Ford Motor is exporting to Europe its EcoSport compact crossover built from the company’s Chennai factory.
The vehicle, which will be launched in late 2013, is expected to take hold of a significant European market share for Ford, which is expanding its SUV lineup and targets to sell 1 million SUVs in Europe by 2017 onwards.
The EcoSport will be pitted in Europe’s crossover segment, which is observed to enjoy better profit margins than other models; its rivals in the segment include Juke by Nissan Motor.
This vehicle strategy is part of Ford’s broad restructuring plan for Europe, along with the closure of a major assembly plant in Genk, Belgium, and two smaller plants in Britain.
It is also expected to thwart the impact of its sales decline in January, and share losses in many markets including the UK.