Ford EcoSport is surely one of the hottest launches to take place next year, only thing is Ford India is not telling when.
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The car has been launched in few countries before it heads our way. It's been well received in those markets and it looks set to repeat the same when it is launched in India.
The Chinese model gets a slightly longer wheelbase while the Brazilian version gets alterations in the powertrain to adopt the ethanol blended fuel.
Out of all the emerging countries, India is market for Ford to look forward to. The company has made significant investments on their Chennai plant to prepare the assemble lines for the EcoSport.
The car will be available in three engine options - a 1.0 litre EcoBoost turbo petrol engine and the 1.5 litre twins from the Ford Fiesta with some calibrations. The high end petrol variant is expected to be offered with Powershift dual clutch automatic gearbox.
So what should Ford do to make the EcoSport a successful product? I think the pricing is really the key. Ford has learnt the lessons the hard way in case of the new Fiesta which is being outsold by the Classic. We expect an introductory price range of Rs. 8-10 lakhs considering that its a sub four metre vehicle.
This price range is vital for the EcoSport to give tough fight to the Renault Duster and the Mahindra Quanto which is not exactly a SUV.
I would like to know your thoughts on what Ford should do to make the EcoSport a success. The comment box is waiting below! Stay tuned!