Ford to produce India small car from early 2010

Ford Motor Co will launch production of its Figo small car in India in early 2010, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

The car was showcased at a news conference in the Indian capital.

Ford has invested $500 million at a plant in southern Indian city of Chennai and has said the plant was gearing up for production of a small car.

India's domestic auto market is relatively small, especially considering a population of more than 1.1 billion, with about 1.5 million passenger vehicles being sold last year and small cars account of nearly two-thirds of annual unit sales.