Ford’s smallest utility vehicle is bound for North America, giving hope to Blue Oval fans who find an Escape too unwieldy.
The EcoSport, offered in overseas markets since 2004, will soon be pressed into service to round out the bottom of the Ford’s domestic utility lineup.
According to Automotive News, Ford can blame the leak on DJ Khaled, who teased his involvement in the reveal on Snapchat last night.
“Monday I’m introducing the Ford EcoSport,” the rap artist said in a short video. “It’s going to be a world premiere with the new Ford EcoSport.”
The unveiling comes on the eve of the Los Angeles International Auto Show. While Ford has confirmed the decision to bring the model stateside, it won’t say when it will go on sale.
Sharing its B3 platform with the Ford Fiesta, the EcoSport offers differing powerplants depending on the market, though a 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder comes standard in most countries. Select countries see non-turbocharged gasoline and diesel 1.5-liter four-cylinders, as well as a 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter four. Ford hasn’t mentioned what powertrains North American customers can expect.
The automaker clearly doesn’t like the idea of being left out of the small but fast-growing subcompact crossover segment, dominated by the likes of the Chevrolet Trax and Mazda CX-3. While only 3 percent of U.S. volume, the segment has seen sales rise by 30 percent this year.
[Image: Ford of Europe]
Okay lets be mindful of any DCT trannys given Ford’s other bring em’ over…
Eeee! It’s 65″ tall and cute as an Encore. Ka-Ching!
Data I found say ground clearance is only 6.1″ but all photos make it seem at least 1″ better than that.
It looks like a Pokemon.
Which one? There are quite a few long, lean, and/or sharp-edged Pokemon.
I was going with shape and the general color, so I’d say Bulbasaur or whatever it turned into after that.
My Pokedex knowledge is from 2002, so I’m missing quite a few.
I really don’t like the face on that thing. It’s like they tried to combine the face of a 2013 Focus with the new Aston Martin look they’re going for nowadays. These types of vehicles are popular, so it’ll sell decently either way.
The engine choices are interesting. A 2.0 Liter Four would actually make this vehicle a bit fun to drive if it’s the same Mazda-L based engine that sits under the hood of my Focus. A quick search reveals the EcoSport weighs nearly 3000 lbs in some trims. Unfortunately, automakers like to cram woefully underpowered engines into their cars so I’d bet we’re looking at the 132hp 1.6L Duratec in base models and the 1.0 EcoBoost for those with extra cash.
I just hope they moved away from the PowerShift Transmission at this point.
Don’t nobody who’d buy a car like this care about “fun to drive”. Easy, comfy and safe, yeah.
Good point, but there’s gotta be at least one poor soul out there whose significant other forced them to buy one of these that wishes it had a bit more ‘oomph’… If the DCT can ever choose which gear it wants.
I would and am looking for that. Of course I have fun driving my minivan so there’s that.
It looks like the face of a 2013 Focus/C-max because that is a photo of the current Ecosport which was released in the 2013 model year.
Excellent point, the rapper mentioned a “world premier” not a “North American premier”.
This is like when TTAC showed the outgoing Cruze hatch when news came about the new version. Everyone went on about how dated it looked, not thinking for a single second that Chevy hadn’t yet launched the new Cruze at that time, let alone the hatch version.
Now, the Cruze hatch has launched, and whuddya know, it is stylish, up to date, not as over the top as the 5 door Civic, but not as bland as a Golf. Winner.
I doubt this is the face of the EcoSport we will see, if so, only for a couple years before it gets an overhaul, kinda the way the Chevy Trax did if I’m not mistaken.
“This thing looks like a 2013!”
Um, that’s because it pretty much is, guys, c’mon.
Cautiously optimistic: Is the manual trans from Europe going to make it’s way across the ocean or too early to tell?
My guess would be base model only, and only in a handful of vehicles sent to dealers who are on the bad side of the product allocators at Ford.
I’d say its a sure bet with the EcoBoost 1.0L. I hope other versions as well.
I’d like to see Ford launch its new small diesel here in this, the Fiesta, Transit Connect and the Focus.
The real question: where will it be manufactured?
And what’s the Lincoln version going to be called?
Navigator
Aviator
Airspeed
When broken down on the side of the freeway, and all you can do is watch all the dependable cars go by: the Lincoln Spectator
When it’s out of gas, the Lincoln Supinator.
When Junior uses it for a date on Friday night: the Lincoln Procreator.
When it’s time to trade it in: the Lincoln Depreciator.
When your wife makes you trade in your Hellcat when you buy it: the Lincoln Emasculator.
When used to leave your spouse: the Lincoln Liberator.
In the snowy northern states, the Lincoln Rusticator.
Mexico
Fiesta to Thailand, North American version of the EcoSport to Mexico.
Well, European, Australian and Japanese market examples of the 2013+ car are built in India.
Yes, it’s at least as good as it sounds.
The Gen 1 EcoSport was an ingeneous play by Ford. It had almost no development budget – it was simply a Fiesta with cladding and ground clearance to deal with crappy roads – and sold like hotcakes.
I had one as a rental in Mexico a while back and really enjoyed it. It was nimble and could handle whacking topes at speed without trouble.
“It had almost no development budget – it was simply a Fiesta with cladding and ground clearance to deal with crappy roads”
this is an astoundingly incorrect and ignorant statement.
Happy to admit I may have been wrong – I heard (or at least thought I did) from someone who worked at Fort a while back.
Any proof to that statement Mr. Z?
even though it used the Fiesta platform, it had its own upperbody sheetmetal, own interior, etc. which means it’s a unique vehicle and has to be tested and validated as such. It may have not cost as much to develop as other automotive programs, but you don’t bring a car to market on “almost zero development budget.”
Yeah, you see these down in Mexico, and down in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) in Texas – people who come across the border to shop at the malls, Walmart, Sams, etc. I’ve seen Nissan X-Trails in the Valley, too. Both are neat vehicles.
That leaves Toyota as the only major mfg w/o one of these things for the US market. That upcoming atrocity, C-HR will be as popular as the Juke.
And the Ecosport will be called “Bronco”.
No. The Bronco is going to be Ranger based – the global Ranger is a heck of a lot bigger than the Ecosport.
It would be nice though if Ford would show a lightly disguised mock-up of the American Bronco… soon.
Hopefully at the NAIAS.
OK, Bronco is taken. Pinto it is!
I got up close and personal with a Mazda CX-3 a little while back. These vehicles make no sense, they’re way too small inside, it’s almost a 2 + 2.
That’s what all subcompacts (cars or CUVS) are. You can’t have true 3-across seating in a vehicle less than 68″ wide.
Should probably clarify that that is a picture of the current Ecosport (aka the one not coming here) and not a shot of the one apparently being revealed on Monday. Because it appears some people here don’t understand that.
I found a rendering pic of the new one on indianautosblog.com, looks a lot like a mini-Escape. Supposedly the US model will come with a 1.0 Ecoboost and maybe a manual option. I guess we’ll find out next week. Apparently they’re going to be exported from Ford’s factory in India based on that site’s information.
Strangely, that thing looks a lot like a Fiat Panda.
They should have done this long ago. Ford is probably looking at the thousands of Trax and Encores GM sells, which are garbage products to be honest, and is kicking itself.
Yeah, the Trax has generally been savaged by reviewers. Cheap and nasty.
I have an Encore and I beg to differ with you about being garbage. The materials are upscale, the ride is nice and it is the quietest baby CUV on the road.
Is it underpowered?….a little. I haven’t been afraid to pull into traffic due to power though.
I traded in a Fiesta on it. Why? Garbage. 3 transmissions, rattles, trim didn’t fit right. And the Ecosport will be built off of this…no thanks.
I grew up in a Ford family…my dad worked for ford so anything other than Ford/Mercury/Lincoln was considered “Foreign? in his eyes. I would own a truck or Mustang, but nothing else.
New here?
You WANT unthinking, inarticulate scorn for your car from these types. That’s how you know it’s made for discerning adults and not car guys.
LOL
Long time lurker, new at posting.
I get what your’e saying. Although I wouldn’t say that a fiesta (excluding the ST)is a driver’s car.
“Underpowered” among this crowd means “can’t do 0-60 in under 5 seconds while costing less than $20,000.”
Needs a new name. Something that makes people think SUV and not Econo-box. Could just shorten it to “Sport” or even “E-Sport” would be better.
The new Ford Pony?
Ford Falabella
bib.ge/img_animal/74031849Falabella.jpg
“Ford Falabella” would be perfect for this model.
I am from Brazil, land from were Ecosport was born. This car is crap, slow, heavy, gas guzzler and expensive. Here it comes in two flavors, 1.6 manual and 2.0 “power-shit”. It had great times in sales, before Honda and Jeep launched HR-V and Renegade, it sunk from5K units per month to 2.3K.
Good luck for those who buys this in US!
Regards,
Evandro
Heh. Already on sale in Europe. If you guys don’t like how it looks wait till you see the inside.
Saw this lovely little vehicle at the Paris show two years ago. Told the stand rep just put in the ST running gear and I would have one. He laughed, and said this would never be in the US. It is an attractive little CUV and almost seems to be the station wagon version of the F.