2012 Ford Ecosport coming here

[Road_Warrior]

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...25795D007F963B

Fiesta-based ‘EcoSport’ SUV to become one of four Ford SUVs in local Oz showrooms

6 December 2011

By MARTON PETTENDY and RON HAMMERTON

FORD’S Australian-developed baby SUV looks to have broken cover in India, where it will be built, ahead of its global debut at next month’s New Delhi motor show.

Official teaser images of the all-new Fiesta-based mini-crossover inadvertently published on Ford’s Indian public website and published by IndianCarsBikes.in appear to confirm as legitimate images previously seen in India, China, Brazil and the United States.

Ford’s budget high-rider – which reports say will be called the EcoSport in India and China – will join a growing list of SUVs in Australian showrooms, where it will be positioned below the compact Focus-based Kuga that finally joins the Australian-made Territory here in March.

Ultimately, these three vehicles are expected to be joined by another SUV developed by Ford Australia, the rugged T6 Ranger-based, Thai-built off-roader that will reportedly be called the Endeavor, at least in some markets.

The new entry-level crossover – codename B515 – will give Ford a weapon against the new breed of compact SUVs such as Subaru’s upcoming XV, the Skoda Yeti, Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan Dualis and Suzuki SX4, as well as the Chinese-made Chery J11.

Indian reports say the new EcoSport – a nameplate used since 2003 for a mid-size SUV based on the Fusion and built in Brazil for South American markets, in which it has been a regular top-five seller overall – will be built on the global Fiesta platform when it goes into production in Chennai in 2012.

China’s auto.sohu.com – which has published images of a red EcoSport that are identical to those seen on CarAndDriver.com, as well as a silver version on AutoCarIndia.com and a white model on Brazil’s Autoesporte.com.br – says several EcoSport prototypes have been spied in China, where it will make its national debut at the 2012 Beijing motor show in April. Brazil’s version is also expected to be revealed publicly within months.

As GoAuto reported in October, Ford has confirmed that a new compact vehicle to be revealed at the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo on January 5 will be sold in Australia.

Ford Australia has declined to disclose details of the vehicle, but GoAuto understands a large part of the development has been done in Ford Australia’s Victorian engineering centres at Campbellfield and Geelong – the “go-to guys” of Ford global engineering.

As we have also reported, Ford Australia – which also designed the all-new Ranger ute built in Thailand and Ford of India’s top-selling Figo – is leading the development of a still-secret light car for China and it now appears likely that Ford’s Australian arm is engineering volume-selling small cars for the world’s two most populous nations.

The EcoSport should be more sophisticated than the five-door Figo hatchback based on the previous fifth-generation Fiesta that debuted in Europe in 2002.

Unlike the recycled, dumbed-down Figo, which has been a red-hot hit in India and about 20 other developing countries, the new vehicle is based on the Fiesta’s latest B2E B-segment platform, which was co-developed with Mazda, and has been designed and engineered to cater for more demanding markets, such as Australia where five-star safety is a given and Euro 4 emissions mandatory.

The images show the EcoSport will share a number of styling features with the Fiesta – a move that would give the little SUV a family resemblance with the Thai-built Fiesta sedan and five-door hatchback already on sale in Australia.

And in keeping with its SUV identity, the sub-four-metre wagon gets a higher stance, bigger wheels, flared wheelarches and – in its final production guise – a spare wheel mounted on the tailgate, but there is no mention of all-wheel drive.

The Ford of India images show the EcoSport will be powered by a new EcoBoost direct-injection turbo-petrol engine of an unknown capacity. This could be the just-released three-cylinder 1.0-litre version that stumps up at least 75kW and 200Nm of torque, or perhaps the 110kW/240Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder variant.

The EcoSport, or whatever it is called here, will be the first Indian-made Ford sold in Australia, where Suzuki and Hyundai pioneered the route with the Alto and i20 city cars.

While the Ford EcoSport is set to be revealed in New Delhi within a month, the Ranger-based SUV is likely to lob at the Bangkok motor show in late March ahead of a late-2012 rollout in Australia, where it will go head to head with the new Thai-made Holden Colorado 7, Nissan Pathfinder, Mitsubishi Challenger and Toyota Prado.

Interesting. I'm more interested in seeing the T6 SUV myself, but this should be an excellent little low cost SUV for those that want them. Get rid of that stupid spare wheel arrangement on the tailgate though.

[GT69]

Gee wiz Ford is going to have a full showroom by 2013.

[phillyc]

Some real good products, many of which have been engineered here in Australia.

* Gen1 Kuga
* EcoBoost Falcon FG2
* EcoSport small SUV
* T6 SUV
* Figo

If they keep filling product holes it gets more people into the showroom. In the end, if they come in to look at Focus and leave with a EcoSport etc, does it matter? No, they bought a Ford. Hopefully, they might even convert to an EcoBoost Falcon or Territory instead.

[XR Martin]

Why hasnt there been any pics of prototype T6 SUVs getting around? Be impossible to hide it I would think.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Why hasnt there been any pics of prototype T6 SUVs getting around? Be impossible to hide it I would think.

Because it's not being built in Australia and a current Everest body is probably being used to hide in plain sight in Thailand

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Because it's not being built in Australia and a current Everest body is probably being used to hide in plain sight in Thailand

But with FoA being the R&D lead/prime contractor, you'd think we would have had at least an inkling of the T6, but so far, nothing.

In any event, back on topic, this little Ecosport and the Kuga would be the perfect tag team to take on Toyota, Hyundai, Kia and Mitsubishi with their SUV lineups.

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

But with FoA being the R&D lead/prime contractor, you'd think we would have had at least an inkling of the T6, but so far, nothing.

In any event, back on topic, this little Ecosport and the Kuga would be the perfect tag team to take on Toyota, Hyundai, Kia and Mitsubishi with their SUV lineups.

That is exactly right. Ford will have a compact, medium and medium large SUV with the EcoSport, Kuga and Territory. This segment is experiencing huge growth, so for Ford to have players is essential. An attainable 1-2% of market share for Ford is going uncontested right now.

Add in the body on frame T6 SUV and you have a competitor in yet another segment.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Why hasnt there been any pics of prototype T6 SUVs getting around? Be impossible to hide it I would think.

They haven't built any yet. They are still in design stage AFAIK. Project has only been going for 6 months or so. I've seen competitors like the Toyota Fortuna around PD but no prototype T6 SUV's.

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

That would be like next gen Mondeo mules getting around dressed as Focus, surely theres too much size difference between new and old models not to have the real thing out there in camo.

They ran old Ranger bodies on the T6 chassis in early prototypes, with the guards flared out around 4 inches either side and the tray extended to match the body to the bigger size of the chassis.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by phillyc

That is exactly right. Ford will have a compact, medium and medium large SUV with the EcoSport, Kuga and Territory. This segment is experiencing huge growth, so for Ford to have players is essential. An attainable 1-2% of market share for Ford is going uncontested right now.

Add in the body on frame T6 SUV and you have a competitor in yet another segment.

Yep, they sure are starting to fill as many segments as they can, the line up is really starting to fill out nicely.

With T6 SUV to take on Prado etc, Ecosport to take on Mitsu ASX etc, and Kuga to take on RAV4 etc it should increase sales nicely.

Now all the need is a cheap Chinese or Indian shoebox like Figo to take on Barina Spark and Micra.

The Ecosport looks quite good for every angle except the back.

[FPV GTHO]

That would be like next gen Mondeo mules getting around dressed as Focus, surely theres too much size difference between new and old models not to have the real thing out there in camo.

[BFZ Wagon]

Why are so many cars suddenly being built in India? Oh well, at least it's not China. I hope their quality control is up to standard.
Unfortunately, I can see this becoming a huge trend for most car companies in the future.

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by BFZ Wagon

Why are so many cars suddenly being built in India? Oh well, at least it's not China. I hope their quality control is up to standard.
Unfortunately, I can see this becoming a huge trend for most car companies in the future.

India is seen as a power force in manufacturing, alot if not all major bussiness have ofshored job's etc to India.
Asia and India are growing large and will be the world's number 1 manufacturer in the not to distant future.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by BFZ Wagon

Why are so many cars suddenly being built in India? Oh well, at least it's not China. I hope their quality control is up to standard.
Unfortunately, I can see this becoming a huge trend for most car companies in the future.

China insists on all foreign companies have a 50/50 partnership with a local Chinese company,
India has no such restriction on Ford and India is also Right Hand Drive....

[Luke Plaizier]

On the side, I hope they don't stick with the US spelling of 'Endeavor' and instead use the English 'Endeavour'. That would be a serious mistake in our market.

Even the Space Shuttle 'Endeavour' is spelled the right way.


Lukeyson

[Road_Warrior]

[chevypower]

Originally Posted by Luke Plaizier

On the side, I hope they don't stick with the US spelling of 'Endeavor' and instead use the English 'Endeavour'. That would be a serious mistake in our market.

Even the Space Shuttle 'Endeavour' is spelled the right way.


Lukeyson

There's people in the world that still care about that stuff? Jeep had "4.0 Litre" badges on US Cherokees and they still sold well.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by Luke Plaizier

On the side, I hope they don't stick with the US spelling of 'Endeavor' and instead use the English 'Endeavour'. That would be a serious mistake in our market.

Even the Space Shuttle 'Endeavour' is spelled the right way.


Lukeyson

Ever notice how 'Colorbond' is spelt, despite being an Aussie product?

[kocho]

Oooooh, that teaser doesn't look too bad!

[HULK EF]

car sexy! Hope the styling stays true and is not dulled down too much.

[barra240t]

http://www.caradvice.com.au/170001/f...-new-baby-suv/

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by barra240t

http://www.caradvice.com.au/170001/f...-new-baby-suv/

Without a more elongated nose... it looks like a Kia.

[Archilino]

I swear I saw this in camo at the Jefferson Ford holding yard in Breaside last week.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Archilino

I swear I saw this in camo at the Jefferson Ford holding yard in Breaside last week.

Possibly a Kuga?

[Archilino]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Possibly a Kuga?

Good point, very possible.

[Nikked]

More products should mean more sales, and hopefully the profits made can reimburse local manufacturing.

[Franco Cozzo]

Interesting idea, looks like Suzuki SX-4 size.

[barra240t]

Chicks are gonna dig it

[Franco Cozzo]

What size is T6 SUV? Cadillac Escalade, etc?

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

What size is T6 SUV? Cadillac Escalade, etc?

Prado.

Speaking of the T6 SUV, things have been strangely quiet on that front for a while...

[AG3]

Found a video but its in Portuguese (Ford Brazil)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ibLYIaK5d8