of the Ecosport making an impact you might be wrong. The Ecosport under its hood will feature the latest Ecoboost 1.0L petrol engine which in spite of its smaller capacity can produce 125 Bhp of power. According to Ford, this small wonder of an engine produces high power with great fuel efficiency, both of which are inversely proportional. The Ecoboost engine manages to drive the Ecosport to over 20 Km with a liter of petrol. The Ecosport will also be available with the Fiesta’s 1.5L diesel burner which too has a good record of fuel efficiency.

Ford is working hard on pricing the Ecosport competitive and few days ago an official from Ford had mentioned about Ecosport being priced less than the Renault Duster, which means the base petrol and diesel could be priced at Rs. 6.5 and 7.5 lakh respectively.

Currently there is a change of guard at Ford India. Mr. Michael Boneham, President and MD of Ford India is being replaced by Mr. Jogindar Singh and Ford maintains that in spite of leadership change the plan to launch value for money products remains the same. Ford plans to launch 8 new products in India in next 3 years. Ford’s second plant at Sanand will commence operation from 2014. 

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Ford Figo facelift launched at Rs. 3.85 lakh

Ford India has launched the Figo facelift priced at Rs. 3.85 lakh for base petrol and Rs. 4.81 lakh for the base diesel variant. The facelift include redesigned front bumper, slight changes in headlamp and tail lamp cluster. The Figo facelift is not just cosmetic changes to the exterior. There are host of new features added to the car.

New features added to Ford Figo:

Bluetooth and iPod connectivity.

New fabrics and seat design.

New ‘Reviera Blue’ instrument panel colour.

New colours – ‘Bright Yellow’ and ‘Kinetic Blue’ added.

Double Bulb weather strips on the door.

Redesigned head rests on the front seats.

New alloy wheels carried over from Fiesta.

Ford has also worked on the gearshift which is now smother and takes less effort to change gears. The front seats lumbar support has also been improved. 

New Ford Figo Petrol Prices (All prices ex-showroom Delhi):

New Ford Figo 1.2L Duratec LXI: Rs. 3,84,999/-

New Ford Figo 1.2L Duratec EXI: Rs. 4,22,999/-

New Ford Figo 1.2L Duratec ZXI: Rs. 4,52,999/-

New Ford Figo 1.2L Duratec Titanium: Rs. 5,01,999/-

New Ford Figo Diesel Prices (All prices ex-showroom Delhi):

New Ford Figo 1.4L Duratorq LXI: Rs. 4,81,999/-

New Ford Figo 1.4L Duratorq  EXI: Rs. 5,20,999/-

New Ford Figo 1.4L Duratorq ZXI: Rs. 5,50,999 /-

New Ford Figo 1.4L Duratorq Titanium: Rs. 5,99,999/-

New Ford Figo Colors:

1.       Sea Grey

2.       Diamond White

3.       Colorado Red

4.       Bright Yellow (New)

5.       Kinetic Blue (New)

6.       Panther Black

7.       Moondust Silver

8.       Chill Metallic

9.       Diamond White

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Ford Ecosport, the next big launch in Indian Automotive Market

Indian car market is slowly shifting towards mini SUVs and no wonder; every player wants to have a mini SUV in their portfolio. Renault and Mahindra by launching Duster and Quanto has started the mini SUV revolution in India. The next big launch in Indian automotive market will be the Ford Ecosport mini SUV which will be launched early next year.

Ford has started testing the Ecosport in India and spy pictures of test mules were taken near Chennai where Ford has a manufacturing plant. We came across some clear spy pictures of Ecosport through our friend MotorBash, and what is interesting is Ecosport will have an automatic variant as well. The Ecosport automatic variant will be the first vehicle in its class to have an automatic transmission which helps to easily manuover the vehicle in tight traffic. The interiors look very similar to the All new Fiesta, so Ford will share the parts and keep the Ecosport competitive.

The Ecosport will come in both Petrol and Diesel engines. Ford’s revolutionary 1.0L Ecoboost petrol engine will maket its India debut with Ecosport. Though being just 1.0L, the Ecoboost petrol engine produces 125 Bhp of power and 200 Nm of torque, thats why Ford calls it ‘Revolutionary Engine Technology’. The diesel engine will be carried from All new Fiesta which is a 1.5L common rail engine with 90 Ps of power.

 Regarding pricing of Ecoboost, Ford has already announced it will price Ecoboost less than the Duster. Being less than 4 meters in length, the Ecoboost enjoys 12% tax as compared to 24% for other vehicles. Sharing of parts will futher help Ford to keep the price competitive and having seen the success of Figo (which has been priced very competitively) Ford will price Ecosport at around Rs. 7 lakh for base petrol variant and Rs. 7 to 8 lakh for base diesel one.

We here at Automobile Planet are eagerly waiting to see the Ecosport on the roads soon and we guess many would be having same thoughts as we do...

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Ford offers discounts and easy instalments this festive season

     Ford India has introduced Festive fundays, on the occasion of Ganesha Chaturthi which includes discounts and easy instalment options for its customers. Ford India crossed 10K sales mark in August this year.

The offers are –

Easy instalment of Rs. 99/- per day

Discount of Rs. 25,000 on petrol and Rs. 28,000 on diesel Figo

Hurricane pack worth Rs. 52,000 free with Endeavour

Please note:

Offers not applicable on Figo LXi. Value of insurance varies based on variant. Total offer on Ford Figo includes Insurance, Loyalty and Accessories. Offers cannot be clubbed.

Endeavour accessories include front bumper grill, 5th door mirror, side graphics, tail pipe chrome finish. Cannot be exchanged for cash or any other benefits. Per day installment is indicative.

Payment is on monthly basis. Credit will be at the sole discretion of the participating financiers/banks. Gifts shown are indicative only. All offers

by dealers only. The gift won by you cannot be exchanged for cash or any other benefit. The scheme is applicable only in Maharashtra, Goa, Belgaum and Gulbarga. Accessories are not part of standard equipment.

For more details click here: http://fordfestivalfundays.com/

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All New Ford Fiesta gets dual clutch automatic gearbox

     Ford India has launched another variant of its latest sedan All New Ford Fiesta with a 6 speed dual clutch Powershift automatic gearbox. However the automatic gearbox option is available only in top of the line petrol variant. The All New Ford Fiesta is the first sedan in C segment to get a dual clutch automatic gearbox which is otherwise seen in D segment cars like Skoda Laura and Volkswagen Jetta.


     The Powershift automatic gearbox has received lot of applause world over because of its performance and fuel efficiency. Earlier, the automatic gearbox was perceived as more fuel consuming but with the new technology, the Powershift automatic deliver fuel efficiency which is higher than the manual ones.

All New Ford Fiesta Specifications

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Ford introduces Endeavour 4x4 Hurricane Limited Edition in India

     Ford has introduced a Limited Edition Endeavour in India which it names it as Hurricane 4x4. Ford Endeavour 4x4 Hurricane is priced at Rs. 20,13,244/- (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The Limited Edition Endeavour 4x4 Hurricane features a new muscular front nudge bar, specially designed chrome exhaust, Hurricane body decals and 5^th door convex mirror.

     In the inside, the Limited Edition Endeavour 4x4 has a touch screen based entertainment system with a built 9n DVD player which supports all popular file formats. The unit also has a USB Input and Aux in port that allows the users to connect to MP3 players such as Apple iPod. However the Limited Edition Endeavour will be powered by the same 3.0 Liter Duratorq TDCi common rail diesel engine with 156 Ps of power and 380 Nm of torque at 2500 rpm.

Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India -

“The introduction of the Endeavour 4×4 Hurricane Limited Edition offers value for money coupled with distinct class and safety features for our customers during this festive season. This special variant offers aggressiveness, adventure and agility with features that improves safety, adds style and class’’.

Ford Endeavour Specifications

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All new Ford Fiesta petrol available with a discount of Rs. 50,000

     To woo the customers car makers in India are giving huge discounts during this festive season. The latest to offer discount is Ford, which is giving a discount of Rs. 50,000 on its all new Fiesta petrol model. The discount is provided in the form of exchange bonus, free insurance and accessories worth over Rs 50,000 on All New Fiesta Petrol This discount is only available till 31^st of October 2011.

     The sales of all new Ford Fiesta never took off to good numbers, thanks to its high price and raising petrol prices. Ford is trying to push the sales of the all new Fiesta sedan with an ad campaign which features real life people giving their good feedback about the car. 

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Ford India’s ground breaking ceremony at Sanand, Gujarat

     American automobile giant Ford did a ground breaking ceremony at Sanand, Gujarat for its new state of the art integrated vehicle and engine manufacturing facilities. Ford plans to invest over USD 1 billion in this new plant which creates 5000 new jobs. The plant will have capacity to produce 2,40,000 vehicles and 2,70,000 engines per year with the first product coming out in 2014.


     Ford with the establishment of a second plant in India is very serious about the Indian market. President and Managing Director of Ford India said “With this groundbreaking, Ford is planting the seeds for a prosperous future in Sanand for our future employees, suppliers, dealers and customers. As good corporate citizens we will be first-rate stewards of this land and active participants in this community.”

     Till now Ford has invested over USD 2 billion in India. The company had announced it will launch 8 new models in India in this decade, the first one – All new Ford Fiesta being already launched. Ford plans to increase its sales and dealer network to 200 by the end of this year. In 2011, Ford has continued to grow aggressively in India by opening one service or sales outlet every week.

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Ford to unveil Focus sedan at Auto Expo 2012

     Auto Expo 2012 will be a much bigger event compared to the earlier Auto Shows in India. Many car companies are lining up their new launches at the Auto Expo 2012 which will be held in January 2012 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

     The Ford Focus sedan is one of the vehicles which will be unveiled for the first time in India. Ford has already started testing the Focus sedan on Indian soil. The spy pictures of the Focus sedan testing in India has come up in the net. The Focus sedan will be positioned above the All new Fiesta and will be priced around Rs. 15 to 17 lakh. It will take on the new VW Jetta, new Sonata, Toyota Corolla Altis, Honda Civic, Renault Fluence and Chevrolet Cruze in the segment.

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Ford launches all New Global Fiesta sedan in India

     Ford India has launched its all new global Fiesta sedan in India priced at Rs. 8.23 to Rs. 9.27 lakh, ex-showroom, New Delhi. The global Fiesta will be available in both petrol and diesel options.

     Both the petrol and diesel engine have 1.5L capacity with 108 Bhp and 90 Bhp power respectively. The petrol engine is basically the scaled down version of 1.6L which powers the Fiesta Classic. It now comes with Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) which boosts the engine power. The diesel motor is again the enlarged version of 1.4L Duratech engine and now comes with an intercooler. The diesel engine produces 90 Bhp of power and 20.8 Kgm of torque. Both the engines are coupled to a 5 speed manual transmission.


     Ford claims the all new Fiesta will give class leading fuel efficieny of 17 Kmpl for petrol and 23.5 Kmpl for diesel under ARAI test conditions. 

All New Ford Fiesta Specifications

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New 3 cylinder 1.0L EcoBoost engine to power Ford global small cars

     Ford has announced that its 3 cylinder 1.0L EcoBoost engine will power its small cars sold globally. This means in India, Figo and soon to be launched Fiesta hatch will get this highly efficient engine. But when? Ford has not disclosed the time frame for it.


     Ford’s 3 cylinder 1.0L EcoBoost is a revolutionary engine from the company. It is also the first from Ford below 4 cylinders. The engine was first seen on ‘Ford Start’ concept at Beijing in 2010. Recently it did its European debut in the Ford B-MAX at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. More details about the engine will be released in September this year at Frankfurt Motor Show.

     The revolutionary EcoBoost engine features a turbocharger, direct injection and twin independent variable camshaft timing. Not only the engine is highly fuel efficient, it also performs on par with 4 cylinder 1.6L engines.


     The offset crankshaft of the EcoBoost engine helps improve fuel efficiency. A split cooling system that allows the cylinder block to warm up before the cylinder head saves fuel, especially in cold weather conditions. An exhaust manifold cast in to the cylinder head lowers the temperature of the exhaust gases making the engine to run in a wider rpm band with optimum fuel-to-air ratios. The new design of the engine also saves weight and allows the engine to operate smoothly.


     Let’s hope Ford brings in its latest technology to its cars in India soon.

Ford Start Concept

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All new Ford Fiesta returns 23.5 Kmpl

     The all new Ford Fiesta which will be officially launched next month would return 23.5 Km per liter of diesel, as claimed by the company. Ford is organizing a technology deep drive program on the new Fiesta including a long drive for the media through this week. The program consisting of first batch of journos was kicked off today evening.


     The first batches of journos were briefed up about the details of the car including the technical specifications. As expected earlier, the new Fiesta will not get the 1.6 liter petrol and diesel engines. Instead there will be a 1.5 liter petrol and diesel engine on the offer.


     The 1.5 liter TDCi will produce 90 Bhp of power and 204 Nm of torque and would return 23.5 Km per a liter of diesel. The petrol sibling which is a 1.5 liter Duratec Ti-VCT engine produces 108 Bhp of power and 140 Nm of torque with fuel efficiency of 17 Kmpl. The fuel economies mentioned are as per ARAI.

Soruce: IAB

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Ford India Total Maintenance Plan

     The impressive Ford India’s Total Maintenance Plan will surely give you the peace of mind. You will get fixed repair prices for 3 years for your Ford car. Ford cars can be serviced according to the plan all over India at Ford dealerships. Repairs are carried out with Ford genuine spare parts. The resale value of your car improves as it is maintained by Ford dealership.












What is covered in Ford Total Maintenance Plan


Periodic Maintenance Sevices as per owner’s manual
Repairs arising out of electrical or mechanical failures
Wear and Tear Parts
Labour for all of the above jobs


What is not covered in Ford Total Maintenance Plan


Accident Repairs
Tyres and Tyre tubes


     Total Maintenance Plan is available for Ikon, Fiesta and Endeavour for 2 to 3 years / 30,000 to 60,000 Km.


     Many more options are available for fleet operators. For more details, visit your nearest Ford dealer.

Source: Ford India

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Ford India enters multi brand used car market

     Ford India, in the name of ‘Ford Assured’ has entered into multi brand used car business in Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Pune and Kochi.


Ford Assured offers the following incentives for customers:


A stringent and world-class 169-point quality check.


Cars are reconditioned by Ford trained and highly experienced technicians.


Limited warranty of 1-year or upto 20,000 km on all car brands sold.


Innovative and convenient buying options on purchasing from and selling to Ford Assured.


Additionally, Ford Assured offers complete peace of mind to customers with initial two services without labour charges on every vehicle purchased.


The Ford Assured program is expected to ensure customer safety and satisfaction at all levels with an experience similar to buying a new car. The cars sold under the program will confirm to the highest quality standards. Additionally, customers will have the option to avail of Ford India’s premium 24-hour Roadside Assistance Service (RSA) for all Ford cars sold under the program by purchasing RSA packs.

Source: Goaonwheels

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Ford Figo crosses 1,00,000 production mark

     Ford has announced that it has crossed the 1,00,000 production mark of its popular hatchback Figo. The 1,00,000th Figo rolled out was a Colorado Red one. Figo was launched with great expectations from the company after the slump in the Ford car sales in India 2 years back.

     The Figo is basically the last generation European Fiesta hatchback. Ford gave a mild facelift to the European Fiesta and changed the name to Figo here in India. The changes include all new bumber, new headlamps as well as tail lamps – all these reflecting the Kinetic design philosophy of Ford.

     With the launch of Figo, Ford also reworked on the spare parts prices and almost halved their price to give its customers good ownership experience. Along with this the major factor working out for the Figo was the price which was very competitive in the market.


     Ford is planning to launch 8 more models in India by 2015. It has recently launched the new 2011 Fiesta in India but still the price details have not been revealed. If Ford can learn from Figo’s success, days are not far for Ford to compete with the market leader Maruti Suzuki.

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All New Ford Fiesta Pictures - Interior

     Ford recently revealed the all new Fiesta in India. Have a look at the new Ford Fiesta interior pictures.

All New Ford Fiesta Exterior Pictures

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All New Ford Fiesta Pictures - Exterior

     Ford recently revealed the all new Fiesta in India. Have a look at the new Ford Fiesta exterior pictures.

All New Ford Fiesta Interior Pictures

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2011 All new Ford Fiesta sedan unveiled in India

     Ford India has launched its all new Fiesta sedan in India. The company has not yet announced the price details of the car but it is expected to be priced much below its competitor Honda City.


     Ford had announced earlier that it would launch eight new products in India by 2015 and the all new Fiesta sedan is one of them. Following the sedan will be the hatchback version of Fiesta which has been found testing in Indian soil.
The all new Fiesta is built on the platform shared with the Mazda 2. Ford has tuned this platform to its own standards which give it a very comfortable ride and agile handling.

     Powering the new Fiesta is a 1.6 litre petrol engine with 120 Bhp of power and a 1.6 liter diesel mill with 64 Bhp of power and 20.7 Kg of torque. The diesel engine with good torque gives a very petrol like feel.


     Lots of technology features keeps the new Fiesta apart from its competitors specially the Honda City. The new Fiesta comes with lot of features such as voice control tech with Bluetooth to pair with mobile phones, pull drive compensation, a suspension that helps reduce understeer in a front wheel drive car and rear parking sensors.

Source: ACI

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Ford Fiesta Classic launched, priced from Rs. 5.49 lakh

     Ford India has launched its successful sedan Fiesta in a strip down version named ‘Fiesta Classic’. The Fiesta Classic is priced between Rs. 5.49 – 5.99 lakh for petrol variants and Rs. 6.48 – 6.89 lakh for diesel variants (Prices ex-showroom, New Delhi).


     From the first look you will be surprised to see not changes in the exterior. But when you pop into the car the Fiesta Classic difference can be appreciated. Lot of changes in the interior has been done from instrument cluster to center console to door trims. The instrument panel gets dual tone jasper blue treatment, the center console is graphite finished and the door trims too get dual toned.

     The New ebony and Hub-styled seat fabric highlights the interior of the car. Six side adjustable seats ensure you to sit comfortably and so do the power mirrors which works with a mere click.

     Technology wise the Fiesta Classic has moved one step further. The car is fitted with superior technology such as GEM (General Electronic Module) and PCM (Power Control Module) which enhances the performance in terms of low fuel consumption, low emission and critical eninge diagnostics. The DTE (Distance to Empty Meter) adds to the advanced technology of the car which helps to estimate the distance the vehicle can travel before it runs out of fuel.


     As we said earlier about the exterior, there are no changes except for the ‘Classic’ badge at the rear. The Fiesta Classic will be available with a new Colorado Red colour along with the existing colour shades.


     Under the hood the engine remains the same, a 1.6L Duratech petrol with 101 Ps of power and 1.4L Duratorq diesel with 68 Bhp of power. Three trim levels - LXI, CLXI and SXI are available in both petrol and diesel variants.

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Impressive sales figures by Ford India in 2011

     Ford India has registered a growth of 97% growth in car sales as of this year. Ford sold 29,804 units between January and March this year as compared to 15,154 units during the same period last year.


      Figo, the small car from Ford is the driving force behind the growth. Ford had sold over 85,000 Figos last year. In March 2011 alone the company could register sales of 10,485 units which has been the highest figure so far in the Ford India’s history.

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