At the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo, Ford pulled the covers off its small but efficient 1.0 litre petrol powertrain and the upcoming EcoSport Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). This engine from Ford which will power the EcoSport has been bestowed with the title of 'Engine of the Year' recently and is smaller in size as compared to the prospective competitors. However, due to a recent price hike, the customers in the Indian market have become partial towards diesel cars and to ramp up its sales, the car maker must introduce a diesel variant of the model as well. According to rumours, Ford may launch the diesel model soon after the rolling out petrol model in the country. However, there has been no confirmation from the car maker in this regard, but the hotly anticipated car is expected to make its début in the country by 2013.
The model has been spotted frequently around the company's plant in Chennai; however, it is different this time as the car has been captured without any cladding and with a Titanium TDCI logo. According to the spy shots, it looks as if the test mule is a production model as bar code stickers and emblems adorned its body. However, it can be confirmed as the model spotted on the roads may have been a test mule, since there is a colour mismatch on the rear fender and the front grille is missing as well. The front grille is considered as an integral part of for the top end Titanium variant of the EcoSport model. In the front shots, further colour mismatch on the fascia and missing fog lights are clearly visible.
However, the Titanium TDCI prototype spotted in Chennai was seen sporting cobweb style alloy wheels, roof rails, body coloured fittings, side mirrors indicators, and rear wiper. The car is expected to be powered by a recalibrated 1.5 litre diesel powertrain which also serves on the Ford Fiesta. The car also share its platform with Fiesta as it is built using the components from the sedan and falls in the sub-4 metre category, thus making it eligible for tax subsidy provided by the government of India. Ford is positioning the car as a global SUV and plans to launch it across 100 markets in the world.
