Automotive major Ford India Pvt Ltd on Wednesday said it would launch a new premium car in India by the end of this calendar year and announced the appointment of Aravind Mathew, as the new chief for Indian operations.
Mathew, the new MD and president of Ford India, will assume office from next month replacing David Friedman, who led the company here since September 2001.
Friedman would be taking over another executive position at the parent Ford Motor Company in the Asia-Pacific region.
India would be the first market in the world for the new Ford car, which would have 'exceptional styling and high-level of local-content,' Friedman, who addressed a news conference here, along with the new chief Mathew, said.
The new car was designed and developed for the highly competitive Indian market, but the company would also sell the product in other markets as well, he said.
Mathew said Ford Motor's international product development team designed the new model, which took 30 months to complete.
The new car will be made at Ford India's manufacturing facility at Maraimalai Nagar near Chennai, and the company hopes the new model would bring in more sales volume.
Without giving more details about the car, the officials said it would contain the 'latest trends in Ford's DNA.'
Ford India, which is into its 10th year of operations in India, currently has four basic models including the flagship Ford Ikon. The other models are Ford Mondeo, Ford Endeavour and the Ford Fusion.
