The latest compact sedan from the Ford India stable, Figo Aspire has successfully earned customer confidence with attractive sales numbers. Manufactured at the company's newly inaugurated facility at Sanand near Ahmedabad, Figo Aspire has touched 15,000 mark in sales since its launch in August this year.
"During the August-October period, we have sold 15,000 units of Aspire in Indian market. The October month itself brought sharp surge in sales due to festivities. Overall sales for the month increased by 49 per cent to 10,008 units as against 6,723 units in the same month last year," said Rahul Gautam, Vice President - Marketing, Ford India here.
The company is operating Sanand facility at single shift as against its capacity to run in three shifts. Aspire is made at Sanand facility.
Out of the total 10,008 units sold during festive season, Aspire has about 30 per cent share, while EcoSport model holds around 30-33 per cent.
Next in the pipeline is the launch of next generation Ford Endeavour, which will be rolled out by mid-January.
The company has increased its focus on the tier-2/3 towns and non-metros for growth. "They are the markets that are growing. This is the reason, we are adding our customer touch points in and parts distribution to provide better service," added Gautam. He added that factors such as improvement in road infrastructure and improved income levels in the smaller towns were adding to the demand.
The company currently has presence across 189 cities in India with 352 outlets retailing Ford models.
Commenting on the business outlook, Gautam maintained that the market will continue to remain slow till the next year. "It should pick up from next year onwards. Currently, retail business is a bit slow. Not looking at double digit growth for the industry," he added.