Finally the most
anticipated sub-4-metre SUV, the Ford Ecosport is launched in India. I am not
sure whether this vehicle can be called as an SUV because its much more of a
crossover. After all, 4-wheel drive is not even available as an option. The thing
which surprised me is that, it has a 3 cylinder 999cc turbocharged petrol
engine option also. Ford calls this revolutionary engine as Ecoboost. That
might me the reason, this vehicle is named as Ecosport as the word 'Eco' is
related to the fuel economy. This vehicle is avilable in 2 more engine options.
A 1.5 litre Ti-VCT petrol mill and a 1.5 litre TDCi diesel mill. 1.5 litre
petrol model has options for both manual and automatic transmission and the
diesel machine is available with a manual transmission only.
The 1 litre Ecoboost petrol
engine has a 122.5bhp output at 600rpm in combination with a thumping maximum
torque yield of 170Nm. Meanwhile the, 1.5 litre Ti-VCT petrol engine has a
power output of 110bhp at 6300rpm. This
diesel motor is said to generate about 90bhp.
Apart from these impressive
engine options and the luxuriant comfort aspects, the company is expected to
also incorporate some top of the line safety features as well in this
incredible SUV. Some of them are anti lock braking system(ABS) along with
electronic brake force distribution(EBD) system, a sophisticated central
locking system with keyless entry and an engine immobilizer along with an alarm
system.
This
vehicle is launched to share its market with Renault Duster. As this vehicle is
designed to keep its length below 4 metre, it will have tax reduction and thus
price can be controlled. The vehicle is priced between 5.69 lakhs INR to 9.16
lakhs INR( Ex Showroom, Kochi).
