Ford EcoSport Generation Study - A Glimpse of its Past, Present & Future

MANILA: Ford EcoSport is a car that needs no introduction, whether you talk about the Philippines or any other country for that matter. But despite being so popular, there are some facts about it that only few are aware of and that we feel people are entitled to know. One such area is the knowledge about its generations that have landed on the the auto shores over the period of time.

But before starting with its generation learning phase, let's first get some facts straight about Ford's 'cross' money churner -

1. EcoSport is one of the first crossover to has achieved remarkable success, it has led a stable foundation stone for the mini sport utility segment that after its launch has seen many entries from various brands.

2. Ford-US Truck Vehicle designed the very first EcoSport that was based on European built Fiesta.

3. Ford B3 platform that underpins many Ford cars like Fiesta, can also be found supporting EcoSport.

4. In Brazil, EcoSport was one of first Ford vehicle to top the sales charts. And eventually, this trend was followed in countries like Mexico, Argentina and Venezuela.

5. In the year 2015, Ford introduced a limited edition urban pack for EcoSport.

6. 2016 Manila International Auto Show saw the arrival of Black-Edition EcoSport that was a slightly tweaked version with only a few limited exterior modifications.

Generations of Ford EcoSport

1. First Generation of EcoSport (2004 - 2012)

EcoSport was built for the first time in Brazil by Ford Brazil and over the years it became company's best-seller and constantly featured in the list of 20 best sellers of the country. Back then EcoSport was introduced in five different engine variants and following mills feature under its hood - Zetec Rocam 1.0L gasoline 8V supercharged, Zetec-Rocam 1.6L 8v gasoline/ethanol, Duratec 2.0L gasoline 16v and Duratorq 1.4L TDCi Diesel. As for the transmission, all the trims were offered with a standard manual gearbox that was employed to transmit power to all four wheels. It was in the year 2007 that EcoSport received its first facelift that was mainly concentrated to minor cosmetic updates on the exterior and interior, eventually making it look closer to then-current company's pickups.

2. Second Generation of Ford EcoSport (2013 - present)

Yes, you read it right, it was only recently that Ford EcoSport entered the second generation phase and it was during this tenure only that this mini sports utility vehicle entered the Philippines shores.

Starting from the very first phase of this new development, all-new EcoSport was first shown as a concept at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo, India and only a month later to the said showcasing its production version was launched in Brazil. So, whether it's the first or the second generation, Brazil has always been Ford's first choice in regard to EcoSport.

As for the Philippines market, EcoSport made its debut in the year 2014 and since then it has constantly featured in the list of ten most popular cars in the country. Talking about its mechanical specifications, Philippines centric EcoSport was implanted with a 1.5-liter mill that generates 110 hp of power along with 142 Nm of torque. On the dimension front, EcoSport flaunts compact dimensions of 4245mm of length, 1765mm of width and 1708mm of height, allowing it fight in the tightest of parking space and manoeuvre through stiff traffic. Another important trait of Ford EcoSport is its 200 mm of exceptional ground clearance (making it safe to travel over large stone and other road obstacles) and 550 mm of wading depth (best for flooding areas, like ours).

As for the latest update, second generation of Ford EcoSoprt is about to receive at an update in the form of 2017 EcoSport. A camouflaged version of which was recently seen making rounds and spy shoots of which flooded the internet instantly. As for the specifications, the new EcoSport is said to adopt Ford's global crossover design language, following which it will look quite similar to recently updated Ford Kuga. Though, much details are not revealed on the same, but seeing the spied version it is clear that heavy revisions are done on the front and cabin profile.

Also Read: And the Oscar Goes to - Ford 1.0L EcoBoost