Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) span a wide presence in the thriving automobile market and enjoy adoration of many car buyers today. Factors that have played stimulus in gaining the SUV segment this popularity are their spaciousness, safety, desirable features and excellent performance. One of the car brands that has established itself in this particular segment is Ford. Though, this American auto maker has been in the Indian market from many years now, but, it is only recently that it has become a top performer in market, through its latest launch, Ford EcoSport. This compact SUV has been performing tremendously well since its inception, mainly due to its capability, affordability and commendable fuel economy. Ford EcoSport has emerged as an effervescent addition to existing portfolio of cars in the SUV segment. Considering that Ford is faring good in the segment mentioned above, the car maker is planning to bring forth another stunner in the market, named as Edge.
Ford EcoSport, which entered the car market early this year, has touched the pinnacle of sales charts having clocked 4715 units within two months of its launch. Prominent aspects that have made EcoSport popular are impressive looks, fuel efficiency, mileage, plush interiors, affordability and safety features. This all-new compact SUV is available in three engine variants for car buyers to choose from. The line-up of engines includes a 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol, 1.5-litre Ti VCT petrol and 1.5-litre DV5 diesel units. EcoSport delivers a mileage ranging from 13.07 kmpl to 16.15 kmpl (according to company claims) and comes with a proficient fuel supply system. In addition, this model lives up to the company's tradition, when it comes to handling and safety. Its safety features can be indexed as airbags, Anti-lock Braking system (ABS) along with EBD (electronic brake-force distribution).
Moving onto the other Ford model, Edge, which is presently on-road in the international markets, is available in four daring models- SE, SEL, Limited and Sport. Analysts are of a view that the enterprise is planning to bring this SUV in India, considering the accomplishments that EcoSport has earned in no time. Edge is based on the Ford CD3 platform, has cues of the Mazda CX-9 and boast of bold exterior. Its existing models are fitted with 2.0-litre EcoBoost turbocharged, 3.5-litre Ti-VCT V6 engine and 3.7-litre Ti-VCT V6 engine. As per sources, however, the Edge is anticipated to enter the Indian car market with slight changes to suit the road conditions and expectations of buyers.
Going by the present scenario, EcoSport has become the most acclaimed product for Ford India, garnering bookings in excess of 50000 units within 50 days. To keep up with this soaring demand, EcoSport has bucked up its production with 6700-7000 units being manufactured every month, suggest reports from Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). Also, Ford has raised the prices of all variants of the SUV and now the starting price is about Rs. 5.82 lakh, while the top-end variant is priced at Rs. 9.37 lakh, approximately. It should be noted here that the American giant is still pondering on plans to bring Edge to India, but whether it will reach the fruition stage is something, which the enterprise is itself unsure of.
