[Trapezio]

It is a sad news. Ford will be missed. I still have fondest memories of the 1.6 Ikon that I drove a long time back. It was just pure adrenalin. Thank you for the memories. Always wanted to own a Focus for obvious reasons.

This was the only brand which at least acknowledged that we Indians too can be passionate about cars.

[Candy$Cars]

Well, my brother is an absolute Ford-head. He has a Figo Petrol 1.2 and has taken it all over Himachal Pradesh in last 4 years! He had got it in 2017, titanium model for 6.7 lacs on road Shimla.. Absolute bang for buck!

When I broke out the info about Ford stopping manufacturing, his reaction was - 'to saste me Ecosport le lun?' meaning 'should I get the Ecosport at cheap price?'. I was like whaaaat?

He is in love with Ford vehicles. Good and cheap service, good build quality and competitive price, they were the best choices in their segments.

So, seriously asking, is it wise to get an Ecosport now and if yes, how much discount should we aim at?

[GeeTee TSI]

I understand this is a Corporate decision, but given the level of manufacturing operations and direct as well as indirect employment, would (or did) the government have pulled out all the stops in retaining the operations to some extent? Sops, freebies, the whole hog I would have hoped

A company manufacturing cars primarily for exports is still beneficial after all.

[Lowflyer23]

Originally Posted by kpkeerthi

Ford has dug its own grave. I'm still surprised how they managed to stay on for this long with their ludicrous vision ans strategy. Calling 'bhedchaal customers' and blaming Indians for Ford's failure in this soil is utterly lame. Increasing TATA/Mahindra sales numbers proves otherwise. Who is at loss here? Only Ford.

Customers are getting aware no doubt but I used the term 'bhedchaal customers' due to some specific reasons. Consider this example - Brezza has remained the same (except the now slightly tuned grill and lights) for the past 6 years, still it sells in huge numbers each month. The EcoSport wasn't even getting half the numbers despite 2 updates (one involving bump in engine power, other involving interior and exterior revamping) and the choice of a diesel engine.

[volkman10]

From the Brazilian press:

Remember that restyled EcoSport spotted running through the streets of India that we show a few times here ?
The prediction is that all this facelift work for the compact SUV should be tapped in another country, as it continues to be produced at Ford's factories in Romania, Russia, China and Vietnam.
Well, that's until the oval mark decides to close one of these manufacturing units as well.

Link

[blueshift]

Well well. Finally. This was not unexpected. This is indeed disappointing news and I too wanted Ford to stay grounded and give what the customer wants. But alas it's finally a business for them and they ceded ground to Hyundai, Kia, MG.

When I booked Ecosport in June 2021, I did think of this possibility about the shutdown. But that didn't stop me from going ahead and bring it home to be a part of the family.

I have clocked more than 2500 km now and after 1st service, I am enjoying every km it offers. I am not worried much about its after-sales service nor do I care about the resale value. ASS will be as smooth as now and this car will stay with me for many years. I feel privileged to be the owner of this iconic car.

[srivatsahg]

A Sad an unexpected day for Ford India and for me. After much deliberation, I let go off my aging Punto which had clocked closed to 150000 kms on the ODO, 149787 to be precise to upgrade for an EcoSport last month. It ticked almost all my requirements for an upgrade including the road I use everyday for my commute. I was having an enjoyable drive till now. I have just driven around 1000kms so far and yet to get the first service done. With this news of exit, I'm now worried of the dealership that might close and leave me hanging for the services and spares.

Irrespective of the outcome I have experience in maintaining an almost white elephant thanks to my earlier ride (Fiat Punto MJD) and I plan to keep it as long it takes.

Fingers Crossed !

[thehighwayman]

Sad to see them go. They way things are going , we may well have only Hyundai & Kia as the main foreign manufactures left which would be extremely unfortunate.

[Miel]

Ok, let me come to the "glass half-full" side of this! Maybe, this is the right time to walk into a Ford dealership, and tactfully bargain hard for:

• Two Figos, Aspires for the price of one?
• An Endeavour and a Figo / Aspire for the price of one Endeavour?
• Or, any Ford car you have been wanting to get your hands on, considering dealers are probably gonna offer huge discounts?!

Jokes aside - I really don't mean to hurt anyone's business sentiments, but aren't the prices of both new and used Fords going to take a massive hit in the coming days? To me, this is very reminiscent of how Daewoo shut shop in the early 2000s.

I always considered Ford cars on par with the Germans for driving fun. Have fond memories of highway jaunts in a Ford Icon, 1st gen Ford Fiesta, and the popular Ford Ecosport. Loved them all!

[cool_dube]

While I am sad to see Ford leave us (it's our loss, as enthusiasts, not theirs), I am happy, and feel lucky, that I was able to get hold of a brand new Endeavour before it went out of production. Hope the after-sales experience does not disappoint.

[no_fear]

Ford is under immense pressure by investors to chalk out a future path with electric cars and climate change as it's main drivers. The stock has taken a hammering and is down 30% in 2021. For those following the company financials, this exit was expected and not new. Ford is struggling in the US with the chip shortage and it's only money maker is the F150 truck. Ford will step away from global markets as it tries to figure out what it will be in the next 5-10 years.

[SoupRaw]

Originally Posted by thehighwayman

Sad to see them go. They way things are going , we may well have only Hyundai & Kia as the main foreign manufactures left which would be extremely unfortunate.

I have half a mind to do that. My other options are expensive and don't offer the driving experience. The money saved after a whopping discount is definitely an upside.

I also know 2 good FNGs so, in the long run shouldn't matter

[adventureseeker]

Originally Posted by TusharK

Car dealerships in India are shocked by Ford's announcement

Earlier today, Ford announced that it would no longer manufacture its cars in India. This has come as a shock to the dealer community

[/b]

I have seen a case a couple of days back, in one of the High courts where a Ford Dealer lodged a criminal case against Ford India MD/CEO for abruptly terminating his contract for dealership. The MD/CEO applied for protection from arrest in the said case.

Ford must have predetermined the exit and would have started terminating dealership agreements citing frivolous reasons.

Another problem that might arise is now the remaining dealers might also resort to similar measures as their investment is at stake.

[arvindmanju]

Received this document as forward with more details, not sure if it’s already shared.

[RGK]

Their product positioning was poor, followed by high price tagging (Eg All-New Fiesta, Aspire).

The cost of service was high initially till the launch of 1st gen Figo in 2010. The correction came after all the damages were already done.

Unfortunately, their sales synergy between dealerships was also a big question mark.
The famous Rajshree Ford closure, Kairali Ford's frequent management changes are few known examples.

One of their catastrophic decision was to start another manufacturing facility in Gujarat when their Chennai plant was struggling to reach break-even.

Having said all this, they improved their service levels to a great extent and each dealership handles around 50 cars comfortably. The customer service escalation mechanism was tuned a few years back that any service backlog reaches Anurag/Ominder after 24 hours. Their customer follow-up was great.

It is really unfortunate to see the oldest auto brand leave India. Good Bye Ford.