Ford EcoSport revealed

Ford has officially revealed its Fiesta-based EcoSport to the world's press at a special media event in New Delhi, India.

The vehicle shown to the media the night before its public debut at the New Delhi Auto Expo for 2011 is a concept car only, although it is "95 per cent" true to the way the production version will look, according to Ford's VP of Design, J Mays. The Ford designer says the EcoSport has  been specifically created for highly urbanised markets in the Asia/Pacific region.

"We designed Ford EcoSport especially for markets in this growing region: India and beyond — growth markets aspiring beyond the small car," he said during his address to the journalists assembled.

"Compact size, fuel efficiency - and value - are huge priorities for customers," he said of these emerging markets. Those are traits that make the car a strong contender in the Australian market also.

"Never have we offered so much product in the footprint of a small car; we call it 'right-sized'," May also explained.

Being developed on the same platform as the Fiesta light-segment car means the EcoSport should be among the most compact SUVs in the local market. Ford would not discuss sales forecasts, but the company sees the EcoSport's role in Australia as a game-changer in the segment, just as the Territory did during its first year on sale in the medium SUV segment.

Given the anticipated size of the EcoSport and what is either officially confirmed by the company or has been intimated, we expect the car's price will undercut Skoda's Yeti in front-wheel drive form. And the EcoSport itself will be front-wheel drive. Ford's Assistant Vehicle Line Director for the B Car in Asia/Pacific said as much. David Filipe is the man with an overview of all Fiesta-based Ford product in the region, so he was able to shed some light on the new model, including the point that this nominal SUV won't have all-wheel drive from launch. In fact, Filipe specifically stated that the company "had no plans for all-wheel drive" in the EcoSport, which is being developed using the engineering code B515.

"We know how to do it," he said of the engineering work required; "it's just whether or not there's the demand for it."

Filipe says that in addition to the 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost engine Ford admits will power the EcoSport, there will also be a 1.5-litre diesel four and a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol four-cylinder. These two engines may or may not make it to Australia.

Five-speed manual transmissions will be standard, but there will also be self-shifting options for each of the three engines; PowerShift dual-clutch transmissions are on the cards for the two petrol engines, but an appropriate auto transmission for the diesel engine is proving harder to decide. Filipe hints the diesel may end up with a conventional (epicyclic) automatic at extra charge.

For the present no one at Ford is discussing the EcoSport in any sort of detail (even the interior design must wait another day), but the production version of the car will be launched globally later this year. It's unlikely to go on sale before the end of the year in even Brazil (where it was chiefly designed) and India, where it's to be built.

As for Australia, we won't see the sub-compact SUV before 2013. At entry level, the EcoSport is likely to be powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that Ford has been developing for some time and for which Ford claims 1.6-litre levels of power and torque - 120ps (88kW) and 170Nm. It emits less than 140g/km of CO2 also.

The introduction of the EcoSport is a significant milestone at Ford. Global President and CEO Alan Mulally was on hand in India to present the new model to local and international press. Just one week out from the Detroit motor show (NAIAS) and with Ford running a simultaneous unveiling of the new EcoSport in Brazil — much closer to home for the head of Ford than India — Mulally's presence was testament to the importance of the EcoSport.

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