Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Slated to be presented to the South American public at the Sao Paulo Auto Show in November, the mid-cycle refresh for the Ford EcoSport will bring proper styling to the mini sport utility vehicle. And no, the spare wheel at the rear won’t make it into production as far as the Euro specification is concerned.
Speaking of the EU, the facelifted Ford EcoSport for the European market will go into production at the Blue Oval’s plant in Craiova, Romania. Thus, the Chennai plant in India will slow down production to suit demand on the domestic and surrounding markets. These said, our spy photographers caught the mid-cycle update of the EcoSport doing its thing in Europe and, to put it bluntly, the teeny-tiny SUV is far more attractive than the current model.
Firstly, take a look at the front grille. Try harder. That’s right! The 2017 Ford EcoSport will borrow the front fascia design of the Edge mid-size crossover SUV. The headlights are different as well, as is the front bumper. Look even closer and you’ll spot that the hood ends right above the grill. Provided that you ignore the spare wheel, the rear end hides new graphics for the taillights and a resculpted bumper.
The major changes inside will come in the form of a different three-spoke steering wheel, the SYNC 2 infotainment system, an updated instrument panel, revised HVAC controls, and rectangular air vents. On the powertrain front, not much will change with this mid-cycle update for the slow-selling EcoSport.
In Europe, the smallest sport utility from FoMoCo will continue to employ tried-and-tested powerplants such as the 1.0 EcoBoost, 1.5 TDCi, and the 1.5 Ti-VCT. It’s still not known whether Ford will offer the EcoSport will all-wheel-drive in the Old Continent, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed it will. The global Ford B-car platform can be equipped with AWD, as proven by the Japanese specification of the current EcoSport.
The European order books for the 2017 Ford EcoSport facelift will open early next year. If there’s demand for it, the Dearborn-based manufacturer will sell the EcoSport in the United States for the 2018 model year.
Firstly, take a look at the front grille. Try harder. That’s right! The 2017 Ford EcoSport will borrow the front fascia design of the Edge mid-size crossover SUV. The headlights are different as well, as is the front bumper. Look even closer and you’ll spot that the hood ends right above the grill. Provided that you ignore the spare wheel, the rear end hides new graphics for the taillights and a resculpted bumper.
The major changes inside will come in the form of a different three-spoke steering wheel, the SYNC 2 infotainment system, an updated instrument panel, revised HVAC controls, and rectangular air vents. On the powertrain front, not much will change with this mid-cycle update for the slow-selling EcoSport.
In Europe, the smallest sport utility from FoMoCo will continue to employ tried-and-tested powerplants such as the 1.0 EcoBoost, 1.5 TDCi, and the 1.5 Ti-VCT. It’s still not known whether Ford will offer the EcoSport will all-wheel-drive in the Old Continent, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed it will. The global Ford B-car platform can be equipped with AWD, as proven by the Japanese specification of the current EcoSport.
The European order books for the 2017 Ford EcoSport facelift will open early next year. If there’s demand for it, the Dearborn-based manufacturer will sell the EcoSport in the United States for the 2018 model year.
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