Ford EcoSport bookings open
Ford EcoSport is one of the most anticipated vehicles to be announced for the Indian market, and if initial reports are true, the company has finally opened the bookings for its compact SUV. While the launch date and price of the vehicle remain elusive, an official press release confirms that shipments to dealers across India have begun. The launch is expected in the last week of June. A Ford dealer we spoke to was willing to take bookings at ? 50,000.
"The EcoSport looks fantastic. The Chennai team, together with our supplier partners, have done an outstanding job in delivering our customers a great looking, fuel efficient, safe, compact utility vehicle with impressive functionality and connectivity, at a very affordable price," said Ford president and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally, who was in Chennai to congratulate the employees.
The EcoSport will have three engine options – the 1.0-litre EcoBoost, a 1.5-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. The award-winning EcoBoost engine is capable of producing 122PS and 170Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a five speed manual transmission and has an ARAI efficiency figure of 18.9kmpl. The vehicle will be available in four variants – Ambiente, Trend, Titanium and Titanium Optional.
The hype surrounding the EcoSport is huge and despite having driven the vehicle, we're yet to see a price tag. With such long gaps between any information from Ford, this is likely a tactic to keep interest up while we wait (still) for a price. We can only guess at some production or supply-side issues that have kept the vehicle away from showrooms this long. However, since shipments have officially begun, this is likely the first step toward an official launch with a price. We're hearing talk of a proper launch event next week, which is about the time it will take for showrooms to be stocked and ready.
Ford plans to target customers looking for a vehicle that offers capability, value and fuel efficiency. "The EcoSport is a great example of Ford's leadership in the global shift to fuel-efficient and functional utility vehicles. Utilities are helping drive our expansion throughout the region, particularly in emerging markets, where growth in the utility segments is exploding," said Dave Schoch, president of Ford Asia Pacific.