Although Ford has left India, there were some legendary cars that the American brand sold over the years
Ford in India always had a reputation of being a premium and performance-oriented car brand in the Indian market. With cars like the Ikon, Fiesta, and Escort in its portfolio, Ford catered to the segment of car buyers looking for well-built, fun to drive, and powerful cars in the market. Here is a list of all Ford India’s best performance cars and all the details that you should check out.
Ford Escort
The Ford Escort was the first Ford car to be launched in the Indian market and offered an extremely premium package to the buyers
Ford India made its Indian debut with the launch of the Escort in the Indian market in 1995. In its sixth generation at the time, the Ford Escort was seen as an extremely premium and feature-rich offering that was a valuable alternative to other cars on sale in the market. The American carmaker offered the Escort with two engine options including a 1.8-L diesel engine and a 1.6-L petrol engine. Both these engines not only offered impressive performance but were also known for their supreme refinement levels.
The dynamics too were great and the overall suspension setup did make the Escort an extremely fun-to-drive sedan. What also helped the Escort win a significant place in the market. In all, it was with the Ford Escort that the Indian buyers had an opportunity to buy a premium, feature-rich, and dynamically sorted car in the market. The brand however finally pulled the plug off in 2001 and the Escort was then replaced by a number of other sedans in the brand’s portfolio in the country.
Ford Ikon 1.6 NXT
The Ford Ikon 1.6, the OG Josh machine, was offered with powerful and fuel efficient engine options
Introduced in the Indian market for the first time in 1999, the Ford Ikon quickly became a huge success for the brand in India. The Ikon was positioned as an affordable entry-level sedan in the market and was a huge favourite amongst those who appreciated powerful and fun-to-drive cars in India. However, it was only after 2008 when Ikon was being seen as a more practical family sedan as the brand upgraded the Ikon with some major updates.
For starters, the Ikon was launched with a new 1.4-L Duratorq diesel engine that boasted strong performance. It is the same time when the Ikon became famous as the Josh Machine. The same year also saw the launch of the Ikon 1.6 NXT in the market. Having said this, the major updates in 2008 did make the Ikon a valuable sedan in the market and an extremely fun to drive sedan. Features like MP3/CD Player, new seat covers, alloy wheels, rear spoiler, and LCD odometer were also introduced in the Ikon.
Ford Fiesta 1.6
The Fiesta brought in significant sales volume for the brand
Soon after a successful launch of the Ikon in the market, the American carmaker introduced the Fiesta in the market in 2005. The Fiesta was offered with three engine options – 1.6-L Duratex petrol, 1.4-L Duratorq diesel engine, and 1.4-L Duratec petrol engine. It is the Fiesta that promised to offer a more premium package to the buyers and was not only fun to drive, but in addition to this, also offered a practical and comfortable cabin, thus making it a perfect family sedan.
A sportier iteration of the Fiesta, dubbed the Fiesta 1.6S, was then launched in the market. The second generation of the car made its debut in 2011 and was offered as a more promising version of the Fiesta. However, it failed to attract buyers in the market and was finally discontinued in 2014.
Ford Endeavour 3.2
The Ford Endeavour 3.2 made its debut in 2016 and offered an extremely capable and powerful setup
The new Ford Endeavour 3.2 was first launched in the Indian market in 2016 and replaced the older Ford Endeavour that did build a cult following in India. The new Endeavour 3.2 took on the rivals like the Toyota Fortuner and was one of the toughest and most capable offerings in the segment.
The new 3.2-L diesel engine not only offered strong performance but in addition to this, also offered a strong low-end thus making it a great off-roader. A lot of iterations of the Endeavour 3.2 were introduced in India including 4X2 variants and 4X4 variants. Inside, the Endeavour 3.2 offered an extremely premium and feature-rich cabin with a long list of segment-first features. The SUV also scored high on safety while the old school SUVish design language did give it a strong road presence. The Endeavour 3.2 was then replaced by the Endeavour 2.0-L once the BS6 norms kicked into action.
Ford EcoSport EcoBoost 1.0
Swipe up to read all the details about the best performance cars of Ford In India.
The Ford EcoSport was one of the first sub-compact SUVs to be launched in the Indian market in 2013 and quickly became the best selling model in the brand’s line-up. The EcoSport was launched with three engine options – a 1.0-L Ecoboost Turbocharged petrol engine, 1.5-L turbo-diesel engine, and a 1.5-L petrol engine.
The EcoSport EcoBoost was seen as a performance-oriented SUV with sorted dynamics, a feature-rich cabin, and sorted long-term reliability. While the coming years saw the launch of a number of other compact SUVs in the market like the Maruti Brezza and the Hyundai Venue, it was the Ford EcoSport that still had a major share in the market. A major facelift was then introduced in the market and the new EcoSport too did not fail to impress the buyers once again.
Ford Mustang
With the launch of the Mustang in the country, Ford became one of the most affordable sports car brand in the country
The Ford Mustang was the most powerful and expensive Ford car to be launched in the Indian market. The Mustang is one of the most famous muscle cars in the market and boasts a mighty V6 engine and sorted high-speed stability. The Mustang was also one of the most affordable performance cars in the country and left us all impressed with its performance. However, it did fail to meet the brand’s expectations and the American carmaker did not bring the next-gen of the car in the country.
FAQ
Can I still get my Ford car serviced?
Yes, Ford is still offering after-sales support to the buyers and the buyers currently face no issues with the service and scheduled maintenance of their Ford cars.
Is it worth buying a preowned Ford car, now that Ford has left India?
Yes, buying a pre-owned Ford car makes a lot of sense. Ford cars are not only reliable, powerful, and fun to drive but are also extremely affordable to service in the longer run. The American carmaker is also offering impressive after-sales support and parts support to the existing owners.
Which is the latest sedan of Ford in India?
The Ford Aspire was the latest sedan to be introduced in the Indian market before the brand ceased manufacturing operations in India.
Source Image: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Keyword: Ford India’s Best Performance Cars