With over 17,000 bookings in the first 14 days of launch, the EcoSport has already proved to be a success for Ford India, sources in the know told FE. Production of the ?Urban SUV? at Ford’s Chennai plant for around three months has already been sold out while the waiting period for delivery now stretches to 3-4 weeks. Meanwhile, Ford dealers in some parts of the country are also believed to have stopped taking fresh bookings for the diesel variant, which is seeing even greater demand.
The second-most important car launch this year after the Hondas Amaze, the EcoSport was launched on June 26 at a starting price of R5.59 lakh (petrol) and R6.69 lakh (diesel). The aggressive pricing targets compact sedans such as the Maruti Dzire and the Honda Amaze, apart from hatchbacks like Maruti Swift and Hyundai i20.
?By last Friday, bookings for the EcoSport had touched 14,000. By now, this would have crossed 17,000. A new count will be taken by Friday,? a source in the know said.
?We have had an overwhelming response and are now consolidating the order list. This is quite high and unprecedented for us at Ford,? said Vinay Piparsania, executive director for marketing, sales and service, Ford India. When asked if the dealers have stopped taking orders for the diesel EcoSport, he said, ?Dealers have certain allocations. In case that gets over, they will keep the customers informed of when they can expect to book the car and get it delivered?.
The EcoSport is the most important product for Ford India, three years after the Figo?s launch in 2010. Touted as a comeback model for Ford India, the Ecosport may help Ford cross the 10,000-unit monthly barrier, from around 4,000 units per month it does today. With $2 billion worth of investments committed and accumulated losses standing at around R1,400 crore, the Ecosport is expected to bring Ford back to the black from a 17% drop (at 77,225 units) in volumes it posted in FY13.