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!

“Have you ever seen a car factory in India? Been explained, in the highest detail, the entire production process by Heads of Manufacturing? Right from the time that sheets of steel come in, to the car actually rolling out? I’ve been to other factories before, but no one allowed a camera inside. I was pleasantly surprised when Ford accepted my request to click pictures inside their production facility. And why not? Ford has a facility that’s worthy of showing off.” This is what Rush Parekh of Team BHP had to say about his visit to Ford India’s world-class facility at Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai.

Ford India took a select group of auto bloggers on an exclusive tour of its state-of-the-art facility on 19 May, 2010. The facility that sprawls over 350 acres has a capacity to produce up to 200,000 vehicles a year and 250,000 engines.

For the invited bloggers, it was a rare opportunity to see a car take shape from a coil of steel. Their tour began at the Blanking, where the coils are cut into flat sections called ‘blanks’. These blanks are then sent to the Stamping, where they are ‘stamped’ into the different parts of the car, such as the roof, side body panels, etc. through both automatic and semi-automatic press lines.

The action then continued at the Body Shop, where the parts of the car are assembled together. The bloggers were fascinated by the sight of 66 robots going about their jobs in their own relentlessly robotic way, carrying out critical processes like spot welding and door hemming.

The Ford India facility uses a hi-tech painting process that’s a first of its kind in India. Called the Three-Wet, High-Solids Painting process, it helps to reduce VOCs emitted while painting the car by 20%. The secret behind this process lies in an increase in the proportion of resins used in the paint versus the solvent, in other words, to increase the ‘solids’ within a given paint sample. As a next step, Ford India’s Paint Shop eliminates the need to ‘bake’, or heat, the car after each coat of paint – the base coat, top coat and the clear coat, thus further reducing emissions. As a result for the consumer get a better paint finish and more scratch resistance on their car!

Next stop was  the Trim, Chassis and Finish (TCF), where the car’s interiors and electrical fittings are installed. This is the area where highly trained Ford India technicians use high-power tools to fit in all the components of the car, from the hand break to steering column and the seats to the exhaust pipes.  At the final stages, the engine, which is manufactured at the Ford India’s New Engine Plant on site, is fitted into the car, the front suspension is fixed and, once the nuts and bolts are tightened, the car get its wheels. Finally, after a quick process of filling the various fluids, the car is rolled at end of the line for its robust validation and quality checks.

“The mechanisms used at every stage of Ford car’s production took our breaths away,” Charu Kishnani of CarDekho wrote on her website after the visit. “The facility is widely spread and has designed a customized robotic mechanism for every phase of manufacturing except the assembling of glasses (front and rear windscreens). Having had a close peep at Ford’s manufacturing utility at Chennai, it becomes clear on why and how the company has been able to deliver outstanding results and great customer satisfaction.”

Part 2 of this exciting visit coming soon!

It wasn’t an ordinary ride. And it wasn’t an ordinary car. When Michael Boneham drove off in a brand new Fiesta from our Chennai factory on May 5, 2010, he was driving away in a very special car. It was the 100,000th Fiesta to come off the line in our Chennai manufacturing facility.

Boneham was justifiably proud of the achievement. “The event marks a new milestone for us,” he said. “Ford Fiesta continues to make us feel proud and is a significant product in our portfolio. The popularity of the Fiesta testifies that more and more customers have been reassured by its quality, features and performance.”

Title: Michael Boneham; Sandip, Exec. Director, Operations; Nigel Wark, Exec. Director, Marketing, Sales & Service and Ram Ramanathan, GM-Vehicle Quality with the 100,0000 Fiesta.

The Fiesta is a significant car for Ford in India in many ways. “The Fiesta has helped to positively shift consumer and dealer perception of Ford cars and added emotional appeal to its rationale strengths,” says Vinothkumar. “It has helped Ford create a strong imagery in the premium B segment and will continue to grab attention among the target consumers for many years.”

Title: Michael Boneham president and managing director, Ford India and Ford India employees give the 100,000th Fiesta a big thumbs up.

The six-figure mark is just another milestone in Fiesta’s successful run on the India roads since its launch. The premium sedan has won rave reviews and coveted awards during its 5-year journey. The special edition Fiesta 1.6 S was adjudged the Best Drivers’ Car amongst top 10 cars by Formula-1 driver Narain Karthikeyan in 2008. Fiesta was ranked No. 1 in ‘Total Customer Satisfaction in the Diesel Midsize Segment’ in the TNS Automotive 2009-TCS Study.

Title: 100,000th Ford Fiesta

While these awards mean a lot to us, what truly motivates us is the appreciation and support of those who drive and ride in the Fiesta. People like Anoop Jain. Here’s what he had to say: “Ford Fiesta has been an excellent experience for me and my family in terms of the driving dynamics. There is no comparison with Ford Fiesta when it comes to safety and experiencing the delight of driving. I have booked the new Figo as well, as my experience with Ford cars has been an amazing one.”

Title: Employees celebrating 100,000th Fiesta roll-out.

Or someone like Sandeep Gulati, whose favourite weekend companion, apart from his family, is the Fiesta. “Ford Fiesta has always been an amazing driving experience to the hill stations like Nainital where the roads are rough and bumpy. Fiesta makes the overall drive experience a very smooth and pleasant one,” he says.

Such words are a constant source of inspiration to all of us at Ford. Go Fiesta!

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

In our earlier post, we explained how automation at the Chennai plant and robots ensured best-in-class vehicles.

But quality doesn’t end with the manufacturing process. We have to ensure that our cars are able to survive tough Indian road conditions before they’re shipped out. For this, Ford’s developed a 3.2-kilometre dedicated vehicle quality testing circuit in our plant.

Testing Time

Name the road type and the testing track has it – straight, twisting, cement, rough roads or village streets! Engineers conduct rigorous quality test drives on Ford cars for up to 40 kilometres.

Our forthcoming Ford Figo will also go through several quality checks and tests to ensure we give consumers nothing but the best. Some of these tests will include:

• Hill climbs to test vehicle power and braking
• Lock-to-lock turning manoeuvres to check the steering system
• Straight line tests to verify wheel and steering alignment

Once we begin Figo production, we will test vehicles at random for quality inconsistencies in manufacturing and get them corrected. “Quality is one of the key pillars our brand stands on and the spirit of commitment to achieve world-class quality is inspiring,” says Ram Ramanathan, general manager, Vehicle Quality, Ford India.

Did You Hear That?
You certainly don’t want to hear squeaks and rattles while driving your car. We’ve adopted a global approach to identify the root causes of such noises and fix them permanently.

Every vehicle goes through the new ‘squeak and rattle track’ after it leaves the assembly line. The uneven and rough surfaces put stresses on the vehicle chassis and body, such as ‘body twists’, where stresses are put to one side of the vehicle (negotiating a curve).

A state-of-the-art hydro-pulse four-post test rig verifies, validates and investigates the squeaks and rattles. Immediately after this, the vehicle goes through further tests at full operating temperature, which include:

• Underbody hot check for leaks in engine oil, transmission oil, engine coolant and air-conditioning refrigerant systems
• Air-conditioning performance
• Grille temperature, which is compared to the ambient temperature
• Correct tyre pressure and battery charge state

Water, Water Everywhere!

Your chances of reaching home in a heavy July downpour are bleak if your vehicle stalls in the water. But if you are in a Ford, you can breathe easy; we put our cars through a water wading test, inspired by the monsoons and the ensuing flooded roads.

Engineers drive the car through a simulated flood (a puddle of water 50 metres across and 450 mm deep) at 10 kmph. Back on dry land, engineers check for leakage and whether the mechanical systems are operating normally. “We engineer our vehicles to endure that level of flooding, and keep testing so that our customers can be assured that their vehicles are manufactured to meet that standard,” Mr Ramanathan says.

What do you think of our new testing track? What tests would you like to see your car go through? Let us know!

The robots at our Maraimalai plant are quite versatile. In an earlier post, we told you how they paint a Ford car. In this post, we will tell you how the robots put your vehicle together at the plant’s body shop.

The new state of the art facility has an array of high-tech robotics – a total of 92 new robots have been installed in the body shop, paint shop and final assembly.

The all-new body shop

Sixty-six robots are used in the body shop for critical processes like spot welding, sealer application and door hemming. The robots have increased the automation level at the expanded facility gearing for volume production to 30 percent.

Automated underbody framing robots build the lower and upper body structure of the vehicle. This operation requires absolute precision, as large metal structures are assembled and spot-welded into vehicle floorpans.

The body shop has also become “flexible”, with a framing line designed for handling up to six different models simultaneously in a single line.

Other features of the body shop include:

• Portable measuring machine: to measure jigs and fixtures for build precision.
• Part checking fixture: to measure all major subassemblies, body, front-end and rear-end fit and finish.
• Real-time seal gap measuring equipment: a step up over measuring seal gaps with hand-held calipers.

Why these robots are special
Once we program a robot, it can perform complex and repetitive tasks quickly and precisely. The body shop welding robots are equipped with new servo motor welding guns. These are quieter than the older welding-gun technology, and deliver high-quality welds that are cleaner, with reduced expulsion and burring. Servo motors allow the welding tips to be brought smoothly into place, which helps to eliminate distortion of the metal and ensure stable weld pressure.

Why robots? “A modern automobile plant needs robotics to get the precision that’s essential to a well-constructed vehicle,” says Tom Chackalackal, Vice-President, Manufacturing, Ford India.

Big impact
The robots have made processes speedier. Our body shop capacity has more than doubled, from 15 to 34 jobs an hour. The new line is “future engineered” – flexible enough to build different vehicles one after the other. The new body shop line will build vehicles in Ford India’s current product portfolio as well as the Figo.

With enhanced production efficiency and quantum leap in quality, the plant is now geared to deliver even higher quality cars to consumers that will be not only be great products but competitive in the market.

As Mr. Chackalackal puts it, “This huge conversion will make us very competitive with Indian manufacturers and give Indian customers a better product than ever. Much of our investment is centred on quality and our desire to be the best in class in India.”

What do you think of the robots in our new body shop? What else do you think robots could do in an automobile plant? Tell us!

Green is a favourite colour at Ford’s Maraimalai plant near Chennai, where the Figo is being produced. The plant has almost 50 acres of green cover that includes well-tended lawns and a green belt. This is just one aspect of Ford’s commitment to the environment and the community.

Across the plant, Ford has also put in place initiatives to reduce energy consumption and emissions. “The biggest user of energy and fuel in a manufacturing plant is the paint shop,” says Tom Chackalackal, vice president, Manufacturing, Ford India.

Ford’s revamped paint shop incorporates the three-wet high solids process, which has reduced carbon dioxide emission by 15 percent and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emission by 20 percent. We call this the next-generation environment-friendly technology.

In addition, the paint shop uses energy-efficient ovens and equipment. “By introducing this new technology, we’re cutting energy use and fuel consumption significantly, and that’s good for the environment and the community,” adds Chackalackal.

Ford has also installed a zero-discharge wastewater treatment facility for the plant complex. As a result, all the wastewater is treated and reused – saving plenty of water.

The company’s environmentally-aware practices do not end here. Manufacturing units often dump their solid waste in landfills, creating hazards for the environment. Ford has completely eliminated the need for landfills by building a zero solid waste facility. All the solid waste that is generated at the plant is recycled or co-processed in the cement industry.

Finally, Ford has also improved internal processes to reduce consumption of important resources. Here’s a tiny indicator: in the past three years, we have reduced water consumption by 30 percent per car, and electricity consumption by 10 percent per car.

What do you think of these green initiatives? How do you live a green life? Tell us!

- By the Ford Figo Team