Ford to Preview All-New Global Vehicle at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012

Ford will use Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi for the global preview of an all-new vehicle, providing the first glimpse of another next-generation vehicle for India and other global markets

Ford's all-new vehicle will join a showcase of 12 vehicles on display to capture the attention of customers

The Ford stand will use the latest technology to deliver a lively and interactive experience for customers

NEW DELHI, India, Dec. 19, 2011 – Visitors to the Ford stand at the 11th Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi next month will get the first glimpse of an all-new vehicle planned for introduction in India and other global markets in the near future. With expected attendance of 1.4 million visitors, Auto Expo 2012 is an ideal location to showcase the newest Ford product.

This next-generation vehicle will take centre stage on Ford's high-tech and interactive stand, which will cover roughly 1,400 square meters. Highlights planned for Auto Expo 2012 include comprehensive safety and quality displays, a 3D theater, live shows and a crowd-sourced, interactive driving game.

The new vehicle will be the latest One Ford global product, a vehicle designed to help expand Ford's footprint in the world's fastest-growing auto markets, including India. It will be the second of eight products Ford plans to bring to India by mid-decade.

Fleet of Ford Vehicles on Display
Also on the Ford stand will be the Ford Figo, the All-New Fiesta, the Ford Classic and the Ford Endeavour.

The Figo has already sold around 130,000 units since its launch in March 2010. While the Figo has only been in the Indian market for a short time, it has become the country's most awarded car ever, and has garnered industry-wide recognition as a great value-for-money vehicle, which is exported to close to 30 international markets.

The Ford Classic, as it is known today, has established a strong foothold in the Indian market by winning more than 120,000 customers with its on-road dynamics and best-in-class fuel efficiency, while the Ford Endeavour is a popular all-action SUV.

The All-New Ford Fiesta four-door sedan, soon to be available with the new best-in-class PowerShift automatic transmission, also will be on display. A premium offering in the B-car segment, it is another positive step in Ford's strategy to bring the latest technology to customers in India. Compared to traditional four-speed automatics, the PowerShift transmission can improve fuel economy by up to 9 percent, depending on the vehicle.

Ford Stand Bursting With Activity
The Ford stand will take advantage of the latest technology to deliver a lively and interactive experience for customers.

A major highlight will be allowing the audience to take control of a vehicle on a large LED screen – virtually. Using a motion-sensing camera, the crowd will collectively be able to control the vehicle as it rolls along the road, and unlock information at each bend. The display will prompt the crowd to lean left and right during a short drive as it shows highlights of the route.

Photos from this event will be taken during each game and uploaded to a Facebook gallery, where visitors can tag themselves.

Ford also will have a Figo Theatre that allows customers to sit inside the car and watch a film played on a plasma television in front of the windscreen. The video will explain the Figo's Smart technologies.

Another theatre, in 3D, will showcase the technologies Ford takes advantage of in designing, developing and engineering its vehicles. Guests will navigate a virtual car interior under the guidance of a Ford engineer.

A Quality Touch Table will provide guests with a hands-on opportunity to feel the quality of the materials used in Ford vehicles, while a Green Touch Table will demonstrate the long-term value of Ford's green technology, delivering on Ford's commitment to provide customers with low total cost of ownership.

A Fiesta body shell also will be on display, giving visitors an opportunity to discover the engineering features that make the Fiesta safe, sturdy and secure on the road.

Guests will be entertained by a local magician who will perform on the stand, telling Ford's safety stories in a fun way.

Ford has officially unveiled the EcoSport ahead of the Delhi Auto Expo. The vehicle wears a CUV version of the company's Kinetic design language with a large octagonal grille and discreet headlights. Despite its concept looks, Ford says the vehicle could be in production in as little as six months.

Under the hood, the EcoSport boasts the smallest Ecoboost engine ever created. The turbocharged 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine is good for around 118 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque, though a small-displacement diesel option may bow in the future.

The EcoSport will be built in India and Brazil and is likely to play a large role in growing the Ford presence worldwide. The vehicle will head to 100 markets globally and is slated to be the second of eight new Ford products headed to India by 2015. That doesn't mean we'll be seeing the CUV on our soil anytime soon, however.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/04/f...lhi-auto-expo/

When Ford unveiled the EcoSport Concept at the New Delhi Auto Expo in January, we were smitten. A pint-sized, good-looking CUV with thrifty engines could do well here in the States. Brazil's Noticias Automotivas has caught what looks like a production EcoSport sans camo before it undergoes crash testing and, as promised, it looks little changed from the showcar.

The sparkly LED-powered headlights are gone but everything else seems to be very close to what design boss J Mays told us about in New Delhi. The final version is expected to come with two engine options: the 1.6-liter Sigma and the 2.0 liter Duratec.

Despite Ford's plans to expand the EcoSport beyond Brazil, we're not hopeful it'll be sold in North America, as we've heard Blue Oval executives dismiss the Fiesta-sized CUV as too small. Be sure to check out Noticias Automotivas for additional photos of the new EcoSport.

Ford announced today at IFA 2013 industrial exhibition that it will kick off European sales of the new EcoSport with a limited edition version that can be ordered on a dedicated website by following a link from Facebook.

Only 500 units of the EcoSport Limited Edition will be built, 120 of which will go to the UK and 110 to Germany. The special edition crossover will feature the Ford Sync AppLink system, which enables voice control of smartphone apps from the driver’s seat.

Standard features also include 17-inch alloy wheels, leather trim and a series of free apps from Ford’s Sync AppLink partners, including 12 months of unlimited audio book downloads from Audioteka direct to the car. The EcoSport Limited Edition will be available in Mars Red, Panther Black, or Diamond White. Customers of the Ford EcoSport Limited Edition SUV will be able to choose between a 125PS (123hp) EcoBoost 1.0-liter engine or a 90PS (89hp) 1.5-liter diesel unit.

“EcoSport appeals to a younger, more connected generation so it’s fitting we are offering the EcoSport Limited Edition for sale through Facebook,” explained Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe. In the UK, the EcoSport Limited Edition will be priced from Ł16,995, while in Germany it will start from €19,950.

Following the launch campaign of the Limited Edition model, Ford's almost global SUV will be available in European dealerships in the Titanium trim level featuring 16-inch alloy wheels with alloy spare wheel and cover, front fog lamps, silver roof rails, power door mirrors, keyless entry and Ford Power Start.

India’s DC Design aftermarket specialist has revealed a comprehensive tuning package for the Ford EcoSport. Just like it did with the Renault Duster, DC Design has completely changed the looks of Ford’s smallest crossover, both inside and out.

The most striking changes are at the front of the car, with the headlights pushed below into the bumper and featuring a round design, while the original headlight cutout now includes LED daytime running lights and turn signals.

DC Design also completely reworked the front bumper, which now features a massive air intake. The photos don’t show the rear end of the car, so we don't know whether it features upgrades as well.

On the inside, DC Design changed the seating layout from a 2+3 to a 2+2, as the rear bench now features a central tunnel acting as an armrest and including storage and multimedia controls as well. The individual rear seats are electrically adjustable and feature a reclining backrest. Rear passengers also benefit from an additional air conditioning blower unit located above the front armrest and two large LCD displays.

The seats, door trims and dashboard panels are finished in a beige color, while the passenger seat can be folded flat to create a leg rest for the rear passenger. At the front, Ford’s Sync central screen has been replaced by a bigger unit. The car also features mood lighting. The price of the tuning package hasn’t been announced yet.

Ford’s take on the small urban SUV, the EcoSport, embodies an obvious contradiction: although it looks like an off-roader (yes, I’m referring especially to the location of the spare wheel), it only comes with front-wheel-drive.

Ford’s decision to place the spare wheel on the tailgate may have been dictated by practical terms (boot volume), but as the Auto Express review points out, it’s neither good-looking nor practical, adding 200mm (7.9in) of length to the car. Furthermore, the large swinging rear door hinders access to the boot, especially in tight spaces.

On the inside, the quality of plastics used on the dashboard and door panels is not as high as what rivals like the Peugeot 2008 and Renault Captur have to offer. It's worth mentioning, however, that the car tested was a pre-production prototype.

There are good things about the EcoSport: it drives well thanks to its Fiesta underpinnings, it has a spacious interior and is quite entertaining when opted with the 123hp 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine.

If you’re curious to find out more about the EcoSport make sure you watch the video review posted below.

Ford is showcasing the customization potential of the EcoSport SUV at the Sao Paulo Auto Show with three concept cars created by the company’s South American design team.

The one that will probably draw most attention is the EcoSport Storm concept, inspired by the F-150 Raptor pickup. Just like the high-performance truck, the EcoSport study features black Ford lettering in the grille and a more masculine design.

Other distinctive design details are the “Blue Storm” paint with black and silver accents, as well as the special graphics on the sides. Riding on 215/75 R15 off-road tires, the EcoSport Storm also gets extended wheel arches and a front engine guard.

The other two Ford EcoSport concepts explore the theme of “Beauty and the Beast”, with designers aiming to highlight the contrast between luxury and sportiness.

The luxury-oriented EcoSport Beauty features a special paint in matte metallic “Copper Stardust”, graphics and contrasting details, black roof, LED fog lights and 18-inch wheels with low profile tires size 235/40 R18. The interior has four individual leather seats, DVD screens in the headrests and a multimedia system with GPS.

The EcoSport Beast is a sportier interpretation of the small SUV, featuring pearlescent “Speed White” paint with contrasting details in blue and orange, a three bar grille, fog lamps with four LEDs and 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/60 R18 tires.

The study also features an air intake on the roof with additional lighting LEDs. Inside, the rear seats are replaced by bike racks.

Ford Sollers, the joint venture of Ford and JSC Sollers in Russia, has begun production at its plant in the Republic of Tatarstan. The plant, which is Ford Sollers’ second assembly plant in Tatarstan and the third in Russia, will have an annual production capacity of up to 115,000 vehicles and will employ 1,500 people.

The first vehicle built at the Naberezhnie Chelny Assembly Plant is the Ford EcoSport subcompact SUV, which has been adapted to meet the needs of Russian customers. From 2015, the plant will also produce the five-door version of the Fiesta for the Russian market. The joint venture will also start building engines at its Elabuga plant in Tatarstan in 2015.

With the addition of the Fiesta, Ford Sollers will be building 11 Ford vehicles in Russia. The company now builds the full-size Explorer and Edge, mid-size Kuga, and subcompact EcoSport SUVs, as well as light commercial vehicles including the new Transit family, plus the Focus and Mondeo passenger cars.

“We’re proud to announce the start of production of the Ford EcoSport at Ford Sollers’ third assembly plant in Naberezhnie Chelny. This state-of-the art facility will build Ford vehicles to the highest quality levels,” said Ted Cannis, president and CEO, Ford Sollers. “EcoSport will be a winning addition to the Russian range and will strengthen Ford’s brand presence in the fast-growing SUV and crossover market segment,” he added.

The company says the EcoSport for Russia is fully adapted for Russian cold winter conditions. The model is available in a choice of front- and all-wheel drive options, and comes with either a 1.6-liter or 2.0-liter gasoline engine mated to a 5- or 6-speed manual or Powershift 6-speed automatic transmission.