Last fiscal, Ford India manufactured over 130,000 units from the Chennai plant, of which 35% were exported, most of these making their way to European markets. Earlier this year, after the EcoSport was spied testing in the US, it was rumored that Ford India will be manufacturing the EcoSport to the US as well, thereby increasing the waiting of EcoSport even further in India.
But, that is not the case. As it has now been revealed that Ford India might not export EcoSport to the US. Ford India is focusing on clearing the waiting period of EcoSport at the earliest.
As far as exporting EcoSport to the US, Ford will most probably use their plant in Thailand for that, reveals Economic Times. Exports to the US markets would have added to financial stability of Ford’s Chennai plant, but at the same time, it would have increased waiting periods in India, which they don’t want to do.
The other reason Ford Thailand is being preferred, is that Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) levels of units produced there are better than those produced in India.
However, now with Ford Thailand being more preferred, possibility of India shipping EcoSport to the US is not completely ruled out. Ford India might start shipping the EcoSport in a few year’s time, especially after their second plant in Sanand starts manufacturing. Ford EcoSport is expected to be launched in 2016, which probably is the time when Ford India will start exporting EcoSport to the US.
Ford EcoSport compact SUV was launched in India in June 2013. It was an instant hit with bookings of nearly 30,000 in the first few weeks of launch. Demand was such that the company asked its dealers to stop accepting bookings of the model. Earlier this month, Ford India announced re-opening of bookings for all variants of this most awarded urban SUV which has been regaled for its best in class drive dynamics, stupendous performance and state of the art technology, emerging as India’s most awarded vehicle ever with 30 industry honors within a year of launch.
