The monsoons are here! It’s time to pack your bags, get into your car and venture into uncharted territory. Enjoy the lush greenery, picturesque views and enchanting cascades as you drive to your favourite monsoon getaway. But driving in the rains calls for caution and care. The Ford Service team in India recommends some tips to help you drive safely this monsoon.

• Check your car’s condition. The brakes, steering system, tyre pressures, tyre tread depth and defroster operation should be checked regularly so that you’re ready to deal with a downpour.

• Every car should have a good emergency kit. Breakdowns can be stressful. Taking a few steps in advance can save you time, emergency service costs and a headache. Have an emergency kit ready for many different situations. The kit should meet your individual needs and be equipped with items ranging from spares, torch, fuses, tyre inflators, to safety kits and other items to attract or provide help.

• Make sure that your wipers are in good condition and functioning properly. If the blades are brittle or damaged, replace them before the rains begin. Allow sufficient wetting of the windscreen prior to using the wipers to avoid scratching of the windscreen owing to dry wipe.

• Use the windshield washer fluid as recommended by the manufacturer. Using a blend of water and washer fluid will clean the windscreen more effectively than washing with plain water.

• Tyre pressures: Maintain correct cold tyre pressures as recommended in the owner’s manual for different loads. This is even more critical for monsoon conditions since the traction is paramount for vehicle stability.

• Windscreen fogging. Use the de-frost mode with AC ON, in fresh air mode to clear the windscreen of condensation whenever the windscreen gets fogged up. Also use the rear heated window option, if present, since rear visibility improves. Refer to the owner’s manual for usage.

• Drive carefully! Pay attention to your speed and check your tyres. At high speeds, the rains create a fine sheet of water between the tyre and the road surface, which can cause the driver to lose control. This phenomenon is known as ‘aqua-planing’ and is aggravated by excessively worn tyres. Check the tyre tread depth (in the TWI area) and confirm that the depth is within the minimum allowance. The tyre tread helps in throwing out excessive water between the tyre and road ensuring adequate grip.

• Keep the headlights on. When driving in rain, switch the headlights on at a low beam. It will increase your visibility and allow other drivers to notice you from a distance.

• Avoid abrupt braking. Brake smoothly. If you push the brake pedal to the limit, the car will probably slip. It is preferable to come to a lower speed before coming to a complete halt.

• Drive cautiously and maintain a good distance from the vehicle ahead of you. Do not follow large buses or trucks too closely. The spray from their rear wheels will block vision. It also takes longer for a vehicle to stop on wet/ slippery surfaces.

• Avoid deep pools of water. You never know what is under water. Besides, if you drive into a pool at full speed there is a possibility of serious damage to the bumper or radiator. Moreover, a wave of water may hit the engine, causing it to stop.

• Braking after wading through deep pools of water. When driving through water logged sections, water adheres to the brake discs/drums and tends to act as a lubricant, hence increasing stopping distance. After negotiating a water logged patch, apply the brakes gently a couple of times when the vehicle is in motion to dry the brakes out and restore full functionality of the brakes.

• Always be alert for stop signs and things blocking the road. Never drive through flooded and unfamiliar places, turn around and look for another route.

• Avoid driving through standing water- Where water has flooded on the road, drive very slowly. Do not drive through moving water if you cannot see the ground through it. Stop the car before entering the flooded area and check the water level ahead. Generally, if the water is deeper than the bottom of your doors or the bottom third of your wheels, do not drive through it.

• When stuck in mud or slush, shift to first or second gear and accelerate slowly. Don’t spin the wheels. The vehicle could get embedded deeper in the sludge.

Want this list to be more handy? Download our monsoon tips here. Save the file, print it and share it with friends! Drive safely this monsoon. Tell us what you think of these tips in our comments box below.

A Ford car is not just any car. It’s about driving pleasure… it’s about the feeling of being in control while you are behind the wheel… it’s about performance, stability, reliability, ride and handling, and above all being affordable.

Total peace of mind comes with owning a Ford vehicle. It’s all about relishing the experience of car ownership. Our customers are feeling the difference of our efforts, not only because we build cars with superior quality, but because we aggressively pursue a strategy of lowering the cost of ownership.

We value our customers and we know they love our cars. But how much do they really love their Ford? You can hear it straight from them.

We travelled across the country, listening to and recording our customers’ stories and experiences. And, after hearing what they had to say about their ownership experience, we were inspired to put it up on Driving Ford.

This series of first-hand accounts comes from just some of the many proud Ford owners in India.

To kick off the series, we have Anish Iyer, a 23-year-old media professional based in Chennai. He speaks passionately about his Ford Fiesta’s handling on the road and the overall motoring experience. Anish also speaks about his car’s mileage, handling, his experience with Ford service centres and much more.

Anish Iyer on the driving experience:

Anish Iyer on Ford car service:

Keep watching this space closely over the next few weeks to see and hear what our customers have to say about us from across the nation, and look out for more surprises!

The Ford Figo was launched in New Delhi a short while ago!

Our joy knew no end today as the car was launched. Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia, Pacific and Africa spoke about the Figo. “Our dealers are excited, customers are waiting and the new Figo is now ready to hit the streets,” he said. Shedding light on the Figo’s journey as an idea, he added: “From the start we wanted to offer all the features of a B-Segment car at a Sub-B price. We’ve accomplished that with Figo.”

Of course, the question everyone had been asking was also answered — what is the Figo’s price? As promised, the Figo’s prices are competitive: starting from Rs 3,49,900 for the petrol, and Rs 4,47,900 for the diesel (more information below).

“We have priced all four Ford Figo models very competitively to emphasise Ford’s commitment to this huge segment of the growing Indian automobile market,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India.

Talking about the Figo’s features, Michael said, “We are committed to setting new benchmarks with Figo in this segment.  Figo offers more features, interior space, technology and durability than other vehicles at this price in the segment. When you look at all the features, generous interior proportions, styling and fuel efficiency, all Figo models are extensively equipped and truly a bargain at these price points.”

Add to that new dealerships and service facilities– and the Ford Figo is truly a substantial package. We can’t wait to see it on the roads!

Price information:

Prices start from Rs 3,49,900 for the petrol, and Rs 4,47,900 for the diesel.

Ford Figo EXI petrol Rs.3,81,900 & diesel Rs.4,72,900

ZXI petrol Rs.3,99,900 & diesel Rs.4,96,900

Titanium petrol Rs.4,42,900 & diesel Rs.5,29,900

What do you do when you want to spread the message of peace all over the country? Why, you drive through it, of course!

Dilpreet Singh Bindra, director of catering sales at the Taj Palace Delhi, drove across India in a 13,000-km journey in his Ford Fusion, connecting with Taj employees and the people of India in the spirit of unity and harmony. The journey ended at the Taj hotel in Mumbai, where the devastating terrorist attacks in November 2008 occurred.

And why the Ford, we asked Bindra. “I bought my Ford Fusion in 2008 and I just love it. I have a sense of safety and security when I’m behind the wheel of a Ford,” he replied. Hear, hear! Here’s to peace and to Ford!

Read more about Bindra’s journey here.

Ford India and Ford Figo continue to bask in the media spotlight. Here are some snippets from last fortnight’s press coverage.

Economic Times reported that Ford will launch a new model in India every 12 to 18 months, while Wheels Unplugged mentioned the growing number of Ford dealerships in the country, breaching the 150-mark by end-2009.

The Figo got more mileage in the Financial Express and Business Standard with Michael Boneham’s statement that the Figo’s pricing would be “extremely competitive”. The latter story also highlighted that Ford would ensure that the cost of ownership of the car will be substantially low.

Meanwhile, our Chennai plant has begun to garner media space as well, with Mint reporting that the factory would cater to the Asia Pacific and Africa region and the installed capacity for vehicle production has doubled from one lakh to two lakh units. Keep reading this blog for more on the plant and its transformation.

The Ford Figo, which we unveiled last month, garnered much attention in India and around the world. From the common man to the world’s leading news publications — everyone is talking about it. For this fabulous new car, we have a fabulous factory — our rejuvenated integrated manufacturing plant in Maraimalai Nagar, Chennai.

The plant has undergone a comprehensive transformation in the past 21 months. This makeover is part of a $500 million investment, and has shaped the factory into an expanded and state-of-the-art automobile manufacturing facility. And why not? After all, the plant is readying for volume production of the Ford Figo. What’s more, the new facility is poised to become a strategic production hub for the Ford Motor Company.

The plant was originally set up in 1999 with a manufacturing capacity of 100,000 vehicles a year.  Post-expansion, the capacity has doubled to 200,000 units. The manufacturing footprint will also house a new engine manufacturing facility to make Ford India a production hub for low-displacement engines, coming up to an installed capacity 250,000 units, due next year. We have enlarged the plant complex from 250 to 353 acres, with 60 percent of built-up area. The remaining acreage comprises lawns and a green belt.

Here’s what else has changed at our plant:

• We move from manual assembly to 30 percent automated assembly, thanks to a flexible body shop that can produce different types of car bodies on one line
• There’s a new paint line featuring the high-tech three-wet high-solids finishing process
• We now have a dedicated testing facility with a 3.2-kilometre quality testing circuit, a squeak-and-rattle testing track for finished vehicles and dynamic water wading test-bed
• New stamping press line with automated crossbar technology
• Extension of the trim and chassis assembly line for flexible assembly of different models.
• New lean manufacturing techniques that are enabled by multiple computer systems, especially useful for build-to-order production of parts and components from the adjacent 35-acre supplier park.

Over the next few posts, we will take you through some of the best features of our plant. Stay tuned!

John Parker, executive vice president, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa made an impassioned speech as he went down memory lane to the time he started Ford in India 12 years ago . He spoke of the significance of the Figo in India and worldwide. “Figo is the foundation stone for the right products that are going to drive our India business forward. So next time we come back, there will be 10,000 people sitting in this room.” And then he challenged us: “When the car rolls out, I want your friends and neighbours who buy it to say, what a great car it is, not just to look at, but what a great car to drive!”

Enjoy the video!