While Ford EcoSport was recently in news for its technical glitch that led to its recall, post issue, it has received a long waiting period in the Indian auto market. It must be noted that because of its soaring demand, the American auto maker has now planned to extend the waiting period to a minimum of six months. These reports suggest that the mass recall of its diesel cars has not affected the reputation of Ford in India and its SUV is currently drawing a lot of attention. The company reported that it has received a large number of bookings in the recent times for EcoSport, which is priced attractively at Rs. 5.59 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base model.
It is said that the petrol version of this car is generating a lot of buzz in the Indian car market with all its models reporting a waiting period. Its 1.0-litre EcoBoost variant is only available to customers after a period of 90 to 150 days. While for those choosing from diesel variants like Ambient and Trend will get deliveries of their cars after 1 or 3 months from the booking date. In addition, EcoSport Diesel Titanium and EcoSport Diesel Titanium (O) too has reached a waiting period of 180 days. However, the dates mentioned above will more or less vary from states to states.
In July 2013, Ford India announced plans to recall 972 EcoSports due to an issue with the Glow-Plug module, which happens to be a heating device that helps to start the diesel engine. Because of this issue, the auto maker contacted their respective owners to take their vehicles to the Ford dealership as soon as possible and get the issue fixed. It must be noted that the compact SUV segment is fast expanding its base in India, which can be clearly seen with the recent launch of various models by different car makers.
Contributing to the success of this segment, Renault Duster has enjoyed an overwhelming response in the recent past. These compact SUV's are witnessing brilliant demand owing to their affordable prices, superior comfort level and high performance engines, which have majorly contributed to their success. Many car makers are bringing in new cars in order to gain market share of this segment. Auto makers like Nissan, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors, Hyundai and Honda are planning to launch its new range of compact SUV's in the Indian car market. Meanwhile, Ford EcoSport can face stiff competition in the compact SUV segment with the launch of Nissan Terrano that is reported to be launched before the end of 2013 in India.
