Made-In-India Ford EcoSport With EcoBoost Headed To Australia

Since Ford India is already making the right-hand drive Ecosport with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, India could also get the same later

Ford Australia recently announced that the 2018 EcoSport would launch in the continent on December 14, 2017. Australia will get two engine options, the new 1.5-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine from the Dragon family and the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. That means the base variant will lose one cylinder and gain 11PS of power and 10Nm of torque, amounting to a net output of 123PS and 150Nm.

Just like in India, Ford has decided to drop the dual-clutch automatic in Australia. And hence, the 1.5-litre petrol engine will come with a 6-speed torque converter automatic. The dual-clutch automatic is an advanced and efficient unit, but it was reportedly facing reliability issues there. So, Ford turned to the more reliable torque converter instead. The 5-speed manual transmission has been dropped altogether.

Ford EcoSport Facelift – All You Need To Know

Surprisingly, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost variant in the country is ditching the 5-speed manual transmission in favour of the 6-speed torque converter automatic. A strange match, since the EcoBoost is not just punchy but also frugal and with a torque converter. However, its fuel efficiency figure has now taken a hit. As per Australian tests, the EcoBoost engine mated to the 5-speed manual transmission delivers a mileage of 17.5kmpl. The automatic transmission brings the claimed fuel efficiency number down to 15kmpl in the land of kangaroos. With the torque converter automatic, the 1.5-litre engine's mileage has also gone down from 15.4kmpl to 14.5kmpl in Australia. As per India’s ARAI tests, the Ford EcoSport with 1.5-litre petrol engine, delivers 17.0kmpl with a manual transmission and 14.8kmpl with the automatic.

Tata Nexon Vs Ford EcoSport Vs Maruti Vitara Brezza - Specs Compared

While the new 1.5-litre engine makes almost similar power as the 1.-0-litre EcoBoost, it's also cheaper and simpler to manufacture as it lacks a turbocharger and direct injection. But, since the carmaker is already exporting the right-hand drive variants of the EcoSport with the smaller engine, it could possibly be launched in India as well. But launching it with an automatic transmission will put off enthusiasts and rocket its price to unreasonable levels.

Ford’s Ecoboost Engine To Make A Comeback In India

Ford Ecosport Expert Review

Read More on : Ford Ecosport diesel