Ford's upcoming EcoSport SUV will come with a new in-built emergency alert system - the Emergency Assistance technology - that could act as a life saver.
The American auto manufacturer revealed details of the Emergency Assistance feature at the ongoing Ford EcoSport media drive in Goa. EcoSport will be the first vehicle in India to have this kind of emergency alert technology. The feature which works in conjunction with Ford's SYNC system will automatically alert emergency services in cases of accidents.
"We're so excited about being the first automaker to provide this technology where EcoSport will be uniquely positioned amidst segment players. Ford's Emergency Assistance system has already proved itself as a life-saver in other parts of the world and we expect our customers here to appreciate this level of reassuring in-car connectivity," said Joginder Singh, president and managing director, Ford India.
The Emergency Assistance feature, which will be connected to the driver's mobile phone via Bluetooth, sends a critical voice message directly to emergency operators when the vehicle meets with an accident. The message is triggered when an airbag is deployed or the emergency fuel pump shutoff is activated. The feature uses Sync hands-free phone capabilities to connect the driver directly with 108 - India's emergency service - through the paired phone.
Apart from this new feature, Ford's soon-to-be-launched SUV will also offer ABS, EBD and ESP in the top- end variant. The vehicle which is expected to hit the Indian market in June will come in four trims. The top-end variants are powered by the 1.5-litre petrol engine and come with six-speed automatic transmission.
Among the four trims, Ambiente and Trend will have the five-speed manual transmission. 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.
EcoSport SUV is expected to fall in the ₹5.9-₹6 lakh price bracket and the high-end variants in the ₹9 lakh range. According to reports, Ford will start accepting booking for the vehicle from June.
