The stylish compact SUV named Ford EcoSport had made its debut in the Indian automotive market last year at an attractive price tag of about Rs. 5.59 Lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). Since then the compact SUV has seen price hikes on numerous occasions. The most recent hike came in July when Ford had hiked Ecosport's price by about Rs. 10,000 for the base variant, whereas the top variant is hiked by about Rs. 15,000. It is interesting to see how the price hike has not affected to see a drop in sales. In-fact, the scenario has been the opposite with the car being on a long waiting list due to surplus demand.
Ford Ecosport features EPAS with Pull Drift Compensation technology for steering for maximum control. The drive quality is comfortable due to independent McPherson strut with coil spring and anti-roll bar on the front. The rear wheels are blessed with Semi-independent twist beam with twin gas and oil filled shock absorbers. Ford Ecosport, the compact SUV is available in petrol and diesel variants. The diesel version is powered by 1.5 Litre engine that generates about 91Ps of power with 204Nm of torque. The petrol version is powered by 1.5 Litre and 1.0 Litre petrol engine that generates about 112 Ps of power with 140 Nm of torque and 125 Ps of power with 170 Nm of torque respectively.
Speaking more on Ford's plans for India, Nigel Harris, president of Ford India, said, “The EcoSport not only did well in India but every market in which it has been launched. That has put the pressure on suppliers everywhere. We can’t change suppliers overnight but have now got to a point where we can increase volumes. We will, therefore, soon move to a third shift which is planned for the EcoSport. We are not limiting the lower variants but demand really is for the higher variants. For the first couple of the years, people want the (top-of-the-line) Titanium, and not many want the lower series to start with. It’s only when the vehicle is a year or two old that people begin to demand the mid and lower variants.”
Source: AC
