Mumbai, Feb 24 :     Ford India is aggressively taking the battle into the lower end of the mid-size segment by announcing its decision to manufacture the Ikon - its latest offering in the market - with a 1.3 litre engine. At present, the Ikon offers engine variants with 1.6 and 1.8 litre capacities. The 1.3 litre Ikon will take on Maruti Esteem, Fiat Siena and the Opel Corsa; it will also offer a tantalising choice to those customers who were eyeing the premium versions of the Zen, Hyundai Santro, Daewoo Matiz and Telco's Indica. The 1.3 CLXi (petrol version) will be available for Rs 4.75 lakh (ex-showroom) in Calcutta. In another significant move, the company announced that from March 1, the ex-factory price of the 1.6 and 1.8 ZXI Ikon models will be increased by Rs 7500. Currently, the 1.6 CLX1 Rocam petrol and its variants are available ex-showroom in Calcutta from Rs 5.16 lakh onwards. The Ikon will now be the only model to straddle the market for cars with engine capacities ranging from 1.3 to 1.8 litres. Ford India managing director Philip Spender said: 'With the introduction of the 1.3 litre Ikon CLXi, we have made available a range of Ikon models.' Analysts say the move clearly indicates that Ford India - a fully-owned subsidiary of the second largest carmaker in the world - is pulling out all the stops in an aggressive bid to grab marketshare and volumes through Ikon. Ford, a late entrant in the market, has had to overcome a lot of odds before stepping on the gas. To start with, it made a disastrous impact with Ford Escort, its mid-size offering. Last month the company had sold 1676 Ikons, Spender said. Till date, the company has delivered 4000 cars. The company has 3,600 orders for Ikons on hand. Analysts explained that while the 1.3L Ikon sports a price tag higher than models like Santro, Zen and Matiz, the company's strategy is to wean away the potential buyers who would be willing to shell out a little extra for a three-boxed car. Explaining his company's move to straddle as many segments as possible, Spender said: 'The Ikon has appealed to audiences across segments and has become an aspirational car for customers in the small car segment. Ford India is keen to enlarge the family of 'josh' owners'. 'Small car buyers will prefer the Ford Ikon 1.3 CLXI as it makes the desirable affordable,' he added. With economical pricing of spare parts, good servicing and attractive financing, Ford officials hope that the residual value of the car will go up which should attract prospective car buyers. Vinay Piparsania, general manager-sales, Ford India, said. 'The 'Josh' theme pervades all aspects of Ford India's operation in India. In keeping with this spirit, Ford India has unveiled three new Ikon models within the first three months of launching the 'Josh' machine. Spender announced that the shipments of 1.3 litre Ikon will start from March. It is powered by the 1300 cc Endura-E engine, which is Euro II compliant and has CFC free air-conditioning. He also declared that Ford Ikon would be fully supported by QualityCare's, Ford's branded customer service.