[TusharK]

Ford is reportedly gearing up for its next innings in India. The brand is returning to the Indian market with the next-gen Endeavour but is unlikely to bring the EcoSport, Figo and Aspire back.



According to a media report, Ford will not bring smaller petrol or diesel models to the market. The carmaker will focus on the T6 platform, that underpins the Everest and Ranger.

Quoting an unnamed source, the report states, “That chapter [of 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 Ford Everest and Ranger pickup have already been spotted in testing in India. Both models are being evaluated for local assembly, however the decision to start production would depend on the company’s EV plan.

Speaking of EVs, Ford is said to be working on an affordable EV based on a new platform. The low-cost EV platform is expected to spawn products that will rival the Tesla Model 3.

Source: Autocar India

Link to Team-BHP News

[07CR]

Originally Posted by TusharK

The Ford Everest and Ranger pickup have already been spotted in testing in India. Both models are being evaluated for local assembly, however the decision to start production would depend on the company’s EV plan.

Speaking of EVs, Ford is said to be working on an affordable EV based on a new platform. The low-cost EV platform is expected to spawn products that will rival the Tesla Model 3.

Source: Autocar India

Link to Team-BHP News

With global slowdown in EVs isn't betting big on EVs another step back for Ford? I hope they do give this a serious thought, we don't want them leaving again in 4-5 years.

[Amrit@wheels]

No Ecosport? What a damn shame! Because it would have sold like hotcakes in the ongoing era of compact 'SUVs'. All they needed was to add a bigger sunroof and the job was done.

[evilmessiah]

While I am personally sad to hear that there would be no Ecosport, Figo and Aspire, this is probably for the best for the company's bottom line. Hope they stick around for good this time and their products would strike a chord in the Indian market. Competition is always good for us.

[Newtown]

Ford exited India like the US military did in Afghanistan. It was badly planned, clumsy and no thought was given to the ramifications of the move. Even if there was service available, customers felt orphaned as there no brand to support them in India.

If things should go south again for them and they have different people looking at their India strategy, who's to say they won't leave again. Building trust takes time, breaking it can happen overnight.

Eventually it seems like someone at Ford felt that this is one market that cannot be ignored. I like their cars (have owned 4 previous Fords 3 Ikon, 1 Figo) but their operating model and step motherly treatment to the Indian market was uncalled for and shortsighted.

[Torque123]

A comeback is never easy. I for one is happy that they are not venturing into the <4 meters cars. These are volume heavy segments & gaining peoples trust after exiting once is never going to be easy. No matter how good a car they launch in these segments, it will not be a success as per the expectations set. I would like them to stick to the DNA they are known for (performance & handling, build quality, safety etc). Concentrate on cars above 25+ Lakhs (high margin cars from a company standpoint). That’s where they will be able to provide cars with the legendary Ford DNA without compromises.

[Doge]

As an Ecosport owner, even almost 10 years of owning mine, the only car which I can think which can replace it is another Ecosport..
A big shame but I can see why Ford won't replace it, they replaced the Ecosport with the Puma and that would be too expensive here and too cramped to compete with what the indian market wants.

[Raghu2284]

This was written on the board when rumors began circulating about a potential comeback. They are planning to exclusively exist in the premium category. Despite their attempts in hatchbacks and sedans, they haven't seen much traction. With the EcoSport, they created a buzz but ultimately ceded the market to other players.

[Deamon0508]

That would be such a shame, considering the massive pull the brand still has on its existing Figo/Ecosport customers. If there were a Creta rivalling Ford, I'm pretty sure the current Ecosport owners would have a very straight forward upgrade path. Not many ES owners would go to a 3X upgrade in a hurry, and realistically there aren't many people who'd forego a Fortuner for an Everest. I too was looking to a similar upgrade path via Ford's return, and was secretly hoping for it to launch a hybrid in the Creta/Compass space. Looks like I'll be coddling my Ecosport for many more years

While the comment rules out IC engines below the T6 (I'm guessing that includes hybrids as well), I don't think even an EV would be possible without ruthless localization, which is bound to take more time, and I'm ruling out any bespoke EV platform for development costs and limited presence in SE Asia. So, my guess is that new Fords are going to be a rarity for a considerable amount of time.

I have my box of popcorn and would be looking forward to how this pans out. All said and done, more players in the market are always good for the customers.

[pragvanshsaini]

Might be a bad decision as everyone cannot afford the expensive SUVs and neither many cities have enough space to drive SUVs due to the traffic now days. Should launch a car of every segment.

Will be a dream come true if they launch focus in coming years.

[samarthnarayan]

Originally Posted by TusharK

Ford is reportedly gearing up for its next innings in India. The brand is returning to the Indian market with the next-gen Endeavour but is unlikely to bring the EcoSport, Figo and Aspire back.

While the rumored return of Ford has been discussed in great detail over several other threads, so not repeating the earlier points.

However, i for one, fail to see the business model in just trying to sell CBU Endeavour and Ranger, and then eventually CKD units, by starting the Chennai plant by 2026 etc, just for these cars.

Also I doubt of any big interest by the end dealers in the long run with just these low volume cars.

Even Tesla styles EVs, as mentioned, whenever launched, will not give Ford any big volumes IMO. So everything is not adding up for me with this Ford return.

Personally speaking, They need to get a foothold in the 10-20L market for the sub-compact and compact SUV, which I feel will give it decent volumes.

And / OR

They should really consider the Ecosport platform and launch the Ecosport EV to compete with the Nexon EV. That could be a potentially great move by Ford.

However, (I hope) if Ford India is listening, just relaunch the Ecosport. It has a serious fan following which Ford is under valuing and not using to their advantage. Sad.

[Mr.Ogre]

My opinion is that even though the market has globally oved on to SUV's there is still a healthy demand for hot hatches or fast sedans.

A perfect example is Hyundai with its i30N, and the sedan variant, Civic Type R, Corolla and Yaris with almost all of them having a waiting period and enthusiasts can't have enough of them.

Ford had a good presence with its Fiesta and Focus but they quit. I drive a Focus, and even though it is not the RS or S variant, it is quite fast and is engaging and fun. So much that while my wife is enjoying the Focus, I am on the lookout for a well maintained manual version of my Focus or Fiesta. Nothing beats the satisfaction of a well matched clutch, gearbox and engine combination and Ford knows how to do that.

[SaiSW]

What a shame, the Ecosport even after all these years is STILL my pick amongst all the cars EVER launched in the compact crossover space. The driving dynamics, the fit 'n finish and build quality, reliable and efficient diesel engine - overall just a 10/10 car. No other compact crossover comes close to the driving feel of that car.

It makes sense for them to not venture into the budget hatchback/sedan space again since the margins are low but crossovers are all the rage.

Perhaps if not an Ecosport, maybe something else that is in the segment of Creta, Seltos and Elevate would do them wonders.

Also, I think it would be easier for them to build up trust again in a less competitive segment (30 lac and up) than under 10 lacs where it's a bloodbath every month. It's also helped by the overrated fortuner selling for 60 lacs. They really can't mess the Everest's pricing up unless they actively want to mess it up.

Originally Posted by Deamon0508

If there were a Creta rivalling Ford, I'm pretty sure the current Ecosport owners would have a very straight forward upgrade path.

I think that's exactly what they're aiming for. Even in 2024, the Ecosport is one of THE most sorted compact crossover that we ever got, if not the most sorted. So I'm sure they will really only be bringing in incremental changes to the ecosport, if they launch it here. Most ES owners might see through that and keep their ES. What most ES owners I've seen want is an upgrade option from Ford to the 4m+ crossover segment, that will bring a lot of sales.

I don't know why the newest rumours aren't mentioning anything about a Creta rival but a person (who prefers not to be named) I know who has connections inside Ford Management, mentioned that they do have plans to launch an upgrade option for ES owners. Let's wait and see. Endeavour/Everest will never (or atleast not for another 20-30 years) a volume seller, it will be a halo product for the brand and an option for people who see right through Toyota's overpricing and milking scam. 4m+ crossover segment is where the money is currently, I'm sure they will not ignore it.

I currently have an Aspire Diesel, boy oh boy do I enjoy driving it. I take out my car during the weekend across the mountain roads in my city just to enjoy that engine. I've been thinking of getting an ES because of the better driving dynamics, build quality and mod options because it's a global product. But the additional weight would dampen the acceleration, so a remap would likely be needed to bring to close to my Aspire's level.

If Ford launch a Creta rival here with a higher capacity diesel, or even their new 1.5L EcoBlue engine, I'm signing up for one on the spot.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by SaiSW

What a shame, the Ecosport even after all these years is STILL my pick amongst all the cars EVER launched in the compact crossover space. The driving dynamics, the fit 'n finish and build quality, reliable and efficient diesel engine - overall just a 10/10 car. No other compact crossover comes close to the driving feel of that car.

I currently have an Aspire Diesel, boy oh boy do I enjoy driving it. I take out my car during the weekend across the mountain roads in my city just to enjoy that engine. I've been thinking of getting an ES because of the better driving dynamics, build quality and mod options because it's a global product. But the additional weight would dampen the acceleration, so a remap would likely be needed to bring to close to my Aspire's level.

My thoughts exactly. I own a 2020 TDCI Ecosport S, and the car is so good and has such solid fundamentals that I would be really hard pressed to locate any better alternative within the 20-25 lakhs price range today. Ive covered 42,000 glorious kms till date, and a remap is on the cards sometime this year to provide a solid midlife upgrade to an otherwise brilliant car. There is no other car which matches the rare combination of driving pleasure, build quality and ease of maintenance that is offered by an Ecosport even today.

The Ecosport is and has been a cult car in India, and remains one of the most difficult cars to upgrade from within a reasonable budget. If Ford were to offer a Creta rivalling option, that would be my default choice for an upgrade.

[Overtune26]

We have an ES at home and it is truly a perfect choice in its segment for someone who loves to drive his car (even to this date). We ourselves would look for an upgrade in sometime thanks to NGT and would have loved to see an alternative from Ford rivaling the Koreans.

But let's be realistic, entering into this segment requires a lot more effort rather than launching a niche full blown SUV and I don't think Ford is willing to take any major risk at all with the Indian market.