Spy photos of the 2017 Ford EcoSport on Indian soil
have emerged on a number occasions this year. In the latest, two units of the
facelifted model were spotted on a transporter in Mumbai, courtesy CarWale.
Pictured above is the Indian-spec 2017 Ford EcoSport
Titanium that has a tailgate mounted spare wheel. The blue unit in the second
image is on its way to Mexico, as per CarWale’s report. As Ford does not offer
an EcoBoost engine in the Mexican-spec version, the chances are that this is a
U.S.-spec version which gets the 1.0L EcoBoost engine option. Both look
road-ready units.
The 2017 Ford EcoSport features a Ford Kuga inspired
front-end with a new hexagonal grille, larger headlamps, restyled bumper and
triangular fog lamps. On to the interior, there is a new three-spoke steering
wheel similar to the one found in the Kuga. The new instrument panel, the SYNC
3 infotainment system with an 8.0-inch free-standing display and the centre
console are very similar to the 2017 Ford Fiesta unveiled just weeks after the
new EcoSport. There’s a grab bar on the passenger side of the dashboard now.
Colour coordinated accents on the door panel, centre console and dashboard lend
a two-tone look to the cabin.
The facelifted Ford EcoSport gets a new 137.2 hp 1.5-litre Ti-VCT three-cylinder engine in Brazil. In India, it is
unknown if Ford will bring the Dragon family engine or continue with the 112 PS 1.5-litre Ti-VCT four-cylinder petrol engine. The current EcoSport
is available with 125 PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol and 100 PS 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engines too, but any changes to these, if
planned, are unknown. The diesel engine was upgraded for MY2016 and may
continue as before. 5-speed manual and 6-speed PowerShift dual-clutch automatic
should soldier on in the new EcoSport.