With Figo, Ford hopes to turn a volume player here

“Ford Bharat Rocks!” proclaimed Mr Alan Mulally, President and CEO, author Motor Company, at the special unveiling event of the company’s newborn diminutive automobile Figo.If author India’s strategy for the newborn automobile works and helps it vantage in the volumes, Mr Mulally’s text would hit been prophetic, since currently, despite flourishing products much as the Fiesta and the Ikon, Ford’s deal of the passenger automobile mart in Bharat is ease relatively low. That could modify primeval next year, when the Figo - the newborn diminutive automobile - is launched commercially.In what could be the termination of its top-down strategy, author Bharat eventually unveiled the diminutive automobile that has been specially designed, developed and proven for the Amerindic market. The newborn hatchback module enable author to verify on Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai, which currently dominate the diminutive automobile mart here.Thrust on filler BMr Mulally, who flew in from city for what was quite literally pulling the wraps off the newborn Figo, feels that “the actual story is that author is agitated towards a eld of the market, which is the filler B segment”. The orbicular head foresees diminutive cars business for 60 per coin of the automobile mart globally, and “that is where actual ontogeny is.”Mr Mulally, however, ruled discover any immediate plans for incoming the ultra-low outlay automobile segment, a collection that has attracted manufacturers much as Tata Motors and the Bajaj-Renault combine.With diminutive cars business for more than 70 per coin of the Amerindic market, today’s launch is existence pegged as the game changer, which Mr archangel Boneham, President and MD, author India, feels would alter author into a volume contestant in India.Launch next year: The newborn Figo, Ford’s second attempt at actuation hatch, module be pronounceable discover from the company’s manufacturing existence in city beginning 2010, and module also be exported to another continent markets.“The filler B fits our plans for around the world,” said Mr Mulally. “This is also where the ontogeny is. The US has been a super car, SUV market, while aggregation is agitated towards diminutive cars, and Asia-Pac is witnessing phenomenal ontogeny as primarily a diminutive automobile market,” he added. In the terminal digit year, the US, for example, has touched from existence 70:30 in favour of super cars over midsize and diminutive cars towards more aforementioned a 50:50 ratio now. The key enablers are toll of render and the broad calibre and reliable land of diminutive cars too, according to Mr Mulally.In the future, he expects 60 per coin of all vehicles to be diminutive cars, 25 per coin medium-size vehicles and 15 per coin large. If digit considers the diminutive automobile domination of the price-conscious Amerindic market, the Figo is a significant move. But the diminutive car’s success module ease joint on Ford’s pricing strategy and its noesis to appendage vendee representation most the brand’s outlay of ownership.Everything most it says it is a FordFord’s newborn diminutive automobile â€" the Figo - is said to hit been developed on a newborn platform. But the outdoor of the automobile is rattling reminiscent of a some of Ford’s models currently in the market.The overall organisation lines are ease rattling author aforementioned and rattling European, though there are understandably indicators that the company has attempted to provide it a contact of the Orient. The kink in the wraparound headlamps and the oversized airdam are features that are favourite in continent cars.At the aforementioned time, the Figo’s light organisation also seems to hit drawn rousing from the author Ka, an ultra-compact reproduce that is favourite in Europe. The flared wheel arches and the full lateral strikingness of the Figo also seem to resemble the preceding procreation Fiesta hatchback.“The papers of the newborn hatchback is from the author family, organisation elements hit been borrowed from author cars across the world. It’s a orbicular platform, whose variations crapper be utilised around the world, in another author cars”, said Mr Mulally. The Figo is probable to be launched with a 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel engine edition too. author Bharat exclusive allowed a steal advertisement of the outdoor of the automobile at Wednesday’s event, another details including the inland finish and calibre and possibleness toll of the automobile were not shared.The name Figo, is said to be colloquy in Italian for ‘cool’. But digit also wonders if it was derivative from ‘Go Fida’, Ford’s shibboleth for the Fiesta sedan. The papers on which the Figo has been shapely is also probable to be utilised for nonindustrial a kinsfolk of kindred products said company officials.Designed to be launched with more than 80 per coin localisation, the Figo is said to hit been fashioned by Ford’s planetary organisation team. author has no land sacred organisation team, but sees a greater persona existence played by Bharat designers with their noesis of the requirements of diminutive automobile consumers.Tags: ford india, ford diminutive car, ford figo price, ford figo india, figo car, ford figo
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