The EcoSport Crossover could co-exist with the all new Fiesta sedan, says Ford’s Nigel Wark!

At a recent bloggers conference organized by Ford India on the sidelines of the 2012 Indian Auto Expo, Team ICB had a chance to interact with Ford India’s Marketing Director Nigel Wark and Ford’s Design Chief, J Mays. Since the hot new EcoSport Crossover was unveiled just a day ago, it was the biggest topic of discussion with all kinds of questions directed at Ford’s management reps. One question which was repeatedly hurled around was where exactly the EcoSport Crossover would be positioned at when it is launched at the Indian market.

L-R Ford's Nigel Wark and J.Mays

This question assumes a lot of relevance since the EcoSport is based on the Ford B-Car platform, one that it shares with the all new Fiesta sedan. While it is well nigh impossible to extract a straight answer from Nigel Wark, he hinted at a likely outcome for this question. When asked whether the Ford EcoSport Crossover would co-exist with the all new Fiesta sedan, Nigel Wark replied with a “Why not?”, throwing what could be a hint at where exactly the exciting new product from Ford could sit. And this seems to be a possibility considering the amount of technology that the EcoSport comes laden with.

Ford EcoBoost TurboPetrol Engine

Talking of which, a brand new 1 liter Ecoboost turbo petrol engine, good for 120 Bhp and 170 Nm will make its debut in the EcoSport. This engine, which features variable valve timing and direct injection represents Ford’s bet on turbo petrol technology, a bet that has yielded high rewards in the F150 pick up truck. Another interesting answer at the event was that more and more Ford cars would feature variants of the EcoBoost engine as Ford has invested massively in developing this engine technology, one which reduces CO2 emissions while maximizing power, torque and fuel economy.

2012 Ford EcoSport Crossover Concept

A big takeaway from the Ford bloggers conference was that the final production version of the EcoSport will remain as original as possible to the concept version that was unveiled and displayed at the Auto Expo. Now, that is a very good thing as the EcoSport Crossover is a superb looker and the same tight design maintained in the production version would find plenty of takers. This information was conveyed in a reply to a question by J Mays. The designer added that while a few bits like the LED running lights may not make it to the final version, Ford will retain almost all of the design cues that was showcased through the concept.

2012 Ford EcoSport Crossover Concept

Time and again, the EcoSport was likened to Ford’s biggest success in India till date, the Figo hatchback, highlighting the importance of this car for Ford. While the Figo and the EcoSport are like chalk and cheese, both cars will be have pivotal roles for the Indian market. Nigel Wark went on explain how the Ford dealers were quite excited about this car and how that was usually a sign of the car having great potential. The launch date of the EcoSport Crossover wasn’t revealed at the event. However, we think that a late 2012 launch for the EcoSport would be what Ford will aim at, even as the interest around this product remains very high.

2012 Ford EcoSport Crossover Concept

On whether the EcoSport would sport a diesel engine was a question that wasn’t answered although there is a very fat chance the EcoSport would come with a diesel engine considering the demands of the Indian market. Our bet would be the 1.5 Liter TDCI unit, the same 90 Bhp-200 Nm engine that is found on the all new Fiesta diesel. The EcoSport would feature a front wheel drive layout for most markets that is sold in, which predominantly happen to developing ones like India and Brazil. Also, the Ford Fusion Hatchback, which is discontinued in India will NOT be relaunched as Ford feels that it has outlived its purpose.

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