Ford Opens a record 28 dealer facilities ahead of the Figo launch

Ford India has officially opened 28 new authorised Ford dealer facilties in 24 cities improving market availability and service facilities for its full line of vehicles including the all new Ford Figo.

Ford will step into the high competitive but voluminous with its latest hatchback, the Figo which will be launched very shortly. The new showrooms have been built according to Ford’s global standards and the company has also tripled its dealer sales consultant staff with the aim to enhance the ownership experience.

The new additions take the overall count of Ford’s dealerships to 164 facilities spread accross 97 cities in India. Out of the 28 new outlets, 14 offer full 3S (Sales, Service and Support) while 7 of the new facilities are service workshops providing full line of mechanical services. The remaining new outlets are sales showrooms which will have full line of Ford vehicles.

Ford will also provide “Quick Service”, a unique servicing process that allows routine service to be performed in less than 90 minutes.  Quick service will be available across 45 dealerships in India.

“Growing our dealership base, building strong business fundamentals and getting closer to our customers are areas of high priority as we gear up to launch our new Figo and enter this high volume segment in 2010,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India.
 
”Tier II and III cities are significant for Ford.  We have opened new facilities in 13 Tier III cities today, and more than 40 percent of Ford service outlets are now located in secondary markets,” added Boneham.

”As we expand, we are making sure that our low cost of ownership message is heard by people making buying decisions,” said Boneham.

Jump over for the detailed press release.

New facilities have opened in New Delhi, Sangrur, Haldwani and Gwalior in the North; Durgapur, Dhanbad and Guwahati in the East; Hyderabad, Chennai, Warangal, Vellore, Salem, Vijayawada and Malappuram in the South; and Bilaspur and Mehsana in the Western region.
 
Also as part of the expansion is a new showroom in the East Delhi Metro Rail Station.  This new showroom provides visibility and convenience in a high traffic location and makes it more convenient for customers to shop for Ford vehicles.  This is the first Ford showroom located in a Metro Rail Station in the Asia Pacific region.

New showrooms and workshops also are now located in Jaipur, Thane, Ahmednagar, Pune, Vapi, Ahmedabad and Cochin.

Press Release

FORD INDIA GEARS UP FOR NEW FIGO DEMAND BY OPENING 28 NEW FACILITIES IN A SINGLE DAY

The new retail stores bring Ford’s dealership total to 164 facilities located in 97 cities across India

Strategy is in line with Ford India’s expansion as the company gears up for the launch of new Figo in March 2010

Ford India has more than tripled its dealer sales consultant staff in order to meet demands of increased volume selling

All the newly-inaugurated showrooms are built according to Ford’s global standards and aim to enhance the ownership experience

NEW DELHI, India, February 16, 2010 – Ford India today officially opened 28 new authorised Ford dealer facilities in 24 cities, improving market availability and service facilities for its full line of vehicles, including the all-new Ford Figo.

The new retail stores bring Ford’s dealership total to 164 facilities located in 97 cities across India. In the past two years, the number of cities with a Ford outlet has jumped more than 30 percent.

Of the 28 new outlets, 14 offer full 3S (Showroom, Sales and Service) facilities, while seven of the new facilities are service workshops, providing a full line of mechanical services. The remaining new outlets are sales showrooms, where visitors will find a full line-up of Ford vehicles.

As part of the company’s intensified business development efforts supporting the launch of the new Figo, Ford has set out on an aggressive growth strategy, particularly in Tier II and Tier III¹ cities.

“Growing our dealership base, building strong business fundamentals and getting closer to our customers are areas of high priority as we gear up to launch our new Figo and enter this high volume segment in 2010,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India.

”Tier II and III cities are significant for Ford. We have opened new facilities in 13 Tier III cities today, and more than 40 percent of Ford service outlets are now located in secondary markets,” added Boneham.

Placing dealerships in close proximity to city centres – where they are conveniently located for customers – has been a core focus area for Ford as the company continues to broaden its product portfolio.

”As we expand, we are making sure that our low cost of ownership message is heard by people making buying decisions,” said Boneham.

Both the existing and new Ford dealerships are committed to offering customer-friendly after-sales support and efficient service. Various packages, including Total Maintenance, Extended Warranty, Roadside Assistance and Scheduled Service Plans are offered by Ford India outlets.

Enhancing the ownership experience is Quick Service, a unique vehicle servicing process that allows routine service to be performed in less than 90 minutes. Quick Service bays are available in 45 dealerships across India.

All the newly-inaugurated showrooms are Brand@Retail² dealerships built according to Ford’s global standard to improve the ownership experience and ensure a long-term association with the Ford brand.

Customers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the vehicles, receive demonstrations from sales consultants and take test drives of their favourite Ford vehicles, enabling them to make a well-informed purchase decision.

Ford India has been working with its dealer body to ensure facilities meet specific requirements. Dealer staff members are trained according to Ford’s global guidelines to provide higher standards of professional service to customers. To meet the demands of increased volume selling, Ford India has tripled its dealer sales consultant staff from 480 in 2009 to nearly 1500 this year.

In the past two months, over 1700 dealer personnel from 97 cities have attended in-depth training sessions on Ford Figo.

New facilities have opened in New Delhi, Sangrur, Haldwani and Gwalior in the North; Durgapur, Dhanbad and Guwahati in the East; Hyderabad, Chennai, Warangal, Vellore, Salem, Vijayawada and Malappuram in the South; and Bilaspur and Mehsana in the Western region.

Also as part of the expansion is a new showroom in the East Delhi Metro Rail Station. This new showroom provides visibility and convenience in a high traffic location and makes it more convenient for customers to shop for Ford vehicles. This is the first Ford showroom located in a Metro Rail Station in the Asia Pacific region.

New showrooms and workshops also are now located in Jaipur, Thane, Ahmednagar, Pune, Vapi, Ahmedabad and Cochin.

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Editor’s Notes:

¹ The Tier system categorises Indian cities based on size and economic factors. Tier I is made up of major metro areas and the capitals of affluent states such as New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata. Tier II comprises less-affluent state capitals and smaller cities with substantial industrial development, such as Guwahati, Coimbatore, Vadodara, Calicut, Bhopal and Kanpur. Tier III cities are capitals of underdeveloped states and district headquarters that are considered administration hubs, such as Haldwani, Malappuram, Dhanbad, Durgapur and Mehsana.

² Ford’s Brand@Retail programme is a transformational and innovative corporate identity programme designed to increase customer satisfaction to ensure a superior brand and purchase experience. This programme provides consistent representation of the brand’s identity and reflects the essence of Ford in the retail environment.

About Ford Motor Company
Established in 1995, Ford India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader. Ford India manufactures and distributes automobiles and engines made at its modern integrated manufacturing facilities, at Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai. With more than 3,000 employees, the company’s models include the Ikon, Endeavour and the Fiesta.

For more information, visit www.india.ford.com

For further details on the facilities inaugurated today, please refer to the appendix below.

Appendix

New Ford 3S (Showroom, Sales and Service) Dealerships
City Dealership
Salem Rockcity Ford
Durgapur Banerjee Ford
Guwahati Himatsingka Ford
Haldwani Pal Ford
Mehsana SP Ford
Vijayawada Lakshmi Ford
Sangrur Bhagat Ford
Motinagar, Delhi Harpreet Ford
Gwalior Samadhiya Ford
Bilaspur Simon Ford
Warangal Sri Sri Sri Ford
Vellore Sarvesh Ford
Malappuram PVS Ford
Hyderabad Fortune Ford

New Ford Showrooms
City Showroom
East Delhi Harpreet Ford
Ahmednagar Salasar Ford
Pune Talera Ford
Vapi King Ford
Chennai MPL Ford
Dhanbad Garuda Ford
Thane Shreeji Ford

New Ford Workshops
City Workshops
Jaipur KS Ford
Cochin Kairali Ford
Chembur, Mumbai Wasan Ford
Thane Shreeji Ford
Ahmedabad Cargo Ford
Dhanbad Garuda Ford
Ahmednagar Salasar Ford