Ford EcoSport Production Ends At Chennai Assembly Plant

Last September, Ford announced that it would be ending its manufacturing operations in India, which also spelled the end of Ford EcoSport production at the Chennai Assembly plant. Originally, Ford EcoSport production was slated to end at the conclusion of May, but an ongoing strike at the Chennai plant extended that timeline by a couple of months. The strike ended earlier this month, and Ford planned to build 1,500 more EcoSports before the Chennai plant closed and production of the crossover comes to an end in that country. Now, Ford EcoSport production has officially ended in India, according to The Economic Times.

“Yes, the last vehicle from the export commitments rolled out of the final assembly yesterday, whereas the rest of the work related to aftersales, parts, and sub-assemblies continue at the Chennai plant,” a company spokesperson said. The very last Ford EcoSport to come off the assembly line was reportedly a white model adorned with flowers and surrounded by workers to mark the historic yet somber occasion.

After 25 years, the Chennai plant will officially close at the end of this month unless the automaker can find a buyer for it. As Ford Authority recently reported, Tata Motors intends to purchase Ford’s Sanand Assembly plant, also located in India, after the automaker scrapped plans to convert either facility for the production of all-electric vehicles that would then be exported to other markets.

A refreshed EcoSport was reportedly in the works for India with plans to launch last year, but FoMoCo’s decision to shutter production at the Chennai plant this year effectively ended those plans. Ford previously stated that it will continue to produce the crossover at the Craiova Assembly plant in Romania for the European market, but recently transferred ownership of that facility to Ford Otosan, which will build the next-generation Transit Courier there starting in 2023, an all‑electric version of that model following in 2024, and the Puma EV in 2024 as well.

We’ll have more on the EcoSport soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford EcoSport news and non-stop Ford news coverage.