In a goof up, Ford India has displayed the upcoming EcoSport Compact, a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), on a WIP page on its official website. The news that this SUV will be launched in the country is not really surprising as the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo will serve as the platform for its official unveiling. However, speculation was rife whether the car will be assimilated with the all-new EcoBoost engine. The specifications of this vehicle listed on the web page have verified that it will indeed by assimilated with that engine though its capacity remains unknown.
The car itself had generated buzz in the market for its looks, which will be reminiscent of Fiesta as this SUV has been developed on the same platform. Regarding the engine, there is speculation that the recently unveiled 1 litre EcoBoost engine will be used in the car. This engine may be a game changer in the highly competitive auto sector as it employs direct injection, variable valve timing and turbo charging. The use of these enhances the engine's power production capacity and mileage manifolds while lowering tail pipe emissions. Thus, it offers excellent power output and torque though the capacity of this new 3-cylinder engine is just 1 litre.
It is available in two forms, 100 bhp and 125 bhp-200 Nm versions and which one will be used in it is not clear till now. With the tremendous power generation capacity of the engine, the car will be able to give Ford India a much needed breather in the competitive Indian auto market.
In India, cars that stand less than 4 metres in length and have diesel engine capacity less than 1.5 litres are eligible for cuts in excise duty. Thus, the SUV, Ford EcoSport, will most likely be assimilated with a 1.5 litre TDCI diesel engine, which had been developed exclusively for the domestic market by the American manufacturer. Though the vehicle is longer than 4 metres, Indian regulations stipulate that the length of the spare wheel will not be included while measuring the vehicle itself. This puts EcoSport under 4 metres in length, thus providing full tax benefits to the company.
In order to keep steadily increasing competition from companies like Maruti, Mahindra and Hyundai at bay, Ford India will have to give the new EcoSport an affordable price tag while launching it in the country.
