Ford EcoSport Facelift To Launch On November 9

The EcoSport has been among the best-selling cars for the American manufacturer since it was first launched in 2013. Four years and several minor updates later, Ford has confirmed that it will be launching the new EcoSport facelift next month.

As far as looks are concerned, the new EcoSport seems quite similar to the outgoing version. What’s new though is the front fascia. It gets a single, new, horizontally slatted hexagonal grill flanked by new sharper looking headlamps, along with a redesigned front bumper and fog lamps. The rear and side profiles look similar with black body cladding running all over the lower half of the car. The old school tailgate-mounted spare wheel remains intact even with the new version.

Inside the car, the basic cabin design remains the same, except the body-coloured inserts (silver on the current version) and the new redesigned central console which gets a touchscreen infotainment system that is expected to come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The steering wheel and the instrument cluster have also been redesigned to give it a fresh feel. The new EcoSport is expected to be equipped with features such as automatic climate control, cruise control, rear parking sensors with camera, ABS, EBD and 6 airbags.

The biggest update, though, is under the bonnet. The EcoSport will be the first car to get Ford’s new 1.5-litre petrol engine. The three-cylinder motor is part of Ford’s ‘Dragon’ family of engines, and develops 123PS and 150Nm. This engine will be offered with a 5-speed manual transmission, or a 6-speed automatic. The 100PS 1.5-litre diesel engine will be carried over as is. That said, there’s no confirmation on whether the 1.0-litre EcoBoost will continue to remain on sale.

When launched, the EcoSport will take on cars like the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Honda WR-V, Mahindra TUV300 and the recently launched Tata Nexon.