Ford confirms new Indian small car for Oz

[jpd80]

Ford confirms new Indian small car for Oz

New small car to emerge from Ford in India in January, before its Australian release

4 October 2011

By MARTON PETTENDY - goauto.com.au

FORD Motor Company will use the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo on January 5 to stage the global reveal of a new small car that will be introduced in Australia.

The new model is likely to have been developed by Ford Australia – the “go-to guys” for low-cost vehicle development for the Blue Oval.

GoAuto understands Ford Australia has been leading the design and engineering of a new compact vehicle for production in India where Ford already makes the super-successful Figo that was developed in Australia from the previous-generation Fiesta.

Ford will not reveal details of the new car, but Ford Australia public affairs director Sinead Phipps has confirmed it will join the Ford model range Down Under after its debut in India.

“Ford will use the New Delhi motor show to reveal a new model that it can confirm will be sold in Australia,” she told GoAuto.

As we have previously reported, Ford Australia is also leading the development of a still-secret new light car for China.

It is not clear if the Indian and Chinese vehicles are related, but it now seems clear that Ford Australia is responsible for designing and engineering volume-selling small cars for the world’s two most populous nations.

Apart from providing Ford Australia with a new price watermark below its Thai-made Fiesta ($16,990), the new Indian-sourced model would rival cut-price B-segment models such as Nissan’s Thai-built Micra ($12,990), as well as a host of Chinese imports like the Chery J1 ($11,990 driveaway) and others to come from Geely and Great Wall.

India’s Ford Australia-designed model could be related to the Figo hatch, which was engineered in Broadmeadows by Ford and launched to critical acclaim in March 2010 in India, where it defeated Volkswagen’s Vento and Polo and the Skoda Yeti to be named 2011 Car of the Year.

Based on Ford’s previous-generation Fiesta and manufactured in Chennai, the Figo notched up more than 60,000 sales in the remainder of last year, increasing Ford sales in India by 185 per cent in 2010.

The Figo now accounts for almost three quarters of Ford sales in India, and was earmarked for at least 48 export markets in 2011, including South Africa. By the end of this year it will also be available in Mexico, the Middle East, North Africa and the Caribbean.

Sales are now approaching the 100,000 mark, making the Figo Ford’s most successful model in India.

Ford Australia’s new Indian-built model could be an upgraded version of the Figo, featuring more safety equipment and more advanced engines to meet more stringent emissions standards in western markets including Australia, or it could be an all-new model based on the latest-generation Fiesta.

In addition to the Figo, Ford’s Australian engineers were responsible for producing the T6 platform that underpins the Blue Oval’s redesigned Ranger one-tonne utility, which is now being rolled out across about 180 markets globally, including Australia.

The company is now developing an SUV off the same platform, to compete with the likes of the Nissan Pathfinder and Mitsubishi Challenger.

The Figo and T6 projects have helped establish Australia as the centre of low-cost vehicle development for Ford globally.

Ford Australia general marketing manager David Katic told GoAuto at the upgraded WT Fiesta launch last December that Ford was “looking very closely at that sub-$15,000 area – but we won’t get anything in Australia in the next 12 to 18 months”, making a local release date likely in the second half of next year.

“Clearly there’s always an opportunity there (with Figo), but you have got to get the right car at the right price,” said Mr Katic at the time.

Dubbed the Value Enabled Strategy and devised with the help of Australian engineers and designers, it enables vehicles within the One Ford global framework to be remade relatively inexpensively, meeting low-price goals of certain markets without the vehicle losing key brand attributes common to all Fords.

At the New York motor show in April, Ford’s group vice-president of global product development Derrick Kuzak described the team at Broadmeadows were now the ‘go-to guys’ for low-cost vehicle development.

The new Ford small car is likely to be one of at least two new Indian-made vehicles to land in Australia in 2012, with Mahindra confirming its new global SUV, the XUV500, will being heading our way within six months.

[Polyal]

This should be front page news yet no onevhears about the great work that goes on...hmmm brownie points

[Bossxr8]

Its a growing market now, so good to see Ford jumping in.

Now to get the new Kuga/Escape here.

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by Polyal

This should be front page news yet no onevhears about the great work that goes on...hmmm brownie points

Front page news?? Please, give me a break!!

[jpd80]

I would like FoA to have a crack at the superseded LV Focus and see what happens...
I think that would also work in India and China, maybe we could get another low cost product here...

[Road_Warrior]

Hmmm either a next-gen Ka or a production model of the Ford Start concept?

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Hmmm either a next-gen Ka or a production model of the Ford Start concept?

No, just next gen Figo with more safety gear and better equipment levels for Aussie market..

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by jpd80

No, just next gen Figo with more safety equipment and more standard equipment for Australia...

Well whatever it is, it would need to be a global platform as the article said global reveal. A next-gen Figo (to me) implies it is a rehashed existing platform which IMO won't fly here.

[2011G6E]

Front page news?
It might be partly designed here but it'll just be another rebadged little Indian car...no big deal.

[Till_Lind]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Front page news?
It might be partly designed here but it'll just be another rebadged little Indian car...no big deal.

Still, it must be said that it's good that Ford Australia is capable of developing such a successful car for several markets.

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by Till_Lind

Still, it must be said that it's good that Ford Australia is capable of developing such a successful car for several markets.

Personally i dont see the big deal with taking the old Fiesta and modifying it. Development of T6 for me is head and shoulders about the Indian and Chinese cars yet it seems the press give about equal praise between them.

[deesun]

Originally Posted by Polyal

This should be front page news yet no onevhears about the great work that goes on...hmmm brownie points

It would be if Holden were doing the development work. Maybe they are holding off for pics. NOT.

[csv8]

Seen a few KA's in Dublin, doesn't look too bad...

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Well whatever it is, it would need to be a global platform as the article said global reveal. A next-gen Figo (to me) implies it is a rehashed existing platform which IMO won't fly here.

Figo is ear marked for Latin America as well as India and China, that makes it a global platform.
Dismissing FoA's re-engineering of the previous fiesta as a "rehash" is to completely understate the effort.

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Front page news?
It might be partly designed here but it'll just be another rebadged little Indian car...no big deal.

It is a big deal because this is FoA's baby re engineered by them and
it's going global into big markets outside North America and Europe...

We should be proud that this is the first of several projects that FoA is currently working on
that will bring us vehicles that can match pricing with Hyundai, Kia and even Chery....

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Front page news?
It might be partly designed here but it'll just be another rebadged little Indian car...no big deal.

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Front page news?? Please, give me a break!!

Stop and think for a minute. FoA are doing alot of work for Ford which is a great sign of faith and confidence.

Do you think if the global balance sheet is strong that a "small" loss on the local falcon is really such an issue? (if indeed it is a loss at all).

But you guys are right, lets talk up the volume and master plans of say Holdens PPV program

Has Holden done anything like this, or the T6, or has anything like the China deal lined up? Thats the point.

[Gobes32]

Another point, Holden is a "design" centre with minimal engineering input, FoA product development is exactly that, the rest of the Ford world looks to the Aussies for engineering expertise. They have become the "go-to" people and it deservedly should be front page news.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Gobes32

Another point, Holden is a "design" centre with minimal engineering input, FoA product development is exactly that, the rest of the Ford world looks to the Aussies for engineering expertise. They have become the "go-to" people and it deservedly should be front page news.

Ford Australia is one of five "Centres of Excellence" in the Ford world,
they are the headquarters of regional design and development in FAPA.

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

Personally i dont see the big deal with taking the old Fiesta and modifying it. Development of T6 for me is head and shoulders about the Indian and Chinese cars yet it seems the press give about equal praise between them.

T6 is relatively small beer compared to this.

Figo is now top seller in India and will extend to China and Latin America, FoA is now the go to
engineering centre for low cost vehicles and that puts them as lead engineers on developing
cars for huge regions to our North, if that doesn't give you goose bumps, nothing will..

[Gobes32]

If you want something engineered for peanuts, go see the Aussies. In fact, if the GRWD program ever got off the ground, odds on that FoA would receive the bulk of engineering work. Alan Mulally and Derrick Kuzak, the two most important people in Ford right now, have both been in a G6E Turbo, they know what good cars they are, they know how well engineered they are and for how much development costs. Ford Australia has done everything possible to try and ensure Falcon or a Falcon derivative lives on into the future, it's now up to the car buying public to prove that large RWD cars are still relevant.

[Polyal]

^^^equally up to Ford to listen to what the market wants.

People go on about the demise of the XR8, fairlane etc, well, in part the market does change but Ford also didnt try overly hard. Or more aptly put, they didnt have the $$ to match what the consumers and market wanted.

Two way street.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Polyal

^^^equally up to Ford to listen to what the market wants.

People go on about the demise of the XR8, fairlane etc, well, in part the market does change but Ford also didnt try overly hard. Or more aptly put, they didnt have the $$ to match what the consumers and market wanted.

Two way street.

Very well put, one feeds off the other and as the flywheel slows down, some changes have to be made.

Well, I live in hope that under "One Ford" access to other power trains
means that Falcon can have some interesting combinations in the future.
We're seeing that now with 2.0 Ecoboost and V6 Diesel....

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by jpd80

T6 is relatively small beer compared to this.

Figo is now top seller in India and will extend to China and Latin America, FoA is now the go to
engineering centre for low cost vehicles and that puts them as lead engineers on developing
cars for huge regions to our North, if that doesn't give you goose bumps, nothing will..

See i just dont see how thats the case. T6 was ground up and FoA had project lead on that. Figo was not exactly a tearup project of the old Fiesta to create what they did. To be brutal you could take the Ford badges off and someone might confuse it for a Chinese manufacturers attempt. The only area i see products like Figo being more important than T6 is in the sales aspect as light trucks, even in alot of poorer countries, are an established market whereas theres growth in India and China for passenger vehicles.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

See i just dont see how thats the case. T6 was ground up and FoA had project lead on that. Figo was not exactly a tearup project of the old Fiesta to create what they did. To be brutal you could take the Ford badges off and someone might confuse it for a Chinese manufacturers attempt. The only area i see products like Figo being more important than T6 is in the sales aspect as light trucks, even in alot of poorer countries, are an established market whereas theres growth in India and China for passenger vehicles.

I didn't mean to belittle T6 project either, that was a valuable lesson for FoA
but their real Forte is in improving existing designs, they've been doing that for years
with all kinds of imports and now given the chance to strut their stuff on world stage is exciting.

India, China and South America, you couldn't ask for a bigger audience for your re made vehicles.
The potential for Figo and the other car being developed for China is huge, that will
bring in massive revenue for Ford and fill the Ford Asia pacific African coffers with profits
for even more developments...

[Danny]

I need to get used to the fact now that Sinead Phipps is no longer Sinead McAlary.

[Bossxr8]

That threw me off too, I thought the reporter got the name wrong at first.

[jpd80]

Dubbed the Value Enabled Strategy and devised with the help of Australian engineers and designers, it enables vehicles within the One Ford global framework to be remade relatively inexpensively, meeting low-price goals of certain markets without the vehicle losing key brand attributes common to all Fords.

At the New York motor show in April, Ford’s group vice-president of global product development Derrick Kuzak described the team at Broadmeadows were now the ‘go-to guys’ for low-cost vehicle development.

That is very high praise, good to see FoA's practicality at work in key regional products...

[phillyc]

I can't help but think about that movie scene.

I'm excited, are you excited? I'm excited, are you excited?!

Based on Ford’s previous-generation Fiesta and manufactured in Chennai, the Figo notched up more than 60,000 sales in the remainder of last year, increasing Ford sales in India by 185 per cent in 2010.

A single product, engineered to a high standard for a low price nearly doubles the Indian sales of Ford. That is MASSIVE.

Just as importantly, Ford will have a competitor that may be able to take 500 a month at the cheapest end of the market here in Aus. That is market share. Anything to dent Hyundai, Mazda, Nissan et all is worthwhile particularly at a profit.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by phillyc

I can't help but think about that movie scene.

I'm excited, are you excited? I'm excited, are you excited?!

A single product, engineered to a high standard for a low price nearly doubles the Indian sales of Ford. That is MASSIVE.

Just as importantly, Ford will have a competitor that may be able to take 500 a month at the cheapest end of the market here in Aus. That is market share. Anything to dent Hyundai, Mazda, Nissan et all is worthwhile particularly at a profit.

With no more Hyundai Getz, it could be as much as 1,000 or 1,500/mth...

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by jpd80

That is very high praise, good to see FoA's practicality at work in key regional products...

I can think of one or two platforms that would be terrific Value enable stategised!

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by jpd80

With no more Hyundai Getz, it could be as much as 1,000 or 1,500/mth...

Yeah, didn't think about Getz being gone. 1500 a month is 2% market share. That is massive.

[Dr Smith]

Most importantly Ford Oz gets a wider representation in different segments, makes more money and has more to spend on local production...hopefully.