Reference Auto

Ford may not be as ‘big’ as its American counterpart General Motors or GM in terms of operations, but the former has understood the Indian car market somewhat better than its US rival off late, and in order to spur growth, it has unveiled its snazzy looking mini-SUV, the EcoSport, which is expected to roll out around June but despite a litany of safety and 'unique' features, sales of the new SUV would depend on the price.

The EcoSport would not only be a big launch for Ford this year but for the whole auto industry as well and its unprecedented ‘great’ looks is surely going to be Ford’s USP along with its price (that is, if the price is kept in the Rs 5 lakh-Rs 7 lakh range). If price is higher, buyers could snub the mini-SUV.

Ford is also planning an innovative promotion campaign, where it would let 100 people drive the car, and this, along with customer interaction campaigns, could give a fillip to the EcoSport’s sales.

The EcoSport compact SUV will be offered in four trims, eight colours along with three engine options (two petrol and one diesel).

The engines will be mated with a five-speed manual gearbox while the 1.5 litre petrol model will also come with an automatic option.

While the 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines will be a replica of the one available in the Fiesta sedan, the 1.0 EcoBoost engine is new to the Indian market and would surely evince interest among potential car buyers.

The EcoSport has been turbocharged to produce a commendable 120 PS of power and 170 Nm torque. The American giant says the SUV will give a fuel economy of 16 km per litre, which is quite good for a mini-SUV. The EcoSport has been projected as an urban SUV.

The high-end version will have frills such as an interactive Sync infotainment system, push-button start and parking sensors.

The EcoSport Sync, Ford’s voice-enabled in-car connectivity system, has been developed in a tie-up with Microsoft. The technology would allow EcoSport owners to operate Bluetooth-enabled phones and USB devices via voice commands. They just have to utter words and the Sync will dial calls, read out text messages and browse and select music tracks.

This is a unique technology, which could bowl over car buffs in the country, as it would be for the first time such hi-tech add-ons come to India, especially in a car, which is priced below Rs 10 lakh.

Safety too has been catered to. There are front and side curtain airbags, ABS, traction control along with ESP. The SUV also contains a hill launch assist system, which helps a driver in an slope without rolling back. That’s a unique safety feature for a driver on the hills.

The EcoSport also has a smart start, Ford’s keyless entry, which detects owner’s closeness to the car and unlocks the door when he or she gets close.

So, with a slew of hi-tech and safety along with other ‘unique’ features, Ford EcoSport could storm the market if the price is right (that is, less than Rs 7 lakh).