Yesu leaving the production and from the Brazilian market is still somewhat premature, as the original project was practically conceived there. Despite the fact that the last EcoSport unit left the Camaçari assembly line more than a year ago, the B-SUV is still produced in India, from where it enters our country and is also supplied to Europe and North America, although not long more.
According to the Ford Authority website, which always has good information about the brand, the EcoSport will be withdrawn from the US market in May and will not receive a new generation or direct successor. With his departure, the Maverick pickup – which has racked up order records – remains the brand’s entry-level product.
The dismissal of the B-SUV in North America – where it never achieved great sales – comes as expected as a result of the closure of the factory in Chennai in India, which would also leave the B-SUV on the market. be brought into Argentina as soon as the stock of units produced is exhausted. Strangely enough, it will continue to exist in Europe: although it failed to capture the public like the new Puma did, the EcoSport will continue to be sold in the Old Continent, which will be supplied by the factory in Krakow in Romania, which is not was achieved through the company’s restructuring plan and austerity measures.
It is worth remembering that in September last year, the oval brand announced through an official statement the closure of the plant in Sanand (India) by the end of 2021 and that of the factory in Chennai by the second half of this year as part of of its global restructuring strategy. In this way, although it will stop production of complete vehicles in the Asian country, it assured that it plans to expand its Ford Business Solutions team there, in addition to marketing global products and electrified SUVs. Likewise, it will guarantee its customers the supply of spare parts, services and guarantees.
According to Ford’s report, the decision was made after recording cumulative operating losses of more than $2 billion in recent years and a non-operating loss of $0.8 billion on asset write-downs in 2019. This restructuring a profitable business can be achieved sustainably in India. As we expected in other articles, the brand was going through a delicate situation in that country and the fall of the alliance with Mahindra further complicated the picture.
While Ford will discontinue production of products such as the Figo (Ka), Aspire, Freestyle, EcoSport and Endeavor, which will be discontinued from the portfolio once remaining stock in dealerships is exhausted, Ford will continue production of engines for export in the Sanand industrial complex, where the thrusters for the Ranger are made. As we noted earlier, it also plans to expand its Ford Business Solutions division by hiring more software developers, data analysts, R&D engineers and finance.
