EcoSport: A stunning SUV priced under Rs 10 lakh

Ford EcoSport, the most awaited launch of 2013 is here.

Ford has announced the rolling out of the vehicle in mid June 2013. After unveiling the concept form of the car last year during 2012 Auto Expo, India-spec Ford EcoSport has finally arrived.

The car is designed to combine best-in-class design, technology, quality and safety aimed at attracting new generation of customers in different global markets.

The EcoSport will be built at Ford's plant in Chennai, from where it will also be exported to few other markets in Africa and Middle East.

This is probably the reason why the India launch has been delayed - Ford is trying to localise maximum components to keep prices in check.

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Ford EcoSport features include 200 mm of ground clearance, 550mm water wading capability (which should be useful during monsoons), voice enabled interactive system known as SYNC and the ESP and 1.0L EcoBoost engine which is extremely fuel efficient and powerful.

Move inside, and you can easily recognise that the dashboard is quite similar to Fiesta's, with a similar angular dashboard layout and familiar controls.

While the build and plastic quality of the top half of the two-tone dashboard is decent for this class of car, there are quite a few panel gaps and the lower half of the dashboard feels a little sub-par.

Compared to the cars like the Fabia and Polo, the EcoSport's cabin quality simply doesn't come close.

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The EcoSport is very generously equipped, with telescopic steering, a music player with Aux-in and Bluetooth, electric wing mirrors, remote locking, a multi-function display, and 16-inch wheels.

However, the top end Titanium version has additional extravagant features that you can cherish entire life - 16-inch wheels and steering-mounted audio controls on a leather-wrapped wheel, driver-seat height adjustment, climate control, a cooled glove box, front fog lamps, rear parking sensors, push-button start, leather seats, keyless entry, Ford's voice-operated Sync system, and front, side and curtain airbags as well.

If you talk about security, Ford EcoSport clearly seems to hold edge over others in the automobile market.

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Emergency assist system might prove to be life saving technology and comes into picture when there is fuel pump shut off or an airbag is deployed. It has the facility to send emergency voice message to operators along with car's GPS details/coordinates.

Ford EcoSport features include pull-drift-compensation in the steering which is Ford's trademark - with the capability of correcting the steering when it detects a pull caused by crosswinds or a crowned road surface.

Steering is light and quick. Ford has painstakingly tuned the suspension to strike a finely judged balance between ride and handling.

The result is a car that feels surefooted at speed on any surface and yet pliant enough isolate you from road shocks.
It features 205/60-R16 tyres, which offer superb grip and a cushy secondary ride. Without any doubt; EcoSport is going to be a new sensation amongst the cars below Rs 10 lakhs.

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The compact-SUV is going to be a five-seater only; also there won't be an option of adding jumper seats to the rear.

This also means that the EcoSport will be solely for personal use and won't interest fleet car markets.

The boot space of the Indian version should be somewhere around 350-litre – putting it at par with space in the C-segment sedans; rear seats can be folded 60:40 to increase space to 560-litre.

The tall-boy riding position means that ingress and egress from the EcoSport will be relatively easy, though we assume that the headroom in the second row might just be an issue for really tall passengers.

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There is no doubt that Ford has tried to bring all the SUV characteristics to this car. This five seater SUV stands high and tall.
It looks extremely aggressive from its front. It has a massive front bumper sporting a huge three layered air dam.

It's partly black in colour so that it looks less bulky. It will be exciting to see in future how Indian version of Ford EcoSport will perform with its petrol engine on Indian roads which are little bumpy.

As per its specifications it's not hard to judge the performance of this engine.

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The turbocharged unit starts pulling power early and won't let you feel any kind of turbo lag.

Its competitor, Duster is a very light car and manages a good power to weight ratio and that can also be felt while driving that car.

The power output is adequate; we just hope it remains a lightweight car so that it can be the fastest in its segment.

If everything goes fine then expect it to reach 100km/hour in less than 10 seconds and its top speed may cross the mark of 170km/hour.

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Ford is unveiling EcoSport with three engines and an automatic variant. The key question is base model price.

Ford wants lead the market with the EcoSport and our guess is a starting price of Rs 7 lakh going up to Rs 12 lakh for the top-end Titanium with the option pack.

Get your cheques signed up! Ford claims to sweep the market with EcoSport on the basis of look and feel alone.

Ford EcoSport is a car that promises to pull on your heartstrings even before you drive it and once you've gotten your hands on the driving seat, you're going to be completely mesmerized by the way it drives.

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