Ford has launched the Equator Sport in China, a new SUV built locally by Jiangling-Ford as a smaller, sportier, and more affordable sibling to the regular Equator that has been on sale since last year. At first glance, the Equator Sport, which debuted a few months ago at the Guangzhou Auto Show, looks very similar to the Equator. However, the two SUVs are quite different in terms of footprint.

More specifically the five-seater Equator Sport measures 4,630 mm long, 1,935 mm wide, and 1,706 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,726 mm. By comparison, the seven-seater Equator is 275 mm longer, 5 mm narrower, and 49 mm taller, with a 139 mm longer wheelbase. The SUV incorporates Ford’s latest design language with slim LED headlights, a large hexagonal grille, aluminum-style accents, and a rather sculpted body. Compared to the Equator, it gets a sleeker windowline and a less dull rear end. The latter loses the full-width LED bar, benefiting from a more inclined rear windscreen and pronounced shoulders.

 

Inside, we find a free-standing panel for the digital cockpit comprising two 12.3-inch screens (7-inch and 12.3-inch in the base spec model). Instead of using the Ford SYNC4 infotainment like the Mondeo, the Equator Sport gets the Tencent TAI 4.0 system which still supports the latest connectivity features. In terms of ADAS, the model benefits from the Ford Co-Pilot 360 suite that is already available in the rest of the range. Setting aside the tech, the cabin appears to be quite premium for the price segment of the SUV, with wood accents on the dashboard, a panoramic sunroof, and leather-style upholstery.

The Equator Sport is available with a turbocharged 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine producing 168 hp and 260 Nm of torque that’s sent to the front axle through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. This configuration is different from the Equator, the Mondeo, and the Evos which are available with 2.0-liter Ecoboost engines. Local media suggest that the ICE-powered SUV will be joined by a PHEV variant in the near future. The Ford Equator Sport is already available in China with a price range of ¥ 139,800 – ¥ 165,800 (US$ 22,050 – US$ 26,151). This makes it cheaper than the larger Equator which starts from ¥ 169,800 (US$ 26,782) and the sleeker Evos which starts from ¥ 199,800 (US$ 31,514).