- By Divanshi Sharma
- Tue, 07 May 2024 05:48 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Ford India Comeback: American automobile manufacturer Ford’s return to the Indian market has been a hot topic lately. However, there's an interesting factor in Ford India's plans. According to a report by Autocar, Ford won't introduce any ICE models below the Endeavour (Everest), which means smaller petrol or diesel models won't be part of their lineup.
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It is being speculated that the Ford Endeavour SUV might come back with the Everest name, alongside the Ford Ranger pickup. Ford is also eyeing the affordable electric vehicle (EV) market with a new platform. Ford's focus will be on T6 products which are the Everest SUV and the Ranger pickup, both based on Ford's T6 platform. This decision implies that Ford's popular compact SUV, the EcoSport, along with models like the Figo hatchback, Freestyle cross-hatch and Aspire compact sedan, won't be coming back to the country.
Ford struggled in India's mass-market segments, leading to slow sales and reduced profit margins, ultimately resulting in their exit in 2021. The Sanand facility, where models like the Figo were produced, was sold to Tata Motors. Moreover, the market has changed significantly now with compact SUVs like the Mahindra XUV 3XO, Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue offering advanced features like ADAS tech and 360-degree cameras at competitive prices. Therefore, it won’t make sense for Ford to bring back these smaller SUV models to India.
While the latest versions of the Ford Everest SUV and Ford Ranger pickup have been spotted in India and are being considered for local assembly at Ford's Chennai plant, production might not start until late 2025 or 2026 due to Ford's EV strategy still in planning. To bridge this gap, Ford is contemplating importing a small number of units to re-enter the market faster.
