As per the latest media reports and information from sources close to Ford India has revealed that Ford EcoSport will be a much larger boom in India compared to the Renault Duster. Although Duster has done phenomenally well in the the segment in terms of sales as it has clocked over 15000 bookings in about 2 months of launch and is getting quite popular, but EcoSport will pose a strong competition to the Duster soon. EcoSport will launch in India in early 2013 and will offer more aggressive price tag because of the fact that Ford EcoSport is less than 4 meters in length, it does give a huge tax advantage over the cars larger than 4 meter as the length of the spare wheel mounted at the rear of the car does not count in the length of the car as per small car rules in India. With an engine smaller than 1500 CC, the car will fit in the small car excise bracket and hence can be priced even more aggressively than the Duster.
We expect, that instead of passing on the whole excise advantage to the buyers in a lower price tag, Ford India will increase the features in the EcoSport making it a more lucrative value for money offering compared to the Duster. Apart from the Duster, the EcoSport will also compete with Indian Mahindra Quanto aka mini Xylo with launch in India on 20th September 2012.
The Renault Duster prices start at Rs. 7.19 Lakhs ex-showroom Delhi for the base petrol variant whereas the Quanto prices are expected to start close to Rs. 6 Lakhs. With the EcoSport falling in the small car segment, we can safely assume a starting price of close to Rs. 6.50 Lakhs which is a considerable advantage over the Duster in terms of price. Also considering the features, EcoSport will bring all the goodness of new global Fiesta which includes voice commands for audio control, climate control and phone control, steering mounted audio and phone controls, high quality audio system, high sound isolation in cabin. On safety side, it will offer dual SRS airbags, ABS and EBD, traction control etc.
The interior upholstery is also quite sporty and looks more attractive compared to the Duster. There will be smart storage spaces, start stop button, attractive alloy wheels and Ford’s propitiatory Ford Sync functionality which allows the car to synchronize with your smartphones and other multimedia devices and use them with your car.
With sporty looks, high quality and gadget loaded interiors, lot of space, aggressive pricing, signature handling of Ford, EPAS power steering, high quality in car infotainment system and features, we think Ford EcoSport will give Duster and Quanto a tough time in the Indian compact SUV market.
In terms of engine options, the EcoSport in India will be powered by a 1 litre EcoBoost engine which is very popular and has won the 2012 Engine of the year title. It will deliver 120 BHP of Power and 170 Nm or torque. Also there will be a 1.5 litre diesel engine from Ford which will be similar to the diesel engine of new Fiesta. We believe that EcoSport will be a potent package to claim its share of the segment. Lets wait and watch while more details unfold, we will keep you updates with the new developments on the EcoSport, stay tuned to Car Blog India.
