What is the 2013 Ford EcoSport Crossover doing at Detroit, USA?

A heavily camouflaged Ford EcoSport crossover was spotted doing the testing rounds at Detroit, USA, by the folks at AutoWeek. While we’ve seen the EcoSport in every conceivable angle given that the crossover is already on sale in Brazil, we’re a little intrigued upon seeing the spyshot of the model in the United States. The intrigue stems from Ford’s own assertion, in that, the EcoSport was not meant for the US market and would rather sell in the emerging markets like India, Brazil and China. What then is the EcoSport doing, sporting all that camouflage in the heart of the American auto industry, Detroit, of all places?

Ford EcoSport Crossover Spyshot from Detroit, USA

Given that Ford has been pretty adamant about the EcoSport not being US bound, the first thought that comes to ones mind is that of global testing. Automakers, across the spectrum are known to test their cars in multiple countries, even though the country’s car market might not get the car model at all. This is pretty much like the sightings of the Renault Modus and the Kia Picanto, which were regular testing fixtures on Indian roads a while ago. In the same vein, the EcoSport could be being tested in the United States.

The other angle however, could be a ploy by Ford to put out a few camouflaged EcoSport models on US streets, and wait and watch for the response the crossover garners amongst the American car buying populace given the speed at which new model sightings spread across the interweb and reach car buying audiences. Given that the US market will see more than some action in the compact crossover space, in the form of the Nissan Juke, the Chevrolet Equinox and the upcoming Honda Jazz based crossover, the Ford EcoSport might be a good fit for the automaker in the US market.

The EcoSport, based on Ford’s global B-Car platform has siblings in the form of the Fiesta hatchback and sedan, both of which are sold in the US car market. So, the EcoSport being sold in the USA isn’t too far fetched although Ford continues to deny it. While General Motors stated that it won’t sell the upcoming Trax crossover in the US market due to the Equinox already being sold there, Ford is yet to have a compact crossover in the space that the EcoSport will occupy as the Escape crossover is much bigger. That, if not anything else is the basis for all this speculation.

Source AutoWeek