Spy photos of the 2017 Ford EcoSport on Indian soil have emerged on a number occasions this year. In the latest, two units of the facelifted model were spotted on a transporter in Mumbai, courtesy CarWale.
Pictured above is the Indian-spec 2017 Ford EcoSport Titanium that has a tailgate mounted spare wheel. The blue unit in the second image is on its way to Mexico, as per CarWale's report. As Ford does not offer an EcoBoost engine in the Mexican-spec version, the chances are that this is a U.S.-spec version which gets the 1.0L EcoBoost engine option. Both look road-ready units.
The 2017 Ford EcoSport features a Ford Kuga inspired front-end with a new hexagonal grille, larger headlamps, restyled bumper and triangular fog lamps. On to the interior, there is a new three-spoke steering wheel similar to the one found in the Kuga. The new instrument panel, the SYNC 3 infotainment system with an 8.0-inch free-standing display and the centre console are very similar to the 2017 Ford Fiesta unveiled just weeks after the new EcoSport. There's a grab bar on the passenger side of the dashboard now. Colour coordinated accents on the door panel, centre console and dashboard lend a two-tone look to the cabin.
The facelifted Ford EcoSport gets a new 137.2 cv (137.2 hp) 1.5-litre Ti-VCT three-cylinder engine in Brazil. In India, it is unknown if Ford will bring the Dragon family engine or continue with the 112 PS (110.42 hp) 1.5-litre Ti-VCT four-cylinder petrol engine. The current EcoSport is available with 125 PS (123.24 hp) 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol and 100 PS (98.59 hp) 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engines too, but any changes to these, if planned, are unknown. The diesel engine was upgraded for MY2016 and may continue as before. 5-speed manual and 6-speed PowerShift dual-clutch automatic should soldier on in the new EcoSport.
The 2017 Ford EcoSport should reach Indian showrooms in Q4 2017 (October-December 2017). The current prices start at INR 7.10 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and go up to INR 10.71 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
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Recent reports say that exports from the Ford's Chennai plant to the USA and Canada will commence in early 2018. The export version will have a four-wheel drive system option.
[Source: CarWale]
