US automobile giant, Ford Motor on Wednesday unveiled the new global compact SUV EcoSport on the eve of Delhi Auto Expo 2012. The unveiling was conducted by J Mays, the design head of Ford worldwide. The car is the second of eight new global models that Ford plans to launch in India, the company said in a statement. Fiesta was the first product in this category.
The EcoSport SUV is based on the Fiesta platform, and is a rather good looking car with smart LED lamps. The new crossover is slightly smaller than the Honda CR-V, with a very strong design language.
The SUV has flared wheel arches, 17-inch wheels, an inverted trapezoidal grille and a very raked A-pillar. In terms of the headlamps, Mays declared that while those of other cars were getting bigger and bigger, Ford is trying to go smaller with the new design language. This is possible due to the use of LEDs and also the fact that the headlamps are now also positioned lower.
The EcoSport has a 1-litre, 3-cylinder turbo, direct injection petrol engine producing 120PS of power and 170Nm of torque. Ford have managed to keep the emissions low at 140gm/km. Low emissions, high torque and power from small engines. The car will also get the 1.5-litre diesel engine that currently does duty in the Fiesta.
The EcoSport is expected to be launched in mid-2012 and could prove to be a game changer in the Indian SUV market with its low pricing in the region of Rs 7-9 lakh.
Though the Premier Rio was technically the first compact SUV in the market, the EcoSport will be the first serious player to compete with upcoming Renault Duster which is touted to be its biggest rival.
