Ford EcoSport gets revised pricing and feature list for 2021

Ford India today announced the revised pricing for the 2021 EcoSport line-up, its best-selling model in India and the pioneer of the compact SUV segment in the country.

The updated EcoSport is being offered at prices ranging between Rs 799,000 and Rs 1,119,000 ex-showroom, Delhi, for the 1.5-litre petrol variants while the 1.5-litre diesel trims are priced between Rs 869,000 and Rs 1,149,000 ex-showroom, Delhi.

The company has also updated the feature line-up and introducedsunroof in the mid-spec Titanium trim itself, and has announced that the top-spec Titanium+ trim is due to make way for an updated variant / model soon.

While most variants also get a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, the EcoSport S trim gets Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system which is integrated into an 8-inch display and gets Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionalities as well.

Interestingly, Ford is also offering its connected-car technology – FordPass – at no additional cost to customers. Owners will be able to leverage features such as remote lock, unlock, start and stop the engine via the dedicated smartphone application, which works in tandem with the factory-installed cloud connected device in the vehicle.

The EcoSport comes with a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine that develops 121bhp and 149Nm of torque and comes mated to either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox. The more popular 1.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel, on the other hand, develops 99bhp and 215Nm and is only offered with a five-speed manual gearbox.

The company is also offering six airbags in higher trims, while dual airbags, ABS and EBD are standard safety features on the EcoSport.

According to Vinay Raina, executive director, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford India, “In the tradition of bringing what consumers want and value, we are happy to bolster the EcoSport line-up and make every variant compelling in terms of features and value. “With the new line-up, we have not just addressed the customer feedback on making a sunroof and key features more accessible but also left scope to add more unique features in the future.”    

While Ford has updated the EcoSport for the new calendar, it is worth taking a note that the carmaker is suffering difficulties in the Indian market. Sales have dwindled over the past year with no substantial expansion or refresh of its ageing model line-up. Ford India clocked cumulative sales of 28,718 units between April and November 2020, registering a significant 40 percent year-on-year drop compared to 47,915 units sold in the same period the previous year. Onslaught from Kia’s Sonet and Hyundai’s Venue have hit the ageing EcoSport sales quite hard.

More recently, Ford and Mahindra also called off their proposed joint venture, citing fundamental challenges in the global business conditions after the Covid-19 pandemic. The potential JV would have given charge of Ford’s India operations to M&M and safeguarded the hazy future of the American carmaker, which, although seems to be committed to the Indian market in the short-term with an updated EcoSport planned later this year, as well as a Mahindra XUV500-based crossover slated for introduction in 2022.