Ford Ecosport competes against segment heavyweights such as Maruti Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300 and Hyundai Venue to name a few
Ford EcoSport is widely accredited for kickstarting the much famed and highly competitive subcompact UV segment in India. The SUV was first launched in India in 2013 and has been at the top of the charts for years. But since the arrival of new rivals like Brezza, Venue, Nexon, XUV300, etc – sales have not been the best in segment.
Further, no major updates in a span of almost a decade haven’t favoured its sales volume in recent times either. However, it still marks its presence with a sizeable consumer base in the country. The American carmaker is planning to give the crossover a mild facelift in order to keep it fresh until the new generation model arrives.
At the same time, the new-gen EcoSport is reportedly under development and is expected to hit our markets by 2023/24. Meanwhile, two facelifted test mules of the sub-4 metre SUV have been spotted once again. The latest spy shots are credit to youtube channel AutoTrend TV.
The upcoming Ecosport will feature cosmetic updates on its exterior which are mostly concentrated at the front end. One of the biggest highlight will be LED DRL surrounding the foglamp housing. This has now been detailed in the spy video below.
Updated Exterior
The facelifted test mules sports a camouflaged front fascia with the most notable variation being inverted L-shaped LED DRLs below headlights. Other cosmetic updates include a revised front grille, a reprofiled front bumper and new circular fog lamps. Move towards the side and one notices a new set of alloy wheel designs.
The rear end of the car has been left uncovered and is very much kept intact. Although there are no images of the car’s interiors, it is expected that Ford introduces some cosmetic updates to the cabin as well.
Expected Feature Updates
In terms of equipment, it is expected to carry forward the same set of features as the current model, in addition to, maybe an updated Sync 3 infotainment system. Other creature comforts include a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment display compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, auto climate control, an electric sunroof, rain-sensing wipers and an electric sunroof. Safety features offered as standard across the range include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, and rear parking sensors.
As far as powertrain goes, EcoSport is currently offered with two engine options-1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel unit. The former kicks out 121 bhp and 149 Nm of peak torque while the latter returns an output of 99 bhp and 215 Nm of peak torque. Both units are paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard with the option of a 6-speed torque converter as an option for the petrol motor. The SUV is currently offered in six trims namely Ambiente, Trend, Titanium, Titanium+, SE, and Sports with prices ranging between Rs 8.19 and Rs 11.69 lakh (ex-showroom).
