Indian Car Of The Year Award 2011

The phenomenal Ford Figo was selected as Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) 2011 today, earning the country’s top automotive award in the fiercely competitive and rapidly growing Indian market. Now in its sixth year, the ICOTY is awarded to a new vehicle after comprehensive testing by a jury of leading automobile journalists in India.

Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India, accepted the award from Dr. R.P. Singhania, vice chairman and managing director, JK Tyre & Industries, at a ceremony in Mumbai today.

“The Indian Car of the Year award caps off a terrific year for the phenomenal Figo,” said Boneham. “Recognition from some of India’s most respected and influential automotive reporters further reinforces Figo’s reputation as a well-designed, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicle that delivered exceptional value-for-money for thousands of new car buyers across India. On behalf of all the dedicated men and women at Ford India, we are extremely grateful to the jury members and to our customers for choosing the Figo.”

The winner is determined by a multi-point voting system modeled on the selection process used by the European Car of the Year jury.

The 11-person 2011 ICOTY jury included: Yogendra Pratap and Vikrant Singh (Auto Bild); Gautam Sen and Bob Rupani (Auto India); Girish Karkera and Sriram Narayanan (BBC TopGear); Srinivas Krishnan and Pablo Chaterji (Business Standard Motoring); Aspi Bhathena (Car India); and Sirish Chandran and Bertrand D’Souza (Overdrive).

“We knew Ford had a potential winner on its hands even as we lined up the contenders. The Figo’s crisp driving dynamics, two fuel-efficient engine options, cheerful styling and interiors and, of course, its terrific pricing, simply propelled it to the top of the honours list. It’s only appropriate that the Figo has won the Indian Car of the Year 2011 award, because Ford engineered the car specifically to cater to the needs of the Indian market,” said Srinivas Krishnan, editor, Business Standard Motoring and Chairman, ICOTY 2011.

The prestigious ICOTY award is the latest of many accolades the Figo has received since its introduction 10 months ago. More than 60,000 Figos have been sold since March, setting a new sales record for a single nameplate in India. Figo has become one of India’s best selling vehicles consolidating Ford’s position in the Indian automotive sector. From January to November 2010, Ford India sold 79,586 units across its lineup, an increase of 185 percent compared to the same period last year.

The Figo is being exported to South Africa, and is a finalist for the South African Car of the Year award, which will be announced in early 2011. The Figo is also exported to Nepal and in 2011 an additional 48 international markets will start selling the popular small car.

Ford India Inaugurates New Dealership in Bengaluru - Cavery Ford

Ford India today extended its customer sales and service footprint in the state of Karnataka with the opening of Cauvery Ford, a brand new 3S (showroom, sales and service) dealership facility in the city of Bengaluru.

Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India inaugurated the dealership along with Cauvery Ford’s dealer principal M.P Shyam.

Ford India’s 4th authorized Brand@Retail* showroom in the city, Cauvery Ford is built in accordance to Ford’s global standards. It will guarantee a memorable and pleasant motoring and ownership experience to all customers ensuring a long-term association with the Ford Blue Oval. With this dealership, Ford now has expanded its reach in Bangalore with a total of 4 showrooms and 6 service outlets.

The spaciously built dealership covers an area of 50,000 square feet and is located in the heart of the city at Binnyston Garden on Magadi Road. The dealership will serve sales and service needs of customers in the city. With this new facility, Ford India will have 169 dealership outlets in 98 cities. At the inauguration, Michael Boneham, said, “Our third dealership in Bengaluru reiterates our eagerness in strengthening our presence across key markets through an aggressive focus on expanding our footprint by moving closer to our customers and to meet the growing demand.”

The new facility will house Ford India’s entire product portfolio including its debut compact car Figo which has crossed the 50,000 production milestone in a short span of 7 months since its launch in March this year. Cauvery Ford has a strong workforce of 85 personnel divided into sales and service staff. The service center has an impressive capacity to service 80 cars in a day and is run by a team of people trained by Ford personnel. The facility also offers 2 dedicated Quick Service bays providing an express 90-minute scheduled servicing option for its customers.

M.P Shyam, dealer principal of Cauvery Ford, said, ”With an infrastructure that is at par with global standards, we will be able to offer our local customers best in class sales and service experience combined with products that would prove to be a value for the customer’s money.”

The dealership has partnered with the State Bank of India to offer easy finance options to customers. Cauvery Ford is the second dealership which is being inaugurated this month, the first was Bhagat Ford in Pathankot in the state of Punjab. The inaugurations of these dealerships are in line with Ford’s strategy to introduce quality products and reach out to a newer markets and customers.

* Ford India has reported a 237 percent sales jump in the first half of the current financial year (April – September) compared to last year with total sales of 47,902 vehicles, more than triple the 14,209 sales recorded in April – September 2009.

* Ford India enjoyed another strong sales month with 8,380 units sold in September, up 146 percent compared to sales in September 2009.

* Ford Figo continues to be a stellar performer and the 50,000th production coincides with the start of festive period in India.

Ford India

Ford India has reported a 237 percent jump in sales in the first half of the current financial year (April – September) compared to last year, with total sales of 47,902 vehicles, more than triple the 14,209 sales made in April-September 2009.

In addition, Ford enjoyed another good sales month in September with 8,380 unit sales recorded. This is up 146 percent compared to the 3,405 sales reported in September 2009.

The surge was driven by sustained demand for the record-selling Figo. Since its launch in March, Figo continued to be a stellar performer and the demand is expected to surge further in the upcoming festive season. With the second shift running in full steam, Ford expects to cross the 50,000 production milestone coinciding with the start of the festive season.

Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India, said, ”We are delighted and excited about the prospect of celebrating the 50,000th Figo milestone in the next few weeks. The Figo has been a stellar performer and we begin celebrating this milestone with the ‘Discover Smart’ campaign running through-out the festive season.”

Besides Figo, there is also strong consumer interest in the new Ford Endeavour 4×2 automatic transmission SUV variant launched in early September.

“A perennial favourite among Indian premium SUV buyers, the early response and buzz regarding the new Endeavour variant has been overwhelming and we anticipate strong demand and sales in the months ahead,” added Boneham.

To support the sustained sales growth, Ford India will be adding five new dealerships to its network of world-class national sales service centers and outlets over the next few weeks. When the new outlets are in operation, Ford will boast a 172 dealership network across 98 cities.

Ford Endeavour 4X2 Automatic

ford unveils the ford endeavour 4×2 automatic – the latest addition adds to the popular endeavour suv range

Endeavour’s rugged reputation enhanced by contemporary interior and exterior design elements

The bold front end design is accentuated with new sleek and stylish side body cladding on the exterior

Premium and classy appeal bolstered by new interior touches including titanium-finish instrument panel sports pedals and illuminated red scuff plates

Spacious two tone interiors provide generous leg-room comfort across three rows of seating

New and impressive transmission and powertrain features   :

A 5-speed automatic transmission provides a great driving experience for urban and rural conditions

The 3.0 L TDCi common-rail turbo-diesel engines with Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) engine delivers maximum power of – 156 PS at 3200 rpm and class leading torque of  380 NM at 2500 rpm

Extra security peace of mind for Endeavour owners

Superior breaking performance with ABS and (EBD) Electronic Brake force Distribution

Equipped with dual stage front driver and passenger air-bags combined with seat belt pre-tensioners and load limiters.

Ford India today unveiled the Ford Endeavour 3.0-litre 4×2 Automatic (AT) – the newest addition to its Endeavour premium Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) range.

At the launch, Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India, said, “We are

excited and delighted to introduce our latest Endeavour variant to India.

“Building on the strong Endeavour sales so far this year, and the overwhelming response to the automatic transmission launched last year, we are confident that the Ford Endeavour 4×2 AT will be a popular and well received addition to our product line-up.”

Competitively priced at Rs. 17,88,760 lakh (ex-showroom, Bengaluru) the Endeavour 4×2 AT is powered by a 3.0-litre, 156 PS DuraTorq TDCi (common-rail) powertrain with the Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) and 5-speed automatic gearbox – with the overdrive switch on the shift lever – to deliver a highly responsive drive that complements its best-in-class torque performance at 380 NM at 2500 rpm.

Compared to other diesel automatic offerings in the 15-20 Lakh premium SUV segment, the

DuraTorq engine of the new SUV delivers class-leading fuel efficiency of 10.7 kpl (ARAI).

”Like other variants in the portfolio, the 4X2 variant is robust, good looking, great to drive and versatile. We describe it as a ‘smooth operator’ SUV with the state-of-art 5-speed auto transmission technology that provides a superb and effortless driving experience whether negotiating congested city streets, cruising on the highway or exploring country hills and back roads, ” said Boneham.

While rugged on the outside, the interior of the new Endeavour includes many creature comfort features. For example, the interior design sports a classy two tone finish complemented by a spacious passenger cabin.

Inside, it also boasts ergonomically designed leather upholstered seats, a 6-CD changer music system and DVD player and an environmentally-friendly dual air conditioner with personalized air conditioning vents for the second and third rows.

Other unique touches which enhance the 4×2 AT’s aesthetic and driving appeal include illuminated scuff plates, a titanium-finished instrument panel, sports pedals and a stylish side body cladding.

The new variant also offers an array of active and passive safety features such as dual-stage front air bags for the driver and passenger. The air bags work in conjunction with three-point safety belts and pre-tensioners and load limiter features unique to Ford vehicles.

In addition, the Anti-lock Braking system (ABS) coupled with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) provides extra security peace of mind for drivers.

The Ford Endeavour 3.0- litre 4×2 Automatic (AT) is available in five colour options – Diamond White, Moondust Silver, Sea Grey, Panther Black and Morello.

Since it was launched in India in 2003, the Ford Endeavour has been a perennial favourite among Indian premium SUV buyers and is consistently ranked as the number one or two top-selling vehicle in the segment.”

Boneham said demand for the Endeavour remains strong in India.

“Our January to August 2010 Endeavour sales numbers are up 68 percent compared to January – August 2009. In addition, the market segment for SUVs priced between Rs. 15 – 20 lakh has nearly quadrupled, year-on-year, for the same period, and offers tremendous growth opportunities.”

Since 2007, Ford Endeavour has also topped the J.D. Power Dependability Survey three times in a row.

* Ford India to export Ford Figo to 50 new markets including Mexico, North African countries and the United Arab Emirates

* Ford’s growth in Asia Pacific and Africa is expected to account for 70 percent of the company’s global growth in the next decade

Ford

Ford Motor Company will launch eight new vehicles in India by the middle of the decade as it moves to rapidly expand its presence in the fast growing market.

Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa (APA), made the announcement today during a keynote speech titled “Managing Growth – Evolving Market Dynamics” at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Conference in New Delhi.

“We have big plans for India and for this region,” Hinrichs said. “As we have seen from the spectacular early success of the Ford Figo, more and more Indian consumers appreciate the fuel efficient, economical, high quality, safe, and fun-to-drive vehicles that Ford offers. By the middle of this decade we will introduce eight new vehicles to India from our global platforms, in segments appropriate for this market. This is part of our ‘better plan’ to bring more and more vehicles from our vast global portfolio to India and other markets in Asia Pacific and Africa.”

Ford India launched the Ford Figo subcompact in the first quarter of this year, selling more than 30,000 units in 25 weeks.

“Although the vast majority of vehicles we produce in India will help satisfy growing local demand, we also continue to pursue export opportunities,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India. “We are pleased to announce that Ford India will export our locally-produced, hot-selling Ford Figo to 50 new markets, including Mexico, North Africa and the Middle East starting next year.”

Ford has been exporting the Figo to South Africa since May 2010. Ford India also exports the Ford Fiesta (branded as the “Ikon”) and diesel powertrains to South Africa, as well as 1.4- and 1.6-litre petrol engines to Thailand. Ford sells the Endeavor, Ikon, Fiesta and Figo in India, all locally-produced.

The launch and export of both Figo and the engines are the result of a USD 500-million investment in India to expand manufacturing and set up an engine plant there.

Ford’s APA region encompasses markets on three continents, including Australia, China, India, Thailand and South Africa. Industry sales in the region will increase from 16 million units in 2009, to an estimated 35 million units by 2018. The region is expected to account for nearly 70 percent of Ford’s worldwide growth in the next decade.

Sales of vehicles in India have grown at an average annual rate of 17 percent over the past five years, and an estimated 10 million to 11 million people will migrate from two-wheeled forms of transport to small cars in the next few years.

Hinrichs’ remarks at the SIAM conference focused on strategies for managing change, specifically the impact of rising demand and increasing capacity on the value chain.

“Introducing eight new vehicles by the middle of the decade is an ambitious plan that will have tremendous impact on our manufacturing operations, supply chain, dealers and employees. As part of our better plan for India, we are working today to make sure the value chain is ready for the demands we will place on it in the years to come,” Hinrichs said.

Expanding capacity creates particular challenges for suppliers, which are responsible for a large part of a vehicle, and requires new approaches.

“In India and in the rest of the world, we are simplifying the way we work with suppliers by reducing complexity and expanding part commonality,” Hinrichs said. “By 2012, more than 70 percent of the vehicles sold under the Ford brand globally will be built off 15 core platforms. By bringing suppliers into the development process earlier we can ultimately generate more profit for the supply chain.”

This leads to lower development cost and greater economies of scale for our suppliers, and ultimately a higher quality and more economical vehicle for consumers, he said.

“To succeed in a place as unique and fascinating as India, we have learned to listen more closely to our customers, dealers and suppliers,” Hinrichs said. “Our ONE Ford plan says to adapt and to localise. It has made us a better company here in India and around the world.”

Ford

Ford India has reported a 307 percent jump in July sales compared to last year, with total sales of 8,739 units, four times the 2,146 sales made in July 2009.

The sales performance also represents an increase of 20 percent compared to June 2010 figures.The July numbers continue a strong 2010 growth surge that has enabled Ford India to achieve total vehicle sales of 46,751 units in the January to July period.

Commenting on the robust and consistent sales growth, Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India said, “We are delighted with our results to date. Sales from January to July 2010 were greater than any annual sales figures reported by Ford India during the past five years.

“This success is driven by a number of factors including an improved economic environment as well as new releases and the opening of new dealerships and service centres across the country.”

Boneham added, “The Ford Figo is one of the major catalysts behind these terrific total sales numbers. Figo has transformed our business and presence in India and we recently introduced a second production shift to keep up with demand.” Since its launch in March, the Figo has been truly embraced by Indian consumers with more than 29,000 sales bookings registered so far.

Ford India is expanding its service and dealer network to provide world-class support to its fast growing customer base. The recently launched 3S Brand@Retail* dealership in Meerut (Uttar Pradesh province) is the 167th outlet. With this, Ford India now has a presence in 97 cities nationwide.

· With more 25,000 sales bookings registered in close to 100 days, Figo is cementing its reputation as one of India’s most in-demand new cars

· Ford Figo has transformed Ford India’s sales performance – helped drive a sales volume of 235% compared to year-on-year first half sales

· Ford Figo a hit with target customers nationwide in Tier I, II and III markets

Ford

With more than 25,000 sales bookings registered since its launch in March, the Ford Figo has cemented its reputation as one of India’s most in demand new cars.

“Reaching the 25,000 sales booking milestone in close to 100 days continues the Figo’s remarkable rise and rise in popularity among Indian consumers,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India.

“Figo’s success has exceeded expectations in terms of sales and target markets. Our debut compact car offering is being very well received by a wide range of customers and this response has been instrumental in our efforts to increase market share.”

Targeting more than 70 percent of the country’s prospective new vehicle buyers, the popular Figo has helped drive growth in all markets (Tier I, II and III) across India.

In the January-June period, Ford sales volume, on a year-to-year basis, doubled in Tier 1 markets including Mumbai (234%); Chennai (279%) and Delhi and the NCR region (223%). In terms of regional sales, there was a similar response – east (339%); west (277%), north (212%) and south (127%).

Big gains – double, and in some cases, triple fold growth – were registered in Tier II markets such as Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kochi, Coimbatore, Indore, Bhopal and Jaipur and Tier III markets such as Dehradun, Trichy, Nashik, Aurangabad and Kanpur.

In addition to strong internal demand, Ford India has also recently celebrated it first export order of 1,200 Ford Figos to Ford Motor Company in South Africa.

Overall, the Figo has helped Ford India record more than double the volumes of 235% year-on-year in half year sales, selling a total of 32,755 vehicles compared to 13,897 units last year.

Based on the number of queries recorded by dealers nationwide and showroom visitors, the second half of the year looks equally promising.

Fiesta Engine exports to Thailand

Ford India today celebrated another milestone in its engine export programme with the first batch of 1.4L and 1.6L high compression petrol engines manufactured at Ford India’s Maraimalai Nagar engine facility being shipped to sister manufacturing plant, AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT). Ford has been exporting diesel power trains to South Africa since 2008.

“The first shipment of 1,000 petrol engines is a significant first step in our goal to become a major production and export hub of diesel and petrol engines,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India. “We are excited about the significant growth opportunities for our engine export programme, and proud of Ford India’s contributions to the further development of the local auto industry and economy overall.”

The number of engines exported will increase to 2,500 per month, and will continue to build as projected export demand gradually increases through the year-end and into 2011.

In addition to the AAT facility, Ford India will export engines to other Ford plants in Asia Pacific, including those already being sent to South Africa. Ford India is also currently discussing and reviewing export opportunities for vehicles and power train components to markets within Ford’s Asia Pacific and Africa region.

“The export expansion is another endorsement of the integrated ONE Ford vision that has driven the creation of global centres of excellence like our Chennai plant, to enhance efficiencies, consistency, skill sharing, cost competitiveness and new growth opportunities,” said Boneham.

“It also supports our ‘best of the best’ approach in which we benchmark ourselves against other facilities globally, as well as volume producers in India, for quality and production efficiency,” he added.

Part of Ford Motor Company’s US$500 million investment at the Maraimalai Nagar site, the recently opened engine plant is designed to meet the growing needs of the Indian vehicle market and export opportunities.

Covering more than 40,000 square metres, it is an advanced manufacturing centre that has been created with the global best practices for engine manufacturing and has the capacity to produce 250,000 engines per year.

Ford India Sales

Ford continued to keep tremendous sales momentum with Ford India registering 272% growth in year-on year sales compared to May last year.

Figo continued to impress customers for a third month in a row, being the top seller in the portfolio

Ford India begins second product shift to meet growing demands in July.

Ford Figo continued to drive record sales for Ford India for the third consecutive month since its launch in the Indian market.

Ford India posted yet another tremendous record sale this month, witnessing a 272 per cent growth in year-on year sales for the month of May when compared to May 2009.

The Ford Figo continued to be the top seller as Ford India sold a total of 8,080 units (all models) during the month of May as compared to 2,168 units sold during previous year.

Ford India also saw an increase in its month-on-month sales with May posting higher sales than April, achieving a 7.6 per cent high against last month’s sale of 7509 units. Other Ford brands also saw a rise in demands which added to the overall volume for May with all the brands performing well. Ford India will commence its second production shift at its manufacturing plant in Maramalainagar from July, with training of new employees already underway, to meet strong demands for its products especially the Figo.

Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India said “We have achieved more than 20000 bookings since launch and are happy to see more and more Ford Figos gaining visibility and presence on road. It’s great to see building positive sales results month after month, and bettering our sales performance from last month.”

Ford India has been continuing its efforts to increase the network of its world-class after sales service programs throughout the country in order to strengthen ties with its customers and compliment to the response for the Ford Figo. Ford India has more than 165 outlets across 97 cities.

100,000th Fiesta rolled out of Ford's Chennai Plant

Ford Fiesta creates yet another milestone, 100,000th Fiesta rolled out of Ford’s Chennai Plant

It was ‘Fiesta’ time at Ford India’s Chennai manufacturing facility today as the 100,000th Ford Fiesta rolled out in style to mark a new milestone in the Fiesta ‘Go Fida’ story.

The 100,000th Fiesta was driven off the assembly line by Ford India’s president and managing director Michael Boneham in the presence of executive director,  Marketing, Sales and Service, Nigel Wark; Sandip Sanyal, executive director of Operations and hundreds of Ford India employees at the final assembly cheering enthusiastically to this proud moment.

”After a terrific sales record in March and April, the rolling out of the 100,000th Ford Fiesta is a truly special moment for Ford India.  The event marks a new milestone for us”, said Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India.

The Ford Fiesta has been Ford’s premium-sedan that has enthralled audiences in India for half a decade. The Ford Fiesta was designed specifically for India and has been the most sought after sedan in its segment for delivering high on attributes such as drivability, styling,, fuel efficiency and value for money.

Fiesta has won several accolades and awards since its roll-out in the Indian market. Powered by the TDCi common-rail technology powertrains, Fiesta has been widely recognized for its fuel efficiency and superior ride and handling. The special edition Fiesta 1.6 S was adjudged the Best Drivers’ Car amongst top 10 cars by Formula-1 driver Narain Karthikeyan in 2008. More recently Fiesta was also ranked No. 1 in ‘Total Customer Satisfaction in the Diesel Midsize Segment’ in the TNS Automotive 2009-TCS Study.

Fiesta solid build-in quality and customers’ long-term ownership experience resulted in consumer satisfaction, contributing significantly in Ford Fiesta’s remarkable performance since the launch, and resulted in growing Company’s sales and strengthening the Blue Oval promise for its customers. In addition, Fiesta was the first car exported out of India’s manufacturing facility as a CBU to South Africa, establishing Ford India’s capability to produce world-class vehicles for customers beyond the border of India

”Ford Fiesta continues to make us feel proud and is a significant product in our portfolio. The popularity of the Fiesta testifies that more and more customers have been reassured by its quality, features and performance. The sale of the 100,000th Fiesta is testimony to our strong customer appreciation for the Fiesta,” added Boneham.

Ford Fiesta has had great success since its launch in 2006 and no surprise that it has now attained a new milestone.