US auto major Ford is putting its upcoming EcoSport compact SUV through rigorous testing in India. The internet is abuzz with images of the new EcoSport, giving an early glimpse into the changes made to the model before its arrival in the market. The new EcoSport is expected to be launched in the country during the festive season this year.
Ford's new EcoSport hit the road for testing in India only a few days back, and pictures of the compact SUV have stormed the internet since then. The latest images of the new EcoSport come from Indian Autosblog, and many more will certainly surface in the coming days as the model goes to other parts of the country for testing. The model in question is now believed to be on test tour in Chennai.
The images show the prototype spotted on test in partly camouflaged form, hiding the key changes in the model. However, what can be clearly seen is the rear mounted spare wheel. While the EcoSport is ditching the tailmounted wheel in some markets, it will stay intact in the India-spec model as Indians love it that way.
At the front, the 2017 EcoSport is expected to get new bolder grille, reworked projector headlamps with LED DRLs and new fog lamps. The compact SUV is also likely to get new 16-inch alloys in its new model. Although we haven't seen the interior of the new EcoSport so far, rumours suggest that the new 2017 model will get all-black interiors with features such as 8.0-inch touchscreen system, new dashboard and steering wheel. Ford started offering 8.0-inch touchscreen system in some of the variants of the EcoSport in India recently.
As far as the engine is concerned, the EcoSport facelift is likely to carry over the same engine from the current model. The EcoSport in India is currently powered by a 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine, which is tuned to dish out 99bhp of power. The petrol mills are a 1.5-litre Ti-VCT and the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine.
In India, the EcoSport is fighting its battle against Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Mahindra TUV300 and will soon find a new contender in the upcoming Tata Nexon.
Source: IndianAutosBlog
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