Ford Figo to be more expensive

Ford launched the Figo this year hoping it to be game-changer for them. And what a game-changer it has proved to be. Ford has recieved more than 20,000 bookings for the car since the last two and a half months.

The pricing was one of the major factors behind the car's success apart from the brilliant engines and overall package of the car. The car's introductory price was kept as low as 3.5 lakhs for the 1.2L petrol engined version and 4.48 lakhs for its 1.4L diesel engined sibling. But due to increasing costs of components and materials, Ford will have to re-consider the pricing, which means a hike in price soon.

"We can't defy gravity for ever. The general industry cost is rising, steel prices are up, components are costlier and there has also been an increase in transport cost." Ford India Executive Director (Marketing, Sales and Services) Nigel Wark told PTI. The revised price will be effective from June 1st. When asked about the hike, he said ,"We are still fine tuning the price. It will, however, not be a major hike and well below two per cent.”

And came another news along. Ford will be upgrading their plant and boost the production of Figo in order to meet the market demand and thus reduce the 4-week waiting period of the car. At present Ford manages to produce around 6,000 cars a month but with an introduction of 700 new employees and a second shift at their plant in Chennai, expect the numbers to increase soon.

Fiesta reaches 1 Lakh Milestone

Ford has been doing quite good since the recent times in the Indian market. The Ford Figo which has been launched lately has been selling in good numbers. We also reported to you that, looking at the good sales of the Figo, Ford might just roll out another small car in India. It has been 4 years since India has got the Ford Fiesta. In these four years, the Fiesta has finally reached the level of 1,00,000th unit to be produced. The Fiesta is manufactured from Ford India’s Chennai manufacturing plant.

The 1,00,000th Fiesta was driven out by Ford India's president and managing director Michael Boneham in the presence of executive director, Marketing, Sales and Service, Nigel Wark; Sandip Sanyal, executive director of Operations. Hundreds of Ford India employees were also present at the final assembly to relish the moment of pride.

Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India said, ''After a terrific sales record in March and April, the rolling out of the 100,000th Ford Fiesta is a truly special moment for Ford India. The event marks a new milestone for us.'' ''Ford Fiesta continues to make us feel proud and is a significant product in our portfolio. The popularity of the Fiesta testifies that more and more customers have been reassured by its quality, features and performance. The sale of the 100,000th Fiesta is testimony to our strong customer appreciation for the Fiesta,'' he added.

The Ford Fiesta is well known for its mind boggling fuel efficiency. The car is powered by a 1.6-litre TDCi common rail engine.

New Ford Fiesta in 2010-11

 The all new Ford Fiesta was recently displayed at the Bangkok International Auto Show. Amongst this was a four-door version of the car too. There are speculations that these cars will make their way to the Indian market later by 2010-11. The sedan is also expected to run on the Chinese streets by the same time. The car will compete with the Honda City, Maruti Suzuki SX4 and many more of its platform and will very well be available in the Petrol/Diesel variants. After the success of the Figo, Ford reported the development of another small car and also revealed its intentions to revamp its fleet of cars in India. 

The firm is also working on a small car based on the Fiesta hatchback. The new Fiesta will sport a 1.6-liter vvt (variable valve timing) engine. The car will be technology pack and will also include the Ford Sync which is a factory specific in-car communication/entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft. The new Fiesta will feature a more aero-dynamic shape and design. The Ford Fiesta already boasts of its best in class fuel efficiency and it is time we get ready for more with the all new Fiesta. The new Fiesta will feature not only better efficiency but also high refinement and safety.

Ford sells its Volvo brand to Geely of China

Ford has finally decided to get rid of its Volvo brand. The American company got into an agreement to sell Volvo and related assets to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group of China for Rs 815 crore. The sale is officially expected to be closed by the third quarter of 2010. Much of this time will be consumed in getting permissions from governments in countries where the Swedish brand has presence.

Ford is completely selling off the Volvo brand, and will not keep any of the shares with it. Ford, that bought Volvo in 1999 hasn’t been able to make much of the deal, as the Swedish brand has not made any money since 2005.

As a part of the deal, Ford will keep supplying Volvo critical components. Ford will also reportedly provide support in terms of engineering, IT and other areas before the Chinese company could manage these things all by itself. The deal also includes the use of some of Ford’s intellectual property rights by Volvo and Geely.

Commending on the development, Alan Mulally, Ford’s president and CEO said “Volvo is a great brand with an excellent product line-up. This agreement provides a solid foundation for Volvo to continue to build its business under Geely’s ownership. At the same time, the sale of Volvo will allow us to further sharpen our focus on building the Ford brand around the world.”

 

Geely Chairman Li Shufu, on the occasion, said, Shufu said: "We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Ford, enabling us to safeguard and strengthen Volvo's renowned brand heritage. This transaction will ensure Volvo's continued leadership in the premium segment, where it enjoys a global reputation for safety and environmental-friendly technologies. As part of the proposed transaction, Zhejiang Geely Holdings will maintain the strong collaborative relationships that Volvo has built with employees, unions, suppliers, dealers and above all, customers. On completion, Volvo Cars will be a separate company with its own management team based in Gothenburg, Sweden, and a new board of directors."

Geely has raised the loan for this deal from banks in China, USA and Europe, and loans guaranteed by the governments of Sweden and Belgium. First impressions suggest that production of Volvos will continue in Sweden and Belgium to stay closer to the supplier chain and the main market.

Compare the Top Movers & Shakers - Polo, Punto, Swift and Figo - Which one is for you?

With the B-segment flooding with offerings from various manufacturers, a war of hatchbacks to capture the market is just about to begin…


Click here to read the full analysis.

Never before in the Indian car industry have we seen such carnage in a segment. The B-segment is suddenly loaded with quality contenders which not only boast great engineering and features, but incredible pricing as well.

Ford Figo to be exported to South Africa

The reworked previous generation European Fiesta, in the form of the new Ford Figo which was launched in the country just yesterday, will also be exported to South Africa as announced by Mr. Michael Bonehan, Managing Director, Ford India at the launch.



Ford Motors has infused an investment of US $ 500 million to double the annual production capacity to 200,000 units at its Chennai manufacturing facility making it a regional centre of for small car engineering and production. This facility will also produce diesel and petrol engines for local market and also will export to the Asia Pacific and Africa region.
 
Source: MOTOROIDS

Ford Figo launched, prices unveiled!

A couple of months back we got our hands on the Ford Figo and returned impressed with Ford India’s new creation. You can read our first impressions here. Today however, we have a new reason to be impressed – not because the small car has finally been launched today, but because we simply love the competitive price tag that the Figo boasts of. Here’s the reason for our smile:

 

The 1.2-litre petrol engine produces 71.35 PS @ 6250 rpm and 102 Nm @ 4000 rpm which isn’t exactly class leading. Ford further claims that the petrol mill will return 15.6 kmpl with its ideal gear ratios developed for Indian traffic conditions. The 1.4-litre Duratorq diesel engine from the other Fords in the lineup will be available for Figo with outstanding fuel efficiency of 20 kmpl. Power is rated at 69 PS @ 4000 rpm while the torque is equally impressive with 160Nm @ 2000 rpm.

 

Everyone is claiming the Figo to be a game changer for the market segment that its going to cater to (which is largely dominated by the army of Maruti Suzukis). But the Figo’s success won’t rest on pricing alone. Ford India’s legacy may turn down a lot of prospective customers of this segment. What Ford needs is the right kind of ASS (after sales service) backing up their vehicles (Ford claims that they are jacking up the number of service stations and dealerships to support the Figo). If the cards are played right, the Figo has the potential to be a game changer for Ford India’s future operations atleast, if not the market as a whole.

1.2-litre Duratec (Petrol)

LXI – Rs. 3,49,900
EXI – Rs. 3,81,900
ZXI – Rs. 3,99,900
Titanium – Rs. 4,42,900


1.4-litre Duratorq (Diesel)
LXI – Rs. 4,47,900
EXI – Rs. 4,72,900
ZXI – Rs. 4,96,900
Titanium – Rs. 5,29,900


Source: Motoroids

Ford Figo Launch on 9th March in New Delhi!

The small car from Ford which was showcased at the Auto Expo held in New Delhi this year, is all set to be launched officially in the country on the 9th of March, 2010. Michael Boneham, president and MD of Ford India, and Joe Hinrichs, group VP, Ford Motor Company would be gracing the occasion at Hotel Taj Palace in New Delhi.

 

The five door hatchback will don a 1.2 litre Rocam engine(Duratec) or 1.4 litre diesel engine (Duratorq) and will come in four variants common to both the petrol and diesel options - Base (LXI), Mid (EXI), Upper-Mid (SXI) and a high end variant called the Platinum. Figo will be available in seven colours - Diamond white, Panther Black, Moondust Silver, Chille, Sea Grey, Squeeze and Colorad Red.

Prices

1.2L Duratec LXi         – Rs. 3.6 lakhs

1.2L Duratec EXi         – Rs. 3.85 lakhs

1.2L Duratec SXi         – Rs. 4.20 lakhs

1.2L Duratec Titanium – Rs. 4.50 lakhs

1.4L TDCi LXi             – Rs. 4.5 lakhs

1.4L TDCi EXi             – Rs. 4.75 lakhs

1.4L TDCi SXi             – Rs. 5.15 lakhs

1.4L TDCi Titanium     – Rs. 5.45 lakhs

Ford kicks off Figo's engine production

Ford India's Chennai plant has started manufacturing petrol engines for its Figo hatchback which is around a few weeks away from an official launch. The press release issued by the manufacturer states that its plant will currently be used for producing and assembling the 1.2 liter and 1.4 liter engines which will power the Figo. Buyer demand will eventually decide which engine variant gets produced more once the car is launched. The plant has begun manufacturing the 1.2 liter petrol engines starting with the raw castings of the blocks, cylinder heads and crankshafts arriving from Indian and international suppliers for final machining. Around 70% parts of the diesel engine and 60% parts of the petrol engine are produced locally.

The press release quotes Micheal Boneham, President and Managing Director, Ford India, that this engine was created with a 'best of the best' approach. He also stated that Ford has benchmarked against other competitive facilities globally, as well as the current volume manufacturers in India for quality and production efficiency. The plant will also be utilized in manufacturing engines for the export variants of the Figo from 2011 onwards.
The plant is spread across more than 40,000 square metres and has an annual production capacity of 250,000 engines. As of now, a single production line is fully functional with a production capacity of over 60,000 engines. A new flexible line is currently being set up so that all engine variants including the 1.2 and 1.6 petrol and the 1.4 diesel engines can be built continuosly in a mixed flow. Ford has invested more than $500 million in its Chennai plant.

Ford India is vying for larger market share

Ford Motor India intends to become a mainstream player in the hatchback segment. The manufacturer has announced that it will be launching a new car model every year for the next five years. It is also aiming to triple its car sales by the end of 2010. As we have revealed earlier first up will be its new Figo hatchback.

According to Micheal Boneham, President and Managing Director, Ford Motor India, if one wants to be in the game in India, then one has to be in that segment otherwise one will be an interesting niche player not a mainstream player.

The B segment car sales constitute around 70% of the total car sales in the country. Ford Moor India currently holds only 2% of the car market in terms of sales figures. The American auto major currently sells iis sedans Ikon, Fiesta, Fusion along with its SUV Endeavour in India.

Special Edition Ford Fiesta

Ford India has launched a 'special edition' Fiesta. The mid-size sedan car has been priced at Rs.6.44 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi). Ford’s special edition Fiesta will be available only in its 1.6 litre petrol engine variant.

According to Nigel Wark, Executive Director of Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford India, the Fiesta continues to be one of the company’s best selling products and registered impressive sales during the festive season. He said that Ford is building on the success and offering customers with a special edition of the 1.6 ZXI Duratec Variant.


The special edition Ford Fiesta features electronic brake distribution, leather interiors, and metallic finish on trims. Some of the standard features include ABS, keyless entry, driver seat height adjust, rear defogger and electronically adjustable mirrors.

Ford makes $1 billion profit

In a big turnaround from making losses over the past few years, and during a time when the worlds auto majors are declaring bankruptcy, Ford has declared nearly $1 billion in profits.

The company has been involved in major cost cutting efforts and also sold Land Rover and Jaguar to Tata.

Low priced Ford Figo competitive on cost of ownership as well

Ford says that its latest car Ford Figo will be priced competitive and it also focusses on keeping the cost of ownership low. This would enable the company to provide a truly competitive car well positioned to challenge rival car manufacturers.