Ford Eyes India for Crossover Surge; Next EcoSport Doesn't Look Like a Turnoff
By 2020, India is projected to become the world’s third-largest auto market, and it’s a market Ford Motor Company wants to dominate. The past year revealed China can’t be counted on to fill financial sails forever.
With this in mind, Ford is reportedly planning a slew of new small crossovers, and could soon put a billion dollars behind the effort.
Ford’s Indian arm is the source of America’s EcoSport subcompact crossover, and there’s good news of late about that model’s future. No, it’s not going away. However, recent spy shots reveal a replacement that all shapely curves, sharply contrasting with the toaster-shaped appliance currently serving as a CUV entry point to the increasingly carless brand.
The upcoming cash dump outlined in a Monday report in India’s Economic Times probably doesn’t target the EcoSport, not if there’s already prototypes driving around. It does, however, hint at the creation of three CUVs for the Indian and other overseas markets, each with a specific rival in its sights. The billion dollars would flow into Ford’s India operations over the next five to seven years, sources claim, with half of the dough earmarked for Ford’s Mahindra tie-up.
Ford and the Indian-market domestic automaker announced a jointly-developed C-segment crossover earlier this year, part of a collaborative effort called Project Black. The other two CUVs are B-segment offerings, much like the EcoSport. Carrying the codemanes BX744 and BX745, the first of the two new models would target Indian buyers and arrive in 2021; the latter would roll out a year later, with markets like China, India, Brazil, and other developing markets in mind.
“Beyond independently penetrating the Indian market, Ford is looking at ways and means of participating in the global emerging market in tandem with Mahindra,” a source said. “A partial [joint venture] may not be ruled out… maybe one of the plants, but exiting is definitely out of question.”
As Western auto sales stagnate, Ford is busy slashing away at its various money-losing overseas operations. India appears promising, though. Ford sales in that country rose 12 percent in 2018, with Ford India President and Managing Director Anurag Mehrotra calling it a turnaround year for the brand.
As for the EcoSport, the next-generation model is said to remain on its Fiesta underpinnings, appearing as a 2021 model. The side-hinged rear hatch bites the dust, along with the dated design.
[Image: Ford]
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The rumor mill about Ford in India has been in overdrive lately. From Mahindra designing 5 different SUVs for Ford, including at least two on Mahindra platforms, to Ford selling a 51% interest in it's Indian operations to Mahindra. Then add the fact that the best selling Ford in China has been the Territory, which is a rebadged Jiangling and Ford's tieup with VW in Europe. Hackett made a comment wrt Europe that offers a hint: words to the effect that Ford will not withdraw from the market, but will offer "Ford branded" vehicles. "Ford branded" indicating not necessarily Ford designed and produced vehicles, but vehicles with a blue oval pasted on them. Considering Ford's moves in India and China, badge engineering other people's products for market segments that Ford doesn't really care about, ie anything other than US-centric big SUVs and pickups, may be the Hackett grand plan.
Get rid of that spare tire hanging off the back. It's not a Jeep.