The United States-based Ford Motor Company is planning to launch a small car for the Indian market as it looks to enter new segments and expand presence, a senior company official said on Tuesday.

"We know that we need to be in more segments than we are today if we want be a major player in the Indian market," Ford India vice-president (marketing, sales and service) Scott McCormack said.

Ford cannot ignore the small car segment in India, which constitutes around 50 per cent of the desi passenger car market, he said.

"We are studying opportunities to expand," McCormack said at a press conference where the company unveiled Ford Fusion Diesel.

However, the launch of the small car would not take place in the current calendar year. McCormack gave no time-frame for its launch.

Ford India sold around 40,000 cars in India in the calendar year 2006. "We will see growth over last year," he said.

The company sells Ikon, Fusion, Fiesta and Endeavour in India. It has a manufacturing facility at Maraimalai Nagar near Chennai spread over 350 acres of land.

• Diesel Ford Fusion at Rs 659,000