Updated Ford EcoSport will be offered with a new petrol engine

The facelifted Ford EcoSport is expected to be shortly launched with a new engine option -  a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. The updated sub-four-metre SUV recently made a debut in the Brazilian market and is on sale with the new all-new Dragon series of petrol engines.

The Dragon series of petrol engine carries the same displacement, however the engine is constructed to be a three cylinder, ditching the four cylinder layout. The expected power output is close to 120bhp. However, the Indian market will see a power figure close to 100bhp, only.

Ford has not yet officially released specifications of the all-new Dragon engine however it is a newly developed motor designed to comfortably meet emission norms. The speculated full-aluminium engine is believed to be around 10 percent lighter than the current four-cylinder Sigma motor.

The Dragon range is expected to come with technology like an integrated exhaust manifold, a variable oil pump, a rocker shaft with hydrodynamic bearings and dual-valve independent valve control. It is also believed to feature individual ignition coils for each cylinder, spark plugs centralised in the combustion chamber and hydraulic tappets with rotor arms.

However, the details can only be confirmed when the 2018 Ford EcoSport will break cover on 15 September – so stay tuned for more updates.