2017 Ford EcoSport India Launch Soon; Spied Inside Out

Ford India India has been busy readying the new Ford EcoSport 2017 facelift for its India launch in late-2017. Of course, this facelift will be the biggest launch from Ford India this year. Once a top-selling model, the car was rather quick to be overtaken by the Maruti Vitara Brezza. With the Tata Nexon launch nearing with every passing day, the upcoming EcoSport facelift should help the American carmaker bring this compact SUV back into the limelight. Our sources tell us that the new 2017 Ford EcoSport India launch date will fall in early-November this year. Currently, the manufacturer has been busy testing the car on Indian public roads, which is evident from the numerous spy images seen so far.

The 2017 Ford EcoSport will offer the new Arpoador Red colour shade along with a handful of other cosmetic updates. The interior will also get some visual updates along with many new features. The front-end of the updated car will have a single piece hexagonal grille, new bumper, and new fog lamp housings. Thanks to the new front fascia, the car looks a lot bolder than the current model. The side profile gets new design alloy wheels while the rear-end could get some minor updates, too.

Also See – 2016 EcoSport Test Drive Review | EcoSport Prices 

Coming to the interior, the 2017 EcoSport gets a new dashboard, refreshed instrument console, new design HVAC vents, and a new three-spoke steering wheel. The new dashboard offers a dashboard grab bar for the front passenger. The biggest update, however, is the introduction of the new SYNC3 infotainment system that offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity features. The modern infotainment unit also supports sat-nav, voice recognition, and offers telephony controls. The base models are likely to get a 2-DIN audio unit with a smaller display instead of the SYNC3.

Also See- Ford Figo Cross India Launch Next Year

The updated car will offer three engine options – 1.0-litre EcoBoost Turbo Petrol, 1.5-litre TDCi Turbo Diesel, and the all-new three-cylinder 1.5-litre TiVCT Naturally Aspirated Petrol. All the engines will come mated to a 5-speed Manual Transmission. Additionally, the 1.5-litre Petrol engine will also offer an optional 6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. It’s not sure at the moment, but Ford India might even consider offering the optional 4wd system on the top model.

Also See – Old vs New – Ford EcoSport

2017 Ford EcoSport India Spy Images

Seen here are spy images of both exterior and interior of the new EcoSport. These reveal the India-spec model in all its glory. The utter lack of any bit of camouflage hints at an imminent launch. As can be seen in these spy images, the test mule wears the new Arpoador Red colour. The facelift comes with a set of new design headlamps, a bolder front grille, a new front bumper and new fog lamps. All these updates come together to make the car look a lot bolder. Thanks to these changes, the 2017 Ford EcoSport facelift gets in line with latest Ford cars such as the Kuga and the Endeavour.

Also See – 2016 EcoSport Test Drive Review | EcoSport Prices 

2017 Ford EcoSport India Launch Date

While Ford India is yet to make an official announcement of the launch date, our sources inform us that the new car will launch in early November this year. Considering that the new 2017 Ford EcoSport India launch date falls bang in the middle of the festive period, Ford India is likely to witness a strong initial demand for the new product. The EcoSport facelift has two rather challenging tasks ahead of it- One, to outclass the Vitara Brezza, and two, to prevent the Tata Nexon from grabbing a high market share. We will drive the EcoSport facelift around the end of this month and come up with a test drive review.

Also See – EcoSport vs Vitara Brezza vs Creta vs Duster

2017 Ford EcoSport Price in India

The Ford EcoSport was once the top-selling model in its segment. However, thanks to the introduction of many new models, the American car manufacturer’s sub 4-metre SUV was seen losing its top place. The company will now want to regain the lost footing with the launch of the new EcoSport 2017. A key factor in deciding the sales performance of the new SUV will be its price. We expect a competitive price to help the refreshed car fend off the heat from the Brezza and the Nexon. That said, the new Ford EcoSport facelift will likely see a price hike compared to the older model. However, the refresh will try to justify this increase in price through new design and more features.

Also See – EcoSport vs Vitara Brezza vs Creta vs Duster

Prices of the Nexon compact SUV are expected to start at Rs 6.5 lakh. With the new Tata SUV expected to enjoy a slight price advantage, it will be interesting to see if the new model can attract buyers simply on the basis of its price and a rather unconventional design. The EcoSport, on the other hand, offers a much more involving drive. True, the facelift doesn’t look anywhere as radical as the Nexon, but it holds its own by offering butch, typically SUV-ish looks. Currently, prices of the Nexon start at Rs 7.23 lakh. Let’s see if the popular compact SUV from Maruti will be able to fend off the increased heat from the new Ford and the new Tata products.

Also See – Ford EcoSport vs Tata Nexon

2017 Ford EcoSport India Specs

The 2017 EcoSport will come with the new 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine from the Dragon series along with the other two existing engines. While the petrol powerplants include a 1.0 EcoBoost turbocharged petrol motor and the new three-cylinder 1.5-litre TiVCT naturally aspirated engine, the Diesel engine comes in the form of a 1.5-liree TDCi turbocharged unit. The new 1.5-litre petrol engine outputs a max. power of 122 BHP and a peak torque of 150 Nm. On the other hand, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbo petrol engine outputs 124 BHP and 170Nm. The Diesel engine on offer outputs 99 BHp and 205 Nm. All these engines come mated to a 5-speed Manual Transmission. Additionally, the 1.5-litre engine also offers a 6-speed Powershift dual-clutch transmission. It may be noted here that this is the only car in its segment to offer a dual clutch gearbox.

Also See- New Ford Cars at Auto Expo 2018

2017 Ford EcoSport India Mileage

Like we said, we don’t expect any major change in the engines of the EcoSport. Hence, in all probability, even the engine options will remain the same. Yes, we did mention about the slight possibility of Ford India tweaking the engines, but will this only improve the mileage marginally. Of the three engines, it is, of course, the 1.5-litre Diesel unit that is the most pocket-friendly. Among the petrol engines, the 1.0-litre turbocharged Petrol engine offers a higher mileage.

2017 Ford EcoSport India Features

Exterior Features

• New Design Alloy Wheels
• New Front Grille
• Updated Headlamps
• New Foglamp Enclosures
• Faux Skid Plate
• Updated LED Taillights

Interior Features

• New Instrument Cluster
• Body-coloured Dashboard Trim
• New Centre Console
• New Aircon Controls
• New Steering Wheel
• Infotainment Controls on Steering Wheel
• SYNC3 Infotainment Unit
• New Upholstery
• Grab Handle on Dashboard

2017 Ford EcoSport Facelift Images

2017 Ford EcoSport India Colours

• Arpoador Red (new!)
• Smoke Grey
• Chill Metallic
• Golden Bronze
• Moondust Silver
• Mars Red
• Panther Black
• Diamond White
• Kinetic Blue

In all probability, the new 2017 Ford Ecosport India spec model will have all the colour options that are available on the current car. Other than this, the facelift will also get the new Arpoador Red paint option. This has been confirmed by the spy images that you have seen earlier in this post.

2017 Ford EcoSport India Interior

The interior of the 2017 Ford EcoSport will have many new bits. All the updates come together pretty well to make the cabin of this car look a lot fresher and hence, more attractive. The 2017 model of the EcoSport will feature a new dashboard, updated speedo console and many new features. The dashboard offers a grab rail for the front passenger, which is something new for this SUV. The centre stash offers many new buttons and knobs along with new design HVAC vents. The speedo console is also new and so is the steering wheel. All these updates are enough to give the cabin a much fresher look.

The biggest highlight will be the new SYNC3 infotainment system that offers a touchscreen interface. This new unit will completely replace the SYNC unit of the current EcoSport. It will offer a large touchscreen interface that can be used to control audio system, telephone features and sat-nav. Also, the system offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity along with voice controls.

2017 Ford EcoSport India Exterior Design Review

This compact SUV looked fairly radical back when it was first launched in India. This was mainly due to the large twin-port grille, sleek headlamps and many taut surfaces. The facelift tries to offer a more attractive package whilst retaining all the plus points of the current car. The update brings along a comprehensively revised front fascia that has a bigger grille with two horizontal slats running across it. It also gets a pair of new headlamps, a faux skid plate, and an updated bumper. All this leads to a rather butch appearance of the nose.

Not much has changed in the side profile. The only change here comes in the form of a set of new design alloy wheels. The rear-end of the facelift retains the tailgate-mounted spare wheel. Hence, the registration plate stays on the bumper. Talking about the bumper, it gets slightly updated. We are pretty sure that all the updated on the new 2017 Ford EcoSport will be well received by the car buying lot.

2017 Ford EcoSport India Competition

• Maruti Vitara Brezza
• Tata Nexon
• Mahindra TUV300
• Mahindra NuvoSport

The 2017 EcoSport facelift will mainly rival the above four models. Our of these, the Vitara Brezza is the one that has been resposible for leaving a huge dent in the sales of the EcoSport. Also, with the Nexon launch almost at the doorsteps. competition is going to get even fiercer in this segment. While the NuvoSport and the TUV300 don’t enjoy the mass appeal of, say, the Vitara Brezza, they are definitely clocking decent sales numbers in select pockets. The 2017 Ford EcoSport will have to deal with all these models.

2017 Ford EcoSport India Dimensions

There won’t be any change in the dimensions and measurements of the facelift. The car will continue to measure a shade under 4-metres with an overall length of 3999 mm and a wheelbase of 2520 mm. The EcoSport is 176 mm wide, which is considerably lesser than the Brezza’s 1790 mm. This car measures 1708 mm in height. All the dimensions are very likely to remain the same.

2017 Ford EcoSport India Engine and Transmissions

The upcoming version of this compact SUV will retain two of its current engines. These will be the 1.5-litre TDCi and the 1.0-litre Ecoboost. However, the 1.5-litre TiVCT will be replaced by a new 1.5-litre three-cylinder unit that will be high on both power and mileage. All the three engines come mated to a 5-speed Manual Transmission. Additionally, the new 1.5-litre TiVCT petrol engine also offers a 6-speed dual clutch unit. Out of these three, it is the Diesel engine that is the most pocket-friendly to run. This is not only because of Diesel being a cheaper fuel but also because the motor offers a rather high mileage. Among the petrol engines, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost is a lot more fun.

7 New Ford Cars Headed to India!

The Ford EcoSport is still one of the mainstay models of the company. While it has definitely seen better days, it has been losing out to competition. Also, the launch of the Tata Nexon might pose a threat to this compact SUV. Hence, it will be a wise move on the manufacturer’s part to launch the 2017 Ford EcoSport facelift in India. What do you say? Are you waiting for the launch of this car? Do share your views in the comments section below.