Ford's compact SUV will challenge not only the entry-level utility vehicles but also the premium hatches and compact sedans.
Low price, great technology are just a few of the reasons the EcoSport stands ahead of other vehicles.
Compact SUVs have caught fancy of Indian buyers as they have all features of a full-fledged SUV - higher ground clearance, spacious, and high seats.
Ford EcoSport is undoubtedly, the most successful launch, the Indian automobile industry has witnessed in 2013.
Both Ford Ecosport and Renault Duster were unveiled at the 2012 Auto Expo held in New Delhi in January.
The car is a tech savvy like many of its prospective owners.
These days the talk of the globe is Ford EcoSport.
With the launch of Nissan's Terrano, the fight for supremacy in the compact SUV segment hots up.
Elections and festival time in north India helped the Indian auto firm to pip its foreign competitors.
French carmaker Renault is developing an even smaller sport utility vehicle Captur after the successful launch of the Duster in 2012.
Maruti has chosen to call the S-Cross as a premium crossover, which is evident once you look at the hatchback-like profile of the vehicle.
The price is expected to be around Rs 10 lakh, at par with competition.
Ford India, the subsidiary of United States-based automaker Ford on Thursday said it has arrived at a settlement with the employees union on the severance package following the company's decision to shut its Tamil Nadu plant as part of a restructuring exercise. Accordingly, the company would revise the final severance settlement to an average equivalent of 140 days of gross wages per completed year of service from the ongoing offer of 130 days. "An additional one-time lump sum of Rs 1.50 lakh will also be included in the final settlement." Ford India said in a statement.
US auto major Ford Motor Co will shut its two manufacturing plants in India and will sell only imported vehicles in the country as part of a restructuring exercise, according to people aware of the development. The company, which invested about USD 2.5 billion at its Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Sanand (Gujarat) plants, will stop selling vehicles such as the EcoSport, Figo and Aspire which are produced from these plants. Going ahead, it would only sell imported vehicles like Mustang in the country.
With Tata Motors subsidiary taking over Ford's passenger vehicle (PV) manufacturing unit at Sanand in Gujarat, uncertainty over the future of Ford's Maraimalai Nagar unit in Tamil Nadu continues, with workers protesting on Thursday demanding a better severance package. There are over 2,000 employees working at the unit. On Thursday, there was a meeting between agitating employees and the state labour department. The workers started protests at the Chennai unit after Tata Passenger Electric Mobility signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding with Ford India and the Government of Gujarat for acquisition of Ford's PV manufacturing plant at Sanand.
Ehab Kaoud takes you behind the scenes.
The compact SUV has better features to Polo hatch.
At a price starting from Rs 849,000 and going up to Rs 12.14 lakh, the XUV300 competes with the Maruti Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, and Honda WR-V.
A lot rides on this new vehicle for Renault, the seventh largest player in domestic passenger vehicle market, as its brand new SUV takes on Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Hyundai Creta and Ford EcoSport.
India has exported passenger vehicles worth $268 million to the US in three months ended June
To celebrate its 50 years of making SUVs, Ford invited MotorBeam all the way to the Philippines to drive their various offerings at different kinds of terrains to show off their true capabilities.
With diesel cars set to become costlier from next year with the implementation of stricter BS-VI emission norms, major automakers in India are contemplating about the future of such vehicles in their portfolios.
Ford dealers in India are staring at huge losses with the automaker deciding to shut production in the country with immediate effect, automobile dealers' body FADA said on Thursday. Terming the company decision as shocking, the industry body noted that the dealers have invested over Rs 2,000 crore in creating sales infrastructure while employing around 40,000 people across the country. "The auto retail fraternity is really shocked to hear another Ford India's announcement where it has said that it will shut down production with immediate effect," FADA president Vinkesh Gulati said in a statement.
Automobile dealers' body FADA has urged the government to formulate a task force to monitor the compensation structure being worked out by Ford India for its dealer partners across the country. In a letter to Heavy Industries Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, FADA president Vinkesh Gulati also requested the government to instruct Ford India to keep the industry body in the loop regarding the compensation structure for the dealerships. "We humbly request your Ministry's intervention... Create a task force which takes day-to-day updates from Ford India to monitor the compensation plan for automobile dealers and dealership employees," Gulati said in the letter.
Earlier in May, Ford India announced that it had dropped its plans to make electric vehicles (EVs) in India, which it intended to export, under the production-linked incentive scheme (PLI). Ford was among 20 companies that had signed a Champion OEM Incentive Scheme under the PLI project with the government in February this year. The decision comes as a blow for the 4,000-odd employees at Ford India's Maraimalai Nagar plant near Chennai and in Sanand, Gujarat. In September last year, the company had announced that it would exit the India market, which it had entered in 1995 through an on-again, off-again joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra (they split in 1998, signed a JV in 2019 and split again in December 2020), retailing petrol and diesel brands such as the EcoSport, Figo, Aspire, and Endeavour.
Early this year, Ford displayed SUV-Ecosport at the Auto Expo held in New Delhi.
The auto major is eyeing 20 per cent of the compact SUV market with the petrol and diesel variants of the XUV300, reports Shally Seth Mohile.
This major shift in the consumer choice has forced carmakers to field their version of expedient under 4-metre machines in the market.
This major shift in the consumer choice has forced carmakers to field their version of expedient under 4-metre machines in the market.
With India leading the small SUV market and attracting majority of investments from Ford Motor Company, the country is set to become a hub for the US automobile major, a top official said.
The company which had embarked on a strategy -- One Ford -- taking a single global approach on its overall business, is looking to replicate from what it has done with other markets like Brazil and China.
Volkswagen's new SUV is set to lock horns with half a dozen rivals, says Pavan Lall.
The Brezza is Maruti's answer to the Ford EcoSport and Mahindra TUV300 and was developed in India at a cost of Rs 860 crore.
Car maker Ford India said it is looking at introducing a small car model in the country as part of its strategy to roll out eight new products by 2015.
This will compete with Ford Ecosport petrol
Sanand plant exported 78,930 cars. The one at Chennai exported 79,539 units of EcoSport model
Can Ford take on the market leader with its aggressive pricing? Find out...
The reductions will be applicable across Ford Figo, Ford Classic, Ford EcoSport, Ford Fiesta and the Ford Endeavour.
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