Thread: Ford Ikon

Ford Ikon was one of the most famous and successful car in India and this was the car which established Ford in indian market and the best thing i like about this car is that it was rightly priced and also it has a great diesel average which is something really good.

what you people say about it.

How much does it cost there? I mean..it's easy to buy? Not a big financial problem? Or not that cheap.??

No one buys ford ikon any more...

Ford India's integrated manufacturing facility near Chennai is readying for volume production of its soon-to-be-introduced new car after a comprehensive transformation to double its capacity and become a strategic production hub for Ford Motor Company, USA. Attracting an investment of US$500mn from the parent company, the Ford India plant, located in Maraimalai Nagar, was selected as the ideal production source for Ford's new small car. It will be produced not only for India but also for export to other international markets.

Created with a "best of the best" approach, the Chennai plant has been benchmarked against other competitive facilities globally, as well as the current volume manufacturers in the Indian market, for quality and production efficiency. "India's long-term significance in our strategy for this region is readily evident with the completion of this new plant," said John Parker, executive vice president, Asia Pacific & Africa, Ford Motor Co.

"We've committed in total more than US$950mn in recent years to make India one of Ford's strategic production hubs. It's a strategy built on creating great products whose appeal will reach beyond India's borders, and it's fully in line with our business objective to create volume-production centres of excellence in this region," added Parker.

The expansion marks a major shift for the plant, which has successfully been producing Ford models solely for the India market, including the Ford Ikon, Ford Fiesta, Ford Fusion and Ford Endeavour. With its forthcoming new car, Ford is targeting the heart of the Indian car market and expanding its production capacities accordingly - with output potential of 200,000 vehicles annually.

"This new world-class manufacturing facility is a symbol of Ford's commitment to India and our intention to compete with the best in the market," said Michael Boneham, President and MD, Ford India. "When the first new car rolls off the line, it will be a moment when Ford achieves its potential as a major player in the Indian automotive industry."

With its expansion and transformation, the Maraimalai Nagar plant is now geared to achieve production efficiency and quality ranking with the world's best. This is important for consumers, who expect high-quality products which are price-competitive with major Indian brands.

"This is a huge conversion that brings together all the lessons we've learned in the Indian market, and best practices from Ford and our competitors," said Tom Chackalackal, Vice President, Manufacturing, Ford India. "It will make us very competitive with Indian manufacturers and gives Indian customers a better product than ever. Much of our investment is centred on quality and our desire to be the best in class in India."

"The biggest user of energy and fuel in a manufacturing plant is the paint shop," Chackalackal said. "By introducing this new technology, we're cutting energy use and fuel consumption significantly, and that's good for the environment and the community."

"We're passionate about Ford competing in the heart of the Indian car market and delivering on our brand promise," Boneham said. "Our investment in the Chennai plant is set to enable us to create products that will compete with the recognised market leaders and be attractive in other international markets. That puts our Chennai facility in an entirely different league."

When its major transformation is complete - a new fully integrated, high-volume engine manufacturing facility comes on stream in the near future as the final phase of the Ford investment plan - Ford will have added hundreds to its local employment base. But the economic impact of the plant extends well beyond its direct employment with indirect employment benefits for the Chennai region.

The company predicts new jobs in the thousands will be created regionally due to Ford's efforts to expand its supplier base with 30 new suppliers in the Chennai area. The new plant features an enlarged supplier park, and even more raw materials and components than ever are being sourced locally.

According to Ford India, up to 85% of parts supplies for the new car will be derived from India.

The transformed Maraimalai Nagar Ford plant is built around an array of new lean manufacturing techniques to make it ultra-efficient and its products cost-competitive even in the hotly contested sub-B segment in India and other growth markets.

Technology-enabled by multiple computer systems, this lean manufacturing approach enables build-to-order production with parts and components supplied from the new adjacent 30-acre supplier park and other, primarily local, suppliers. Key suppliers are investing in building their own facilities on this land on the plant site. Through conveyor systems, the plant is geared for production sequence delivery of a greater proportion of supplier component assemblies, like instrument panels, wheel-and-tire units and front-end modules from on-site suppliers.

Ford is already conducting pre-production test building of its new car in the plant facility and will be gearing up in the fourth quarter 2009 toward the start of volume production in the new year. Construction work has been painstakingly conducted throughout the expansion project to avoid disruption of existing production at the plant.

Although that was a key challenge, Ford believed it was the best policy to redevelop its existing plant complex rather than building a "greenfield" plant requiring additional land. Ford has yet to reveal details about the new small car to debut as the expanded plant's first new product. "The wait is almost over," Boneham said. "We are on target and this is a quantum leap for Ford India.

Source

Ford India increases the style quotient of the Ikon with the introduction of the new Ford Ikon iKool. The iKool is a feature-rich variant with a blend of advanced hi-tech features, sophisticated design and unmatched drive performance that customers would love to flaunt.

The iKool comes loaded, the exterior features new iKool badging, chrome deck lid appliqué, Black BSPM and spoiler that define the exterior with crisp, sculpted lines and a confident stance for an overall stylish look.

"The Ikon iKool is a fun to drive yet economical car. Its new feature rich persona along with legendary driving characteristics will appeal to the upwardly mobile and ambitious customers who want their car to complement their active lifestyles." said Nigel Wark, executive director, marketing, sales and service, Ford India

The highlight of the interior is the iPod compatible Mp3 audio system which, along with the remote keyless entry anti-theft system and matching seat covers enhances the comfort and safety.

Ford Ikon has proved to be the amongst the most reliable sedan on Indian roads with the recently concluded epic 52 day 'Ikon Cross Country Drive,' a drive covering over 20,000 kms passing through diverse terrains deriving an exceptional fuel economy of 28.54 kmpl (under real world conditions) and a low running cost of Rs1.39 per km.

This was further emphasized by J.D Power that ranked the Ikon No.1 in the entry level mid-size segment according to the 2009 J.D. Power Asia Pacific Vehicle Dependability Study released recently. The Ford Ikon scored (228 PP/100), coming ahead stronger in vehicle dependability compared to the nearest rivals in the segment. The Ikon was instrumental in reducing the segment average which stands at 330 PP.

"The Ikon has proved its mettle and raised the bar in terms of dependability and fuel efficiency during the marathon ‘Ikon Cross Country Drive’ registering an extremely low cost of ownership which makes the iKool a phenomenal value vehicle that is feature rich, dependable and affordable", added Nigel Wark.

Starting 12th August the Ikon iKool will be available at Ford dealerships across India at an aggressive price of Rs. 4.82 lakhs (petrol) and Rs. 5.42 lakhs (diesel) (Ex-showroom, New Delhi). The Ikon iKool comes with the advanced and efficient Duratorq TDCi 1.4 diesel and ROCAM 1.3 petrol engine that offer class leading fuel efficiency and excellent response for a superior driving experience.

The Ikon has been a runaway success ever since its launch, with over 1, 20,000 vehicle on road in the country today. Ford Ikon comes with a 2 year / 1, 00,000 kilometers warranty and an option to purchase ‘Extended Warranty’ that covers the car against all electrical and mechanical failures for an additional period. Along with the new Scheduled Service Plan (SSP), first in the country Roadside Assistance (RSA) and other Ford Service initiatives, add on to make owning a Ford Ikon a delightful experience.

Source

At the beginning of its launch the Ford IKON had spectacular coverage in India. For now the sale has dropped but is still available in the market.