The much-awaited compact EcoSport SUV from US auto major Ford is reportedly ready to hit Indian roads on 26 June.
According to a latest report published by Zigwheels, the company will begin roll out the EcoSport for the Indian market by next week and the price of the vehicle will be announced at the launch event. The news came days after Ford dealers started accepting bookings for EcoSport.
Ford's compact SUV Ecosport, which made its debut at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo, has already earned accolades for being one of the most successful launches in the history of the company. The car which has was already released in several countries like Brazil and China is making a late entry to India. Auto enthusiasts in the country have been waiting to hear the news of its launch from a long time.
Meanwhie, the Chennai manufacturing plant for the vehicle has begun production. The company hopes to make India the export hub for EcoSport.
"India is a great market and is the lead edge indicator as to what people want in the world," said Ford Motor Company President and CEO Alan Mulally. "We are going to pay more attention to this segment. You will see more products in that segment."
Ford EcoSport What We Know So Far
EcoSport will come in four trims - Ambiente, Trend, Titanium and Titanium Optional trims. While the 1.5-litre petrol MT of EcoSport will be available in three variants - Ambiente, Trend and Titanium, the 1.5-litre AT will be offered only in the Titanium variant.
The Titanium and Titanium (O) trims will feature Smart Keyless entry and Push Button Start. The SYNC emergency system is exclusive for the top two models of EcoSport. Along with the Sync Emergency technology, the top variants will also get CD/MP3 player and a 3.5-inch multifunction display.
The EcoSport SUV will be launched in seven colour variants and the interior will come in two colour options - charcoal black + warm neutral gray (offered on all variants except on Titanium (O)) and charcoal black + dark shadow gray (exclusive for the top end Titanium (O) model).
Earlier leaked features of EcoSport suggested that the top-end variants which are powered by the 1.5-litre petrol engine will come with six-speed automatic transmission, while the Ambiente and Trend will have the five-speed manual transmission (MT). The base model of the EcoSport Ambient will lack safety features like ABS and airbags, but will have manual air-conditioning, manual rear windows and Bluetooth audio system.
The Trend variant will come with ABS and EBD but will lack airbags. The other features of this variant include steering mounted audio controls, height adjustable drive seat and front and rear power windows. The Titanium variant will have power windows, steering mounted controls, automatic air conditioning system, Microsoft SYNC, 16″ alloys, dual airbags, reverse parking sensors and chrome exteriors. The top variant, Ford EcoSport Titanium Optional, will feature leather seats, push button start, Keyless Vehicle System and side and curtain airbags, along with the features seen in the Trend.
The car is expected to carry a price tag between ₹5.9 and ₹6 lakh, while the high-end variants may cost as much as ₹9 lakh.
