Going through Ford’s history, nothing like what they are going to do has been done before. The American auto maker plans to launch an assualt in the sub-compact hatchback segment of developing markets, not by creating something from scratch, but by using a phased-out base.
Ford’s new small car, developed in 19 months, is codenamed B 517 and the automaker’s first ever hatchback in India. Not only will it be manufactured and sold here, it will be shipped to Europe, South Africa and Australia. Its highlight – usage of a phased out Ford Fiesta platform.
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If you ask me, Ford’s getting too excited about prospects of its small car in India. I know, it is a Monday morning and people reading my blog need to leave with a lot of positive energy (which is always the idea). But on this Monday morning, I’d like you all to leave with a question to answer.
Ford’s been in India for more than ten years now. It sold the Escort and then the Ikon, which to the Indian janta, were luxury sedans in its time. I remember there was very little competition for these cars, and Ford’s got their image carved back then as not an ordinary man’s car.
The Daewoo Cielo was a car on a similar lines, and the company’s second car was a mass market car, which we call as the Spark today. Another company which debuted subsequently was Hyundai who started off with the Santro.
After going through spy shots (1, 2) of Ford’s new small car, our photoshop specialist SRK, has come up with his adaptation, which should be very close to the real thing.
Ford’s new small car has been spied several times now, both in India and abroad. We hear that Ford is testing mules with a dummy boot, to keep the bhp paparazzi confused.
It may perhaps be called the Splash locally, with interior space of the Tata Indica but cost just as much as a Hyundai Santro. It is also learnt that the new car would be based on a previous platform belonging to the Ford Fiesta to cut development cost and time. The tires of the new small car will be small (following the footsteps of the new Ikon in our fleet) to achieve more in the fuel economy department.
Mimicking the entry-level Ikon, the ground clearance is high, as it should be, a Duratorq motor would discover a home under the car’s bonnet. Initially, a 1.2-liter petrol unit would debut to keep a check on the price tag.
A base version with just A.C and power steering would assist meeting the cost target while higher variants with power windows and other gizmos would also be on offer.
This car could make it to the 2010 Delhi Auto Expo.
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Our friend Paul Maric over at Car Advice Australia, sent us a message this morning. What they have caught on camera will raise a few Indian eyebrows too.
It’s the Ford small car we’ve been tracking all year long.
The spyshots were picked up in Australia, the car will be introduced as a Mazda for domestic consumption. The long wheelbase, C-Pillar angle and rear quarter glass shape puts it closer in design to the Ford Fusion.
Ford’s new small car isn’t exactly small.
Ford will begin production of its new small car at its Chennai plant next year, the car will be made in both sedan and hatch formats.
Ford’s new small car will be inspired by the new generation Ford Fiesta, which will also enter India in the future. The hatchback will measure less than four meters in overall length to avail the small car cost advantages.
Thoroughly designed and developed for Indian conditions, it might be exported to nations like Brazil in the future.
Confusion and plenty of it surrounds the Ford’s new small car for the Indian market. As the name denotes, it is an all-new car developed from ground-up. We also construe that it is not a different looking or revised version of an earlier Ford model.
We discussed exhaustively how Ford’s new small car isn’t similar to or the Fiesta hatchback either, barring its Verve-based design connection. The new photoshop illustration from the Brazilian artist portrays how the face of Ford’s new small car would look like. The remaining car would be different, the one shown here appears like a shrunk Ford Fusion to me, the actual car would be have its corners rounded, shorter and simpler.
Ford’s new car will come in both petrol/diesel and hatchback/sedan variants. It will be Ford’s entry level car in India and will be manufactured at the company’s facility in Chennai where vehicles like the hugely successful Fiesta and Ikon are currently manufactured.
Ford’s Indian small car as you can refer from the snaps, borrow styling cues from the Verve concept.
Ford India confirmed earlier that their new small car will have high localization content (75% or more) to control costs. A sub 1.2-liter petrol and sub 1.5-liter diesel engine will be the sole power units initially; more powerful engines and automatic transmissions might be added to the lineup after the launch.
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Micheal Boneham, President and Managing Director of Ford India stated the entry-level Ford, developed for emerging markets like Brazil and India will cost close to 4 lakh rupees (roughly $8,000). The car will be produced in both hatchback and sedan forms from next year onwards in Ford’s Chennai facility.
