Ford India’s Latest Announcement Leads To The Cancellation Of The Facelifted EcoSport

The EcoSport was the longest running nameplate in the sub-4m space in India

• Ford India was expected to launch the facelifted EcoSport in September.

• The updated EcoSport would have featured a refreshed front profile including a new grille and new fog lamps.

• Ford has just announced that it will cease production of Indian cars at both its Indian plants.

• The EcoSport was priced between Rs 8.19 lakh and Rs 11.69 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

It was in June 2021 that we got the first glimpse of another facelift for the Ford Ecosport which was undergoing testing. Fast forward to September and we can now report that the Blue Oval won’t launch the facelifted SUV in India. If the facelifted SUV would have been launched, it would have been the second major update in the SUV’s 8-year lifespan. The EcoSport was the SUV that actually established the sub-4m SUV segment in the first place.

This news comes right on the heels of Ford India’s announcement of terminating production at its two plants, Sanand and Chennai, immediately. While this means the end of the road for its current models (Figo, Aspire, Freestyle, EcoSport, and Endeavour), the carmaker will be bringing more of its global products to India. Its current lineup will be on sale till stocks last and the company will continue to offer support to existing Ford car owners.

Speaking of the updated EcoSport, it was supposed to come with a refreshed front profile including a new grille, inverted L-shaped LED DRLs, and new fog lamps. The side and rear of the SUV would remain the same with the exception of a new set of alloy wheels and a new skid plate respectively.

The SUV’s equipment list consists of an 8-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, connected car technology, a sunroof, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, tyre pressure monitoring system, and paddle shifters. Safety features on board included up to six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), and rear parking sensors.

Also Read: Ford Has Recalled Over 30,000 Units of EcoSport, Figo, Freestyle, And Aspire

Under the hood, the sub-4m SUV comes with 1.5-litre petrol (122PS/149Nm) and diesel engines (100PS/215Nm). The former gets the option of a 5-speed MT and a 6-speed torque converter, whereas the diesel engine is mated to a 5-speed MT only.

Ford retails the EcoSport in the range of Rs 8.19 lakh to Rs 11.69 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The SUV is a competitor to the Kia Sonet, Renault Kiger, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Hyundai Venue, and Nissan Magnite.