Ford has shelved the development of the B500 platform C-segment sedan, which was expected to be the American automaker’s next big product for India.
Ford India has been actively considering a sedan based on the B500 platform to be pitted against the Honda City. The B500 was expected to go on sale in 2018 and was to be the first project from Ford India’s R&D division. It was also expected to replace the Ford Fiesta and be priced competitively.
The EcoSport, being a major contributor to Ford’s market share, is now experiencing slight dent in sales due to the arrival of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. At least for now, Ford is hitting pause on investments that it had planned.
With the abandoning of the B500 platform based sedan, Ford is seeking ways to improve market share by focusing on the current portfolio instead. To revive interest in its recently launched models, Ford has now commenced a marketing campaign and initiated several service initiatives to boost sales. Ford India exported 6253 units in June 2016 compared to 2690 units shipped in June 2015.
Ford is sitting on huge accumulated losses in India, the introduction of new models will be delayed due to the shelving of plans. However, according to senior executives, there is a plan B which involves working towards solutions specifically focused on India. The Figo twins haven’t met sales expectations which could be the cause of Ford taking such a decision.
Ford B500 Based C-Segment Sedan Cancelled
– The B500 was expected to come into light in 2018
– This new sedan would replace the Fiesta in the Indian market
– Ford was developing this sedan to compete in the C-segment
