Ford India Ltd has priced its Ford Mondeo Ghia petrol model at Rs 15.56 lakh and the Ford Mondeo Ghia diesel model at Rs 16.79 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
Ford said in a press statement that they had decided to bring only the high end version of Ford Mondeo to India. The model would initially be available across 20 Ford dealerships.
Refusing to disclose the sales target, Ford Mondeo, Randy Shockley, vice president (marketing), Ford India, said, "The D segment is only few months old and is yet to evolve fully. Though we have our internal business plan, we would not like to disclose it." The unique features in other cars in the same segment will be offered as standard equipment of Mondeo, he said justifying the pricing.
David Friedman, managing director of Ford India, said: "Mondeo has been designed to exceed the expectations of the highly demanding and discerning consumers in the D-segment. Our research revealed that these consumers expect the best in terms of quality, performance and features. This vehicle offers all that and more."
Ford Mondeo is the third entrant in the D- segment. Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord are the other two offerings in the segment. Ford Mondeo, currently, is imported as completely built units (CBUs) and sold in India.
Mondeo is available in two options: a 2-litre 16V DOHC Duratec petrol engine and a 2-litre 16V DOHC direct injection durator turbo diesel engine.
Some new features of the version include Xenon headlamps with stone impact resistant polycarbonate clear lens, side air-bags, six-CD player in-dash, 8-way power adjusted driver's seat, pyrotechnic seat belts with pre-tensioners in the front and three-point centre seat belts in the rear.
The new version will also offer a host of other features for driving comfort and convenience such as auto-dimming rear-view mirror, heated front and rear windscreen, side window demist, electronic automatic temperature control, power windows with bounce back sensor and global closing, rake and tilt adjustable power steering column, cup holders for passengers, centre arm rest with three head rests, lockable engine hood and collapsible pedals.
The vehicle also comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, front and side airbags with driver seat position sensor, all-leather seats and interior trim, all round disc brakes with ABS, independent suspension with a wider track and front deploying head restraints among others. The car will be initially available in three metallic colours of stardust silver, panther black and oyster.
Meanwhile, Ford India has secured an order from Nepal to export fully-built Ikons. The contract is likely to be executed in January- Feburary 2002. Ford during calendar 2002 is aiming to export 25,000 CKDs to South Africa, Latin America and South East Asian countries.
