New Ford Ecosport 2017 - Dragon powered

New Ecosport 2017 - Dragon Powered

Ecosport is one such car which was not only loved by the urban dwellers but also accepted as a reliable ride in semi-urban areas. A car which fulfills the needs of people who are confused between a crossover and a SUV. Picking a keen interest in this segment by Indian consumers, other companies also find it as an opportunity to gain more market share and hence after 2 years we saw its first competitor i.e.Vitara Brezza and following this, the newest rival is Nexon from Tata. So, what Ford has added new to this car let's find out.

The facelift model will be offered in five variants- Ambiente, Trend, Trend+, Titanium, and Titanium. Now one of the major improvement has been done to its engine. Vibrations are minimized for a comfy ride. Powered by 1.5 litre petrol, This 1497cc 3 cylinder 'Dragon' generates 123 hp at 6500 rpm with a torque of 150 nm at 4500 rpm. Now torque is a bit low when you compare it with Tata Nexon. It will come with a 5 speed manual and 6 speed automatic transmission. The diesel engine is untouched which is the same 1.5 litre TDCi engine. When it comes to mileage, company is claiming a 17 km/l for petrol manual and decent 23 km/l for diesel whereas for automatic, it's 14.8 km/l.

So,this was the story of its heart, but what about it's look? Yes, the fascia gets a complete makeover with new horizontally chrome plated grill which gives us a feeling of Ford Mustang. There's also this hump on the bonnet which spreads in width towards the front windshield which gives it a more aggressive look than before. It also features the new projector headlamps with DRLs and the indicators are now mounted into the bumpers. Rear and side of the car hasn't changed much, just the wheel cover has been given a little touch-up. The car looks trendy with newly designed 16'' wheels and 17'' for the higher spec Titanium +. About the dimensions, car's length is 3998 mm, width is 1765 mm, height is 1647 mm and wheelbase is 2519 mm.

The fuel tank capacity is 52 litres.

Now, the place where you will spend most of your time is the cabin and Ford knows very well that what we Indian customers are looking for. Superbly stitched leather seats are so comfortable that even a taller person can find himself comfortable. Seats are perfectly positioned to give rear passengers adequate thigh support.

Talking about the dash display, Ford has replaced that old little screen with new infotainment system which looks classy as it sits vertically over the dashboard. It doesn't take much time to operate efficiently. Ford has installed its all new Sync 3 system with voice command which comes with Apple carplay and Android auto in Titanium and Titanium + variant. Instrument cluster has also been changed which is intuitive and informative. Steering wheel has been stitched in soft leather with a nice finish especially the control buttons.

A lot of plastic has been used inside the cabin, but the overall quality of dash board is moderate. To handle the harsh weather of India A/c vents have been lowered down and positioned in such a manner that they perform their work excellently. A/c controls are adopted from Aspire. There's a little storage compartment under the armrests and below the seats as well.

The list of features is long as everyone wants to be at the pinnacle in competition and companies like Ford are trying their best to provide quality products. Few other characteristics are:

● ABS with EBD as standard

● Rear door child safety lock as standard

● Paddle-shifters with automatic transmission

● 7 color ambient lighting and rear parking sensors

Other than all these features what i liked most is the Ford MyKey- You can ensure the safety of your family by setting a speed limit warning, activating a seat belt reminder and as well as limit the car's top speed. Yes, you can do all that just by using your key.

The car is priced at 7.31 to 10.99 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi. It will face competition from Brezza, Nexon, WR-V, TUV 3OO and if you love to drive then this is the one to go!