Ford plans B518 code-named MPV for India

Ford India is getting into the volumes game in the big way, something that the American automaker needs in India after years of being in the red. The Figo hatchback will be replaced by the 2015 Figo (Ka) and a compact sedan based on the new hatchback, another car with the potential for big numbers. The Fiesta sedan has just gotten a big price drop and a facelift. Ford is selling as many EcoSport crossovers that it can build in India.

The next major sales spinner for Ford in India will be a people mover, an MPV to be precise. Our friends at AutoColumn report that the Ford MPV is code-named the B518, and will be based on the 2015 Figo hatchback and compact sedan’s B2E platform, which is in itself a modification of the previous generation Fiesta’s (Figo and Classic) platform. This MPV was already announced earlier this year, and we even have a render to show for.

Since the Ford B518 MPV shares the B2E platform with the likes of the 2015 Figo hatchback and compact sedan, it is likely to roll out of Ford India’s upcoming Sanand facility at Gujarat. While the Sanand factory will go on stream from April 2015, the MPV from Ford is likely to take a year more before hitting the production line. We expect a 2016 launch timeline for the Ford MPV.

Engines and gearboxes for the 2015 Ford Figo based MPV are likely to be shared with the hatchback and compact sedan variants. The 1.5 liter-4 cylinder TDCI turbo diesel engine that will be offered on the 2015 Figo hatchback and compact sedan is expected to be standard fare on the MPV as well. When Ford brings in its 3 car strong, 2015 Figo platform to India, the company will be on even keel with the likes of Maruti Suzuki and Honda, whose Swift and Brio platforms host 3 cars each (Swift, Dzire and Ertiga, and the Brio, Amaze and the Mobilio).