Back in July, Ford had hiked up the prices for its popular Ecosport by Rs. 10,000 for the base variant, whereas the top end variant has gone up by Rs. 15,000. Due to its overwhelming response in India, the compact SUV has always been on a long waiting list. In order to tackle this long standing issue, Ford reportedly has introduced a third shift for production at its Maraimalainagar plant. This plan is expected to help with timely deliveries to a great extent.
As stated to sources, Nigel Harris, president of Ford India, said, “The EcoSport not only did well in India but every market in which it has been launched. That has put the pressure on suppliers everywhere. We can’t change suppliers overnight but have now got to a point where we can increase volumes. We will, therefore, soon move to a third shift which is planned for the EcoSport. We are not limiting the lower variants but demand really is for the higher variants. For the first couple of the years, people want the (top-of-the-line) Titanium, and not many want the lower series to start with. It’s only when the vehicle is a year or two old that people begin to demand the mid and lower variants.”
Ford Ecosport, the compact SUV is available in petrol and diesel variants. The petrol version is powered by 1.5 Litre and 1.0 Litre petrol engine that generates about 112 Ps of power with 140 Nm of torque and 125 Ps of power with 170 Nm of torque respectively. The diesel version is powered by 1.5 Litre engine that generates about 91Ps of power with 204Nm of torque. The 1.0 Liter petrol variant delivers around 18.9 kmpl, the 1.5 Liter petrol variant delivers around 16.15 kmpl and the diesel variant with 1.5 liter engine delivers around 22.7 kmpl. The compact SUV gets a EPAS with Pull Drift Compensation technology for steering for maximum control. For a comfortable ride, the car gets Independent McPherson strut with coil spring and anti-roll bar for the front, whereas the rear gets Semi-independent twist beam with twin gas and oil filled shock absorbers.
Ford EcoSport had been launched in June last year at a very lucrative starting price tag of about Rs 5.59 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Post that the car has also seen a price hike on many occasion but the demand has not gone down. With the new plan of action, Ford intends to ensuring timely deliveries to its loyal customer base.
Source: AC
