What is it?

The new Ford EcoSport.

Why is it important?

It’s the latest small SUV to make its way into the country. The EcoSport is based on the current Ford Fiesta and will make for a great compact SUV for the city. Powering this car will be a new 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, turbocharged engine good for 118 bhp. The small size of the engine combined with the turbos enables it to be as powerful as a larger engine while offering much better fuel economy. The one we’re interested in though, is the diesel-engined variant that will come with the 1.5-litre unit from the new Fiesta.

India will be one of the major hubs for production of the EcoSport, with the other two being Brazil and Thailand. It exceeds the four-metre length barrier by a small amount, but is still likely to be priced very well.

When will India get it?

It will head for launch late this year or early next year.

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