The America-based automobile giant, Ford has finally unveiled the highly anticipated next-gen EcoSport ahead of its 201 Los Angeles debut.
The new SUV is expected to reach the dealerships across the United States by early 2018. However, in India, the SUV is likely to arrive a little sooner, all thanks to some great business which the compact SUV made for Ford India. Though the basic recipe required for creating the small but efficient SUV remains very much the same, Ford is slated to equip the new-gen EcoSport with a bunch of new features which will help it to outshine its competitors.
The Exteriors
The new EcoSport offers a wide range of options to select from the ten body colors and seven options for the ambient lightings. The new Ford EcoSport will be available across 4 trim level offerings namely the S, SE, SES and Titanium variants. A four-wheel drive option that comes with a ‘sporty’ suspension and a smooth steering set-up will be featured in the second-to-top variant. Coming to the exteriors, the next-gen EcoSport will be fitted with newly designed headlamps which have comparatively grown a bit in size, fog lights, contemporary larger chrome finished front grille with sharp ridges on the bonnet, and newly restyled bumpers. At the back, the spare wheel has been removed from the swing-gate styled tailgate, which will be now bolted underneath, at the rear end of the car.
The Interiors
The interiors of the cabin will have the dashboard which has been completely overhauled with completely blacked-out interiors running throughout it with hints of copper accents and contrast stitching which gives the cabin a premium look and feel.
The High-Tech Details
Much the same like the Endeavour, the new Ford EcoSport will now carry an SYNC 3 system which, according to the automobile giant, is claimed to be faster, further intuitive and much easier to use. The voice recognition system will come paired with an 8-inch screen, which will be featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto technology. The SYNC Connect technology which comes with FordPass can be used to start, lock, unlock, or locate that car. The FordPass mobile App can be used to track a lot of information related to the vehicle, like the fuel levels and odometer readings. Very well thought-out touches have made it to the feature list which includes two power outlets, where one is for the front and the other is for the rear passengers.
Audio and Radio Systems
The version of the EcoSport that is slated for release in the American automobile market will arrive with a host of Ford-exclusive top notched features. These include a 675-watt music system equipped with a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen setup, which the Harman acoustic engineers will be fixing up for the perfect music experience. The B & O Play branded woofers and tweeters come embedded in the front doors and a sub-woofer in the back. The compact SUV will also feature a high-definition radio tech which comes with a dual FM radio antenna. The antenna serves its purpose perfectly by helping in boosting the range and clarity of the FM signals.
Under the Hood
The customers in the American market will get to choose between two variants of the powerhouse, one which is a 3-cylinder, turbocharged EcoBoost engine of 1.0-liter capacity and the other is a four-pot mill with a 2.0-liter fuel capacity. The customers who opt for the latter variant of the powertrain will get Ford’s exclusive 4-wheel drive system as a standard feature. Both the variants of the engines will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
While all this is just a mouthful and a half to bluster about the new EcoSport, Ford is likely to limit all its generous specificities for the India-bound EcoSport slightly to keep a check on the costs. While the EcoBoost engine is expected to make it to the final list, there is a probability that the 2.0-litre engine will be axed. The arch rival of Ford EcoSport, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has taken the Indian automobile market by a storm. However, the Americans will have to play their ‘A’ game, both, in terms of features and also with the price, so that a strong presence is maintained in the market.