The unveiling of the EcoSport by Ford Motors at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo is being viewed by many auto experts as a major trump card played by the company. By registering its presence in the segment of compact SUVs with its EcoSport, Ford India is putting high stakes on making this car succeed. The auto giant has now made plans of investing a huge amount to the tune of Rs.750 crore for production of this car in order to be adequately prepared for its launch. Ford is going to produce this compact SUV at its manufacturing unit in Chennai in order to be able to capably meet the significant demand that compact SUVs are presently having in the Indian auto market.
The Ford EcoSport compact SUV is going to get its power from an EcoBoost 1.0L engine along with a diesel engine of 1.5L. Ford feels that the EcoSport has been provided with the necessary weapons that are going to ensure its success in the auto market of India. Though the car maker from America has got a major market share in global markets, it has yet to establish itself in the Indian auto market so that it can displace the already established car makers including Maruti Suzuki India, Tata Motors, Hyundai Motors as well as Mahindra & Mahindra. All the above named players are gaining significant momentum in the Indian auto market and are growing at a very rapid pace. Hence, it is not going to serve the purpose of Ford India if it restricts itself to coming out with some clever ideas in order to topple these established car makers in the Indian market. This is because the competition does not seem to be in the mood to surrender their market advantage.
Most of these established car makers are also revealing their own trump cards and have been able to deliver significantly at the forum of the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. Maruti Suzuki India has already showcased its new concept compact SUV, the XA Alpha. The pride that Tata Motors associates with its Tata Safari Storme has been clearly visible at the Auto Expo. This car is expected to be priced similarly to the Ford EcoSport. The not so distant future could witness Hyundai coming out with its very own compact SUV also. Mahindra has already achieved such levels in this segment that it is considered to be much ahead of all its competitors. The Korean subsidiary of Mahindra, SsangYong Motors, has already delivered two latest compact SUVs at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo, the Korando and the Rexton. Renault is also expected to record its presence in the near future with its Duster. Though the Indian auto market has been slow in the recent times, Ford India was able to achieve an amazing level of growth in 2011 by registering a sale of 96,000 units, which has been able to break all previous records of the company. It has also been able to extend its dealership range within India and currently boasts of around 220 outlets within the country for sales and service. Hence, it is being felt that the Ford EcoSport is going to have the capability of taking Ford India to the very levels that the company aspires to be in India.
