Ford will be bringing the Ranger Raptor, Focus and Focus ST to India under the 2,500-unit homologation-free route, and hence, limited units of the three will be imported
We recently reported about Ford’s plans of importing some units of the Ranger Raptor to India, and now, a new report from OverDrive suggests that the American performance-oriented pickup truck will also be joined by the hot hatch Focus ST as well as the maxi-hatchback Focus.
Under the new import rule, manufacturers are allowed to import a total of 2,500 vehicles in one year through the CBU route, without having to homologate them. However, this does not mean that companies can bring 2,500 units of each vehicle, but 2,500 units in total. Hence, we expect the Ranger Raptor, Focus and Focus ST to be brought here in very limited numbers.
We’ve already talked in length about the Ranger Raptor in our previous article, so we’ll only be focusing on the Focus for now. The hatchback sits above the Fiesta in Ford’s international lineup, and is currently in it’s fourth-gen avatar. The hatch is plonked with a 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 125 PS, as well as a 2.0-litre direct-injected turbo-petrol unit that churns out 160 PS.
However, the one that makes us drool is the 2.3-litre EcoBoost unit under the hood of the performance-oriented Focus ST. This engine makes 280 PS of max power, along with 420 Nm of peak torque, and can be had with either a 6-speed manual transmission, or an optional 7-speed automatic. 0 to 100 kmph comes in between 5.7 – 6.0 seconds, depending on the gearbox.
The Focus ST rides on massive 19-inch wheels, as compared to the 16 inchers seen on the regular Focus. The car also gets sportier bits over the regular hatch, both inside and outside. However, be ready to shell out around Rs 45 lakh for the hot hatch. However, with more power than anything else at this price point, we’re sure that the Focus ST will find takers in India without much trouble.
Apart from that, Ford is currently working on a range of SUVs for India, under its joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra. These upcoming SUVs include a C-segment SUV that will be based on the next-gen Mahindra XUV500, a Hyundai Creta rivalling mid-size SUV, as well as the overdue next generation version of the EcoSport.