It was just seven months ago that Ford announced the smallest ever engine in its line-up, the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Ecoboost. Now the mini motor has found its first home, and contrary to our expectations, it’s not the Fiesta, but sort of a Fiesta on stilts.
The all-new Ford Ecosport crossover, basically a pumped up version of the hatch that was revealed in India on Wednesday ahead of the New Delhi Auto Expo, will be powered by this turbocharged unit.
Ford claims that with 120bhp and 170Nm of torque, the 1.0-litre mill will pack as much punch as a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine while returning much better fuel efficiency and fewer emissions at less than 140g/km.
The Ecosport, which will be built in India and Brazil, will be mainly aimed at young buyers in the emerging markets who are looking for something that sits nicely in between a small hatch and a CUV.
It follows Ford’s 'Kinetic' design theme with sleek lines and an aggressive trapezoidal grille that takes inspiration from other new models from the Blue Oval.
Although the previous generation Ecosport was sold exclusively in Brazil, the new variant will be a global model which will eventually be sold in up to100 markets worldwide.
