Ford has reportedly extended the waiting period for its best-selling SUV - EcoSport - in India, due to its unprecedented demand.
The EcoSport, a game changer in India for US automaker Ford, has been facing delivery issues in the domestic market for quite some time. Now a Business Line report claims the EcoSport delivery process is still not on track in the country, and the customers, who have been waiting to get hold of the compact SUV, may have to wait longer.
According to the report, customers who booked the EcoSport in June would get the vehicle only in July or August next year. Apparently Ford has started reaching out to the customers waiting for the EcoSport, with an offer to switch to some other car in the company's line up. While canceling the EcoSport booking, customers will now get the full amount refunded, plus an additional benefit of Rs 10,000, said the company in a letter.
"In view of having booked the Ford EcoSport, we would be pleased to offer you an exclusive additional benefit of Rs 10,000 on these models," Business Line quoted a letter by Ford.
EcoSport is marketed in India at a starting price of ₹5.59 lakh. Several factors, like the price and features, have escalated the demand for the vehicle in India, even at a time when the auto market is facing a slowdown. The company had stopped accepting bookings for the time being due to the scaling demands this year.
Vinay Piparsania, Executive Director-Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford India said: "The Ford India team is working closely with suppliers to enhance the output of EcoSport to meet the high demand. Our Chennai facility is working at more than optimal levels to ensure that we reduce the waiting time as much as possible."
The EcoSport competes directly with Renault Duster, Mahindra Quanto and Premier Rio. It is also priced to compete with the Suzuki Swift DZire and other fast moving hatchbacks in the country.
Ford EcoSport specifications and price overview:
* 1.5L petrol (Ambiente, Trend and Titanium)
* 1.5L diesel (Ambiente, Trend, Titanium and Titanium (O))
* 1.0L EcoBoost engine (Titanium and Titanium (O))
Price (Before revisal)
* 1.5L petrol MT - ₹5.59 lakh
* 1.5L diesel - ₹6.69 lakh
* 1.0L EcoBoost - ₹7.89 lakh
* 1.5L Petrol Auto - ₹8.44 lakh
Previous reports had suggested that Ford is planning to hike the prices of its models in India from January 2014.
