The Ikon will be Ford India’s mascot for India. The company is planning to launch a slew of Ikon variants in the near future. First, there will be one with a 1.3-litre Endura engine. Then there will be a trendier sports variant with a 1.6-litre engine and features like leather steering, side skirt, fog lights and spoilers.

With the introduction of such Ikon variants, Ford India will put its Escort on the block. The vehicle, its first offering in India, will be phased out as part of a global plan. The Indian customers of the car have been individually informed of this decision.

Ford India officials do not wish to reveal details of the new models, except saying that the 1.3-litre version will have almost all the features of the Ikon. Yet it will be cheaper (by nearly Rs 60,000) compared to the 1.6-litre version. The car will fit in the upper end of the small car segment in India –somewhere between Maruti''s Zen, and Hyundai’s Santro at one end, and mid-size cars like Maruti’s Esteem. The company expects this model to take up 40 per cent of its total production.

The base model of the Ikon is priced at Rs 4.99 lakh. There are two variants -- a 1.6-litre petrol version and a 1.8-litre diesel version. The sports variant will be priced marginally higher.

Meanwhile, Ford India is firming up its plans for exporting the Ikon. Initially CKD, or completely-knocked-down, kits will be shipped to South Africa, where the cars will be assembled and marketed by a Ford joint venture in that country.

The company has set a target of 21,000 units of the Ikon in 2000. Deliveries against the first lot of bookings – nearly 6,000 in number – are expected to be completed by March 2000.