The metamorphosis that the Indian automobile market has undergone recently is backed by the booming sales of compact Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV). Prominent factors that have won the cars adoration bountiful in the SUV segment are desirable features, outstanding performance on difficult road conditions and their spaciousness. A car brand that is swiftly moving up the ladder of recognition in the segment mentioned above is Ford. Categorised as an entry level urban-centric SUV, Ford's latest launch EcoSport is a stunner has been performing excellently, since it hit Indian showrooms early this year. The elegant exteriors, fuel economy, competitive pricing, use of impressive technology and a host of other desirable features, together vouch for the EcoSport's efficiency, which have made it a preferred choice for SUV car buyers. Other than the popularity, Ford EcoSport has also earned competition in both domestic and international markets. To cut the list short, two names that can compete with this SUV, globally, are Nissan Qashqai and Volkswagen Tiguan.
Before illustrating on the comparison, it is essential to note the commendable features of the Ford EcoSport. To begin with, this all-new compact SUV of Ford comes in three engine variants for car buyers to choose from. The three engine line-up can be indexed as a 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol, 1.5-litre TiVCT petrol and a 1.5-litre DV5 diesel. Notably, the EcoSport delivers a mileage that ranges from 13.07 kmpl to 16.15 kmpl depending on driving conditions. Additionally, this SUV boasts of a proficient fuel supply system, which makes it score well on fuel economy. When it comes to handling and safety, EcoSport is provided with safety features, such as airbags, Anti-lock Braking system (ABS) along with EBD (electronic brake force distribution).
Moving on to EcoSport's global competition, there are two cars from the leading car brands, namely Nissan and Volkswagen, that stand a fare chance of giving stiff competition on arrival in India. These include Nissan Qashqai and Volkswagen Tiguan. Nissan, the Japanese automobile manufacturer, first came out with Qashqai, a compact crossover in 2007 and recently unveiled the all-new generation model early this month. It mainly caters to those buyers who want a dynamic design unlike the large and aggressive looks of an SUV. Nissan Qashqai boasts of enhanced technology, fuel-efficient engines, refined design and performance. The variants of this car that are currently available in four engine options in the international markets, all of which operate on turbocharged units. These include 1.2-litre and 1.6-litre DIG-T petrol engines that produce 113 bhp and 148 bhp of power, respectively. On the other hand, diesel variants are available with 1.5-litre dCi engine that churns out 110 bhp and 1.6-litre dCi unit that produces 130 bhp.
Lastly, Volkswagen Tiguan is a tall wagon that combines the functionality of a sedan into the SUV package. Tiguan is lightweight in construction and feels a bit like a smoothly riding small car on stilts. In terms of engine configuration the 4-cylinder 2.0-litre turbocharged engine produces 200 bhp of peak power and is offered with six-speed manual and automatic transmission options.
To sum things up, Ford EcoSport is a highly successful model that has outperformed rivals in India. For any international model to compete with it, requires excellent performance and efficiency backed by aggressive pricing and good marketing. Although at present, Ford EcoSport dominates the compact SUV segment in India, global models like Nissan Qashqai and Volkswagen Tiguan stand a good chance of giving the EcoSport a run for its money.
