Ford rules out reintroduction of smaller combustion-engine models in India
What's the story
Ford has clarified its strategy for the Indian market, quashing rumors about the reintroduction of smaller combustion-engine models. The company's focus will remain on larger vehicles, with the potential relaunch of the Endeavour SUV under a new name, Everest. Additionally, Ford is assessing the viability of introducing the Ranger pickup to this market. Concurrently, efforts are being made toward developing cost-effective electric vehicles (EVs) through a new platform devised by a specialized Ford team.
Model exclusion
No comeback for Ecosport, Figo, Aspire in India
An insider at Ford has confirmed that the company will not be reviving any smaller petrol or diesel models in India. "That chapter [made-in-India mass market internal combustion engine models] is closed. Our internal combustion engine play in India will only be limited to T6 products," the source revealed to Autocar India. This means popular models like the Figo hatchback, EcoSport compact SUV, Freestyle cross-hatchback, and the Aspire compact sedan won't return to Indian outlets.
Past performance
Ford's previous Indian market experience and future plans
Ford's previous venture into the Indian mass market segments didn't yield the expected results, due to slow sales and thin profit margins, leading to their withdrawal in 2021. The company also transferred its Sanand facility, where Figo and its variants were manufactured, to Tata Motors. Also, maintaining the Maraimalai Nagar facility in Tamil Nadu, which produced EcoSport and Endeavour, was financially unfeasible in 2021 and remains so today, as revamping the plant wouldn't be economically sound.
Production hurdles
Uncertainty surrounds Ford's production plans in India
The latest iterations of both Everest and Ranger have been spotted in India multiple times, and are being considered for local assembly at Ford's Chennai plant. However, the commencement of Everest production in India is uncertain, as it depends on Ford's still-under-development EV strategy. "We cannot build the Everest in isolation as it has to fit into one integral production plan with other products too," a company source stated, indicating potential delays until late 2025 or even 2026.