A beep of my cellphone, a mailer in my inbox which reads “Ford EcoSport Shi….”. I open it up in excitement anticipating the official announcement of the launch date. Where.. where..? Gobble the entire long mailer in disdain and there is no mention of the launch date.
In an official Press Release, Ford has announced that the company has begin shipments of EcoSport to its dealers across the country. It is also mentioned that the $142 million production line, work on which has been going for the last 21 months has finally completed. This facility in Chennai is capable of producing as many as 6 different car bodies on a single line and all 10 variants of EcoSport.
It also mentions that the facility has flexibility to include current and upcoming Ford cars for India and exports. At this occasion, Ford’s President and CEO, Alan Mulally is in Chennai to congratulate all the employees who have contributed to the making of EcoSport.
Alan Mulally says ‘very affordable price’:
The Chennai team, together with our supplier partners, have done an outstanding job in delivering our customers a great looking, fuel efficient, safe, compact utility vehicle with impressive functionality and connectivity, at a very affordable price.”
Though there is no disclosure of price yet, Alan Mulally’s words further reinstate our belief that EcoSport might start at Rs 5.95 Lakh as we have reported a few days back. (Details)
EcoSport will be produced in five plants globally and Chennai is the third one which has started with its production. The first two have been Camacari in Brazil and Chongqing in China where EcoSport is already on sale. Apart from these, production of EcoSport subsequently has started in Rayong in Thailand as well as Tatarstan in Russia where EcoSport will be launched shortly.
Ford EcoSport is based on the B-platform which also underpins the new Fiesta. By 2015, Ford has a target to produce 2 million vehicles based on this platform annually. It would have been fantastic, had Ford shared the final launch dates with this release. But it seems, we will have to further wait for an official word.
Meanwhile Ford has opened the official bookings of EcoSport and you can book yours by paying Rs 50,000 now. More Details
Read our comprehensive coverage on EcoSport, Click Here
Further Reading on EcoSport:
- Ford EcoSport Approved Mileage Figures, Engine Variants & Trims
- Ford EcoSport vs WagonR in Pics: a Quick Dimension Comparison!
- EcoSport to Offer India’s First Emergency Assistance System; All You Need to Know!
- Ford EcoSport Preview with 44 Pics
