The Ford EcoSport is going places for the American automaker. It is one of the most highly anticipated vehicles in the Indian market and is expected to be launched in June. Now, CarAdvice Australia who attended media drive in Goa a few weeks ago, have said that the India made sub-four metre compact crossover will be launched for the Australian market also.
The Australian market will get the EcoSport in the sub four metre design and with two engine options; the 1.5-litre petrol that produces 109PS and 140Nm of torque as well as the award winning 1.0-litre turbocharged Ecoboost mill that produces 120PS and 170Nm of torque. While the former will be offered with an auto box (like the India spec Fiesta), those choosing the Ecoboost mill will only get the option of a five-speed manual. Ford Australia has decided against bringing the 1.5-litre diesel mill down under as they felt that the 1.0-litre Ecoboost mill would prove sufficient and that the price premium for diesel would make the EcoSport’s price unviable.
The Australian EcoSport will also get the same trim levels and features including the SYNC technology. The report suggests that the base model will begin at 20,000 Australian Dollars (Rs 10.92 lakh) while the higher spec versions with features like automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, leather upholstery and climate control will be priced closer to 30, 000 Australian Dollars (Rs 16.38 lakh).
Ford had announced previously that it would export the EcoSport from its Indian facility to around 32 countries worldwide and use this as a leverage to price the crossover competitively for the Indian market.
Edit: The Ford EcoSport has been launched for Rs 5.59 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
Edit: Here is our live coverage of the launch for the Ford EcoSport