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23-09-2009, 05:31 PM | #1 | ||
Chairman & Administrator
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Targeting India Market and Export Sales
The Ford Figo, a new nameplate and a fresh face on the Indian market, signals Ford’s intention to compete in India’s largest and most important small car market segment. Ford Figo is the result of a significant Ford investment commitment to expand its plant near Chennai for volume production as a small-car centre of excellence regionally. Ford’s $500 million investment has doubled the plant’s production capacity to 200,000 units per year and introduces major advances in high-quality automation and innovative, eco-friendly production techniques. “Our exciting new Ford Figo shows how serious we are about India,” Mulally said. “It reflects our commitment to compete with great products in all segments of this car market. We are confident the Ford Figo will be a product that Indian consumers really want and value.” Ford Figo is designed and engineered to compete in India’s small car segment, which accounts for more than 70 percent of the new vehicle market. It leverages Ford’s small-car platform architecture, sharing underlying technology with the Ford Fiesta, already familiar to Indian drivers. New Shape, Solid Foundation Today’s press conference in Delhi was the first public preview of the exterior design of the new Ford Figo. Ford is reserving further details about the vehicle until closer to its production launch early in 2010. Design-conscious Italy inspired the new Ford Figo’s name. Figo is colloquial Italian for “cool.” Sharing key elements of Ford’s kinetic design language with vehicles like the globally renowned Ford Focus, Ford Mondeo and the Ford Fiesta, Ford Figo features a fresh, contemporary shape that will be a distinctive alternative to traditional brands in this segment. The design language conveys a dynamic spirit of energy in motion. Quality, substance and generous proportions are clearly evident in the design of the new Ford Figo, which features a solid stance, an invitingly large interior and a vibrant, youthful character. Its package is right-sized for the market, which is predominated by congested urban driving conditions. From its modern headlamps, grille shapes and sculpted bonnet of its distinctive face to the subtle integrated spoiler and chamfered window shape at the rear, Ford Figo is filled with kinetic design touches. These also include sculpted shapes to the body side – chiseled front fenders, a “comet tail” undercut in the doors and additional light-catching sculpting in the lower bodyside – which combine to communicate the solidity, substance and protective safety of its design. The bold graphic of Ford Figo’s large side window shape is another key kinetic design feature hinting at the comfort and spaciousness awaiting occupants’ front and rear. The side window graphic is executed with a blacked-out B-pillar, an elegant design touch that unifies the side windows into one shape visually. With its wheels positioned at the four corners of the vehicle with minimal overhang, Ford Figo’s bold wheel arches self-assuredly signal its agility and solidity. “We’re confident that the new Ford Figo will be extremely attractive to Indian car buyers,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India. “It’s going to be very competitive with the current market leaders and offer a tremendous value story for our consumers. We believe Ford Figo is a big game-changer for Ford that will help transform our brand into a volume player in India.” New Ford Regional Production Centre The introduction of the new Ford Figo marks a significant shift for India’s role in Ford’s strategy. Transformed with a production capacity of 200,000 units, the integrated Chennai manufacturing facility is now positioned as a Ford regional centre of excellence for small-car engineering and production. Ford Figo models will be produced at the plant for export to international markets. The plant is also being groomed to produce diesel and petrol engines for local vehicle production and export within Ford’s Asia Pacific and Africa region. With more automation and high-tech new facilities, the new site reflects the latest Ford manufacturing processes globally and pioneers new technologies for Ford and India. Created with a “best of the best” approach, it has been benchmarked against other competitive facilities globally, as well as the current volume manufacturers in the Indian market, for quality and production efficiency. The transformed plant introduces eco-friendly production techniques like its new Three-Wet High-Solids paint process. This approach produces beautifully painted vehicles with three wet coats – primer, base coat and clear coat – of high solids-content paint applied one after the other without oven curing between coats. A first for India, it produces fewer carbon dioxide emissions and reduces volatile organic compounds emissions by about 20 percent compared to current medium-solids solvent-borne paints. Use of high-solids content results in a paint finish with high levels of gloss and depth of colour which is more resistant to scratches and stone chips. Source: Ford Media
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Observatio Facta Rotae
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23-09-2009, 05:38 PM | #2 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
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I found some pix
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23-09-2009, 05:46 PM | #3 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
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I was always wondering what "FIGO" was when I came across the name quite a while ago.
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23-09-2009, 05:53 PM | #4 | ||
Ute Forum Moderator
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Location: Melb
Posts: 7,227
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I wonder how closely it is related to the previous model Fiesta? Could possibly slot in under the Fiesta here too.
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23-09-2009, 05:53 PM | #5 | ||
The Vengeful One
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Tazzy
Posts: 12,765
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Looks pretty good, hopefully it sells well over there!
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23-09-2009, 06:08 PM | #6 | ||
T3/Sprint8
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Location: Australia
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FIGO ! top Portugese REAL footballer at the end of his career funny name for a car though. Mmm similarities to a BSeries front gill and driving lights don't you think ?
Hope it does well in the market for them.
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23-09-2009, 06:18 PM | #7 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
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The shape of the rear looks like the old fiesta but has a more modern front.
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23-09-2009, 06:25 PM | #8 | ||
Regular Member
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Location: Western Riverina
Posts: 117
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Now I know where the current Ranger headlights came from...
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23-09-2009, 06:58 PM | #9 | ||
Only an xr6...
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 539
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I don't like the look of that at all, just looks weird to me. rather our fiesta over here for sure.
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23-09-2009, 07:00 PM | #10 | |||
Chasing a FORD project!
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: adelaide
Posts: 5,114
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Gotta love ford. In an economic crisis, while all others go under and struggle, ford go and invest and create jobs and basically, do things properly. Their foresight in 2006 has enabled them to do this and good on them.
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23-09-2009, 07:12 PM | #11 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
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Great name... a quick google search revealed its meaning... Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie Obstétrique (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics)
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23-09-2009, 07:24 PM | #12 | ||
Peter Car
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: geelong
Posts: 23,145
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Did FoA do the development work on this, as i've seen numerous versions of this coming out of the Product Engineering Offices with car bras on.
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23-09-2009, 07:57 PM | #13 | |||
Cobblers!
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Quote:
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23-09-2009, 10:19 PM | #14 | ||
V8 Powaah
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sunshine Coast, QLD
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Not FoA's best work. Its pretty hideous, though i guess its about a gazillion times better than the rubbish on Indian roads.
And well i guess it keeps FoA occupied and engineers in a job. Between 4cyl and LPG FG's, the T6 Ute program and the new Tezza you would think they would be pretty busy anyway though.
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23-09-2009, 10:36 PM | #15 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
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It is a very plan & boring look if you ask me...
I don’t understand this move.. Why move away from the "Global" name of Fiesta to Figo & why move away form the "Global" shape of the current Fiesta to what looks like the old fiesta? What happened to one world, one Ford?? |
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23-09-2009, 11:02 PM | #16 | |||
The 'Stihl' Man
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Several guys I know are flat out! If I had my blasted degree finished good chance id be there now! I would hazard a guess that they did the mechanical R&D and ultimately Indias marketing guys would have control of its looks.
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24-09-2009, 07:42 AM | #17 | |||
Force Fed Fords
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Location: Enroute
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In a market where TATA is very common, Ford has some real guts introducing a viable alternative to a huge and ever expanding market. Glad to see it has Aussie input; maybe we should stipulate that it's called a FIGJAM instead of FIGO.
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24-09-2009, 09:39 AM | #18 | ||
Render unto Caesar
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certainly no oil painting but as long as it's robust enough within the harshness of India then that's all that matters. Hope it is a good seller too.
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24-09-2009, 11:00 AM | #19 | |||
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Don't get me wrong, I think it's ugly and the name is weird; but it is not designed for us. In regards to one world, India is a planet, get it right there and do you know how many of these Ford could sell! |
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24-09-2009, 12:15 PM | #20 | |||
Ute Forum Moderator
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24-09-2009, 12:43 PM | #21 | |||
Guess Who's Back?
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Ford Australia’s Figo city-car emerges in India and could eventually be sold here
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The 18th Letter Last edited by R-Design; 24-09-2009 at 12:50 PM. |
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24-09-2009, 01:09 PM | #22 | |||
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Ford Australia has exported design and engineering knowledge for a crucial new Indian small car that could even be sold here.
Quote:
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The 18th Letter |
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24-09-2009, 06:50 PM | #23 | ||
Peter Car
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I think Ford should have a serious look at selling it here alongside the Fiesta. The Fiesta can't compete fairly in the tiddler class because its a premium product with a premium price. If they could sell this as an entry level vehicle for around 12-13k it would give Ford a serious competitor in this class. The 2 pronged approach might go some way towards stealing sales off the competition, because the small car class is such a big market Ford really need to compete.
It could be a true Festiva replacement, with the Fiesta as an option for the buyer who wants a premium vehicle. |
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24-09-2009, 06:54 PM | #24 | |||
IWCMOGTVM Club Supporter
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Ford Figo revealed by CEO to target Indian, export sales
http://www.caradvice.com.au/42193/fo...-export-sales/ Quote:
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24-09-2009, 06:56 PM | #25 | ||
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This is very good for FoA. Its showing that they can build global vehicles.....hmmm now for the big one!!
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24-09-2009, 07:39 PM | #26 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
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So, Ford Aus have designed the Fiesta sedan for India, a unique redesign for the old model, now the Figo, which is an updated old model Fiesta which some later kinetic design cues. Having Ford do both clearly made sense.
Ford Aus with the T6 global light truck platform is also another feather in the cap and money! Nice to see this success story with a positive slant on it Great to have positive media on Ford Aus. They deserve it.
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24-09-2009, 07:41 PM | #27 | |||
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Importantly, those people that buy now at $12-13k will go on to buy more expensive cars. Get 'em in now! Your sowing the seeds of future demand. It's a multi-pronged approach, just like Toyota does with Prado, Kluger, Rav4 etc.
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BA2 XR8 Rapid M6 Ute - Lid - Tint -18s 226.8rwkW@178kmh/537Nm@140kmh 1/9/2013 14.2@163kmh 23/10/2013 Boss349 built. Not yet run. Waiting on a shell. Retrotech thread http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...1363569&page=6 |
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24-09-2009, 07:46 PM | #28 | ||||
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Quote:
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Yep, now we have to trust that we can get our hands on the GRWD when it resurfaces. Mullaly and Kuzak are both massive fans of the Falcon. So we can only hope!
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BA2 XR8 Rapid M6 Ute - Lid - Tint -18s 226.8rwkW@178kmh/537Nm@140kmh 1/9/2013 14.2@163kmh 23/10/2013 Boss349 built. Not yet run. Waiting on a shell. Retrotech thread http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...1363569&page=6 |
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24-09-2009, 07:56 PM | #29 | ||
Parts bin special
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Nice freshen up of the old Fiesta really! Looks like they've changed all the bolt-on panels (front guards, bumpers, bonnet, tailgate, door skins, lights etc. but kept the same body. I reckon it looks alright for a cheap runabout, not that it's still really my sort of car.
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24-09-2009, 08:01 PM | #30 | ||
The Futuriser
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Location: Melbourne
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Doesn't look any good in my opinion. Looks like it's a 5 year old car already - very basic.
Spose it's not bad for the Indian market but I wouldn't really like to see it on our roads.
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