New Ford EcoSport 2017 – India Launch Details + Spy Images

It’s no secret that the Ford EcoSport has been facing quite a lot of heat of late. Arch rival Maruti Vitara Brezza continues to post segment-leading sales figures, while the launch of the new Tata Nexon makes the matters even worse. All this could be set to change with the advent of the new Ford EcoSport 2017 facelift. The launch of the new EcoSport facelift could happen as soon as next month and prices are likely to witness a small reduction. The launch of the refreshed EcoSport will happen just ahead of this year’s festive season, which means the new Ford is likely to benefit from the surge in car sales during the auspicious period. Also See- Ford Figo Cross India Launch Next Year

Engines will be carried over from the current model. Currently, the Ford EcoSport offers a choice of two petrol and one diesel engine. The petrol  engines offered on the car are a 1.5-litre Ti-VCT four-cylinder engine and a 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder turbocharged engine. The only diesel engine on the car is a 1.5 TDCI turbocharged motor.

Also See – 2016 EcoSport Test Drive Review | EcoSport Prices 

New Ford EcoSport 2017 Spy Images

We’ve already seen many spy images of the upcoming facelift. The recent spy images that you see below reveal the India-spec car in all its glory. The lack of any sort of camouflage hints at an imminent launch. The 2017 EcoSport test mule that was recently caught testing wears the new Arpoador Red colour. The updated car will come with a handful of cosmetic changes that should help the compact SUV look a lot fresher. As can be seen, the facelift will come with a new set of headlamps, a new front grille, an updated front bumper along with new fog lamp housings. Overall, the car looks a lot bolder and a lot more modern now. It seems to be in line with the latest crop of Ford models like the Kuga and the Endeavour. The side profile gets a new set of alloys.

The interior of the 2017 Ford Ecosport will come with an updated dashboard, revised speedo console, a new centre console with horizontally-placed central aorcon vents and a new three-spoke steering wheel. While these new bits help the car look a lot fresher on the inside, the biggest highlight of the interior has to be the new SYNC3 infotaiment unit that will support Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The new-age system will also offer navigation, voice recognition and telephony features. While the excellent infotainment unit will be available only on the top-of-the-line trims, the lower models with offer a built-in audio system with a small display.

Also See – Old vs New – Ford EcoSport

New Ford EcoSport 2017 India Launch Date

Ford India is yet to officially announce the launch date of the EcoSport facelift. However, it’s very likely that the updated model will launch here in the middle of next month. Thanks to the fast-approaching festive period, the newly launched car is expected to witness a strong demand right from its initial days. The launch of the EcoSport will happen a few days ahead of the Nexon’s launch. The EcoSport facelift will have two uphill tasks ahead of it- One, to outclass the Vitara Brezza, and two, to make sure the new Nexon doesn’t grab a huge market share.

Also See – EcoSport vs Vitara Brezza vs Creta vs Duster

New Ford EcoSport 2017 Price in India

The Ford EcoSport currently on sale in India carries a starting price tag of Rs 7.10 lakh (ex-showroom). While the Ford EcoSport 2017 model will have new features and updated styling, we expect the car’s prices to see a small reduction in order to make it a more attractive proposition than its rivals. Expect the prices to start from Rs 6.90 lakh (ex-showroom). The top variant of the facelift-ed compact SUV shouldn’t cost anything more than Rs 11.10 lakh. At such price points, the 2017 EcoSport can probably give the Brezza and the Nexon a run for their money.

Also See – EcoSport vs Vitara Brezza vs Creta vs Duster

Prices of the new Tata Nexon compact SUV are likely to start at Rs 6.5 lakh. While the new TATA SUV is likely to enjoy a slight price advantage, it is yet to be seen if it can woo compact SUV buyers on the basis of its design and price tag alone. From what we know, the EcoSport is a much more fun-to-drive car and that should work in its favour. Prices of the Vitara Brezza currently start at Rs 7.23 lakh. Already the EcoSport enjoys a lower price tag than its popular Maruti rival. Ford may choose to stick to this pricing strategy with the new look EcoSport too.

Also See – Ford EcoSport vs Tata Nexon

2017 Ford EcoSport Facelift Images Pictures

New Ford EcoSport 2017 Specs

While the EcoSport will feature comprehensive styling updates, the mechanical hardware will remain the same. Hence, the new Ford EcoSport 2017 will retain all the three engine options that the current car offers. These include 2 Petrol and a Diesel motor. Petrol engine options for the EcoSport comprise of the excellent 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbochargedand a 1.5-litre TiVCT naturally aspirated motors. The Diesel engine on offer is a 1.5-litre TDCi Turbocharged motor that offers a good mix of performance and fuel mileage. The 1.0-litre Petrol engine outputs a max. power of 124 BHP and a peak torque of 170 Nm. The 1.5-litre Petrol motor produces a maximum power of 110 BHP and a peak torque of 140 Nm. The oil burner develops a maximum power of 99 BHP and a peak torque of 205 Nm.

We’re not sure at the moment but chances are Ford India will tweak all the three engines in favour of enhanced fuel mileage and power delivery. The EcoSport will offer two transmission choices – 5-speed manual and 6-speed Powershift dual-clutch gearbox. Out of these, the dual-clutch unit will be available with the 1.5-litre Petrol engine option only.

New Ford EcoSport 2017 Mileage

As the 2017 model EcoSport won’t have a change in engine options, we expect the fuel mileage figures to remain pretty much the same. True, we did say Ford might decide to tweak the engines a bit, but that won’t lead to a huge change in the mileage figures of the motors. Of the three engine options, it’s the 1.5 Diesel that is the most economical to run. This is not only because of Diesel being a cheaper fuel, but also because of the high mileage this engine delivers.

New Ford EcoSport 2017 Spy Photos

The new Ford EcoSport 2017 has been recently photographed at what seems to be a dealership in South America. As seen in these photos, the EcoSport facelift looks a lot different, both on the inside and the outside. Akin to the upcoming India-spec model, even this car has a tailgate-mounted spare wheel. The inclusion of spare wheel on the tailgate pushes the registration plate housing to the rear bumper, thereby eliminating the faux skid plate. The facelift that is coming to India has a similar arrangement.

New Ford EcoSport 2017 Colours

The new Ford EcoSport 2017 is likely to offer all the colour options that the current car provides. Other than those, the compact SUV will also offer a new shade of Arpoador Red. This was confirmed by the latest spy images that we’ve appended in the first half of this story. So here’s the list of colour options-

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

New Ford EcoSport 2017 Features

Exterior Features

• New Front Grille
• Updated Headlamps
• Faux Skid Plate
• New Foglamps
• New Alloy WHeels
• Updated LED Taillights

Interior Features

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

New Ford EcoSport 2017 India – Rivals

The new 2017 model will continue rivaling the current crop of compact SUVs –

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

Of the four rivals that the EcoSport 2017 will rival, it’s the Vitara Brezza that has always been the biggest rival of the EcoSport. We don’t see this trend changing anytime soon. Also, with the advent of the Tata Nexon, the EcoSport is bound to face even more heat.

New Ford Ecosport 2017 India – Interior 

While the new Ford EcoSport 2017 won’t have an entirely new interior, there will be many new bits that will make the interior of the car fresher and more appealing. As we’ve already seen many images of the updated EcoSport on sale in South American car markets, we already know exactly what the interior looks like. The car gets an updated dashbaord, which now comes with exterior body-coloured inserts. Other than this there’s a new grab handle on the dashboard for the co-passenger. Also, the steering is new and looks a lot more stylish than before. Finally, there’s a new centre console that is flanked by new aircon vents.

Oh and there’s also the SYNC3 infotainment unit which comes along with a touchscreen unit. Back in Brazil, the new EcoSport offers a beige upholstery. It’s not for sure if this will come to India. If nothing else, at least the leather won’t be available on all the trims of this car. While the current car has its central locking button on the centre console, the facelift gets door-mounted controls for locking.

New Ford Ecosport 2017 India – Exterior Design Review

The pre-facelift Ford EcoSport came with a twin grille arrangement. Now, however, the facelift gets an updated nose, which, in turn, brings a new grille that looks more modern and aggressive. Other than this, the facelift also comes with a new set of headlamps which look sleeker and more attractive. There’s also a set of new foglamps that are triangular in shape. There is a faux skid plate on the front bumper. While the car still gets dual-tone exterior treatment, up front, the effect is not as pronounced as it is on the current car.

The India-spec car will have a tailgate-mounted spare wheel. Thanks to the inclusion of a spare wheel on the bootlid, the registration plate moves to the rear bumper. This is something that was seen even on the India-spec pre-facelift EcoSport.

New Ford Ecosport 2017 India – Engine and Transmission

The next EcoSport will have the same engines that are available on the current car. This means it will also offer three engine options to choose from. Out of these three, two are petrol and 1 is a Diesel. Transmission options include a 5-speed Manual Transmission and a 6-speed Dual Clutch Automatic. Out of these two, the 6-speed auto will be available only on the 1.5-litre Petrol engine. Out of the three engines, the Diesel motor is the most economical to run. This is not only due to the lower cost of fuel, but also because of the engine’s ability of offer a high mileage. The EcoBoost remains the most powerful engine whilst offering a higher mileage than the 1.5-litre Petrol unit.

New Ford Ecosport 2017 India – Dimensions

We really can’t wait for the new Ford EcoSport 2017 India launch to take place. Can you?

Spy Images- TeamBHP, Facebook