Ford India has made its first shipment of Figos from Chennai, India to the port of Durban in South Africa following the start of production in March this year. It is the first compact car to be produced and exported by Ford India.
The carmaker has exported 1,200 of 1.4-litre petrol and diesel Figo variants in its first shipment for delivery to a network of 123 dealerships by mid July.
“We will be exporting 5,000 units to South Africa by the end of the year, with deliveries starting mid-July,” Ford India spokesperson Deeptie Sethi told Automotive Logistics News. Monthly shipments will be made going forward.
In India the company sold a total of 7,269 units, compared to 1,982 units in June 2009, driven mainly by the popularity of the Figo said the carmaker.
“Given the rising demand worldwide for compact vehicles, we plan to accelerate our export strategy to not only enhance our business growth but also to further embellish India's reputation as a major regional auto manufacturing hub," commented Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India.
The company plans to add other export markets though details are yet to be announced. “We are on track with our export plans and will be adding other exports markets subsequently,” said Sethi.
In addition to diesel powertrains, the Ford India-manufactured Ford Fiesta continues to be exported to South Africa. In June this year, Ford India also began exporting petrol engines to Thailand.
