The Ford EcoSport Compact SUV is close to being launched in the country. We have been told that the bookings for the much hyped compact crossover will begin sometime next month and the car is most likely to be launched in July.
The Ford EcoSport is already on sale in many markets around the globe and is making life tough for Renault Duster and the likes. The marketing campaign for the EcoSport is already underway and the car has easily managed to stir a great response from the prospective car buyers in India.
Ford India has so far refrained from announcing the prices but the fact that the EcoSport will be exclusively manufactured in India for right-hand drive markets would mean that the heavy localization could enable the manufacturer to price the car ultra competitively. Ford India has already got their fingers burnt by initially pricing the new Fiesta sedan pretty high.
The Ford EcoSport for India will come with as many as three engine variants- The entry level variants will be powered by the same 1.5 litre normally aspirated petrol engine that does duty in the Fiesta. The second petrol engine variant will be powered by the much publicized Ford EcoBoost 1.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine that has power figures of a normally aspirated 1.5litres petrol engine and has won a lot of accolades for being high on both performance and efficiency. The third engine variant, and the one that has good chances of bringing the volumes, will be powered by the Fiesta’s 1.5 litre turbocharged oil burner that will take the fight straight to the high selling diesel variants of the Renault Duster.
The Ford Ecosport will be sold in four trim levels- Ambiente, Trend, Titanium and Titanium Plus. The Titanium variant will be available only with the 1 Liter EcoBoost turbocharged petrol and 1.5 Liter Ti-VCT petrol engine. The Titanium trim level brings along 6 speed PowerShift dual clutch automatic transmission for the 1.5 liter Ti-VCT petrol.
That the boffins at Ford India are very serious about getting it right with the EcoSport can be seen from the marketing campaign and promotions that are being conducted across the country. Also, in a first of sorts, a total of more than 150 experts and media professionals from India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Taiwan will be driving the EcoSport in and around Goa. Our team is just back from the media drive of the EcoSport and our first impression of the EcoSport is that of a well sorted out car that looks fairly potent to eat into the sales of many contenders in the C segment of our car market.
We drove the 1.0 litre EcoBoost equipped EcoSport with Titanium Optinal pack trim level. Stay tuned for our full review of the EcoSport.
- Deja vu anyone?
Ford India wants to do a Figo with the EcoSport and from the looks of it, the upcoming Compact SUV looks all set to take our car market by storm.
Well, it looks like every company is launching a hatchback with < 1.5 Lit engin and calling it a compact SUV just because it has good ground clearance….