Ford Ecosport has been recently launched in the India and has been selling like hot cakes ever since. The success of the compact SUV has made the American carmaker all the more ambitious for the Indian car market since they have unveiled a new CUV called the Ford Freestyle. Before you get very excite by the term CUV we would like to tell you the Compact Utility Vehicle is similar to the crossovers that have been in sale for a while.
Ecosport is the only affordable car that has been doing well for Ford and that made the company develop the Freestyle CUV which will sit in the same segment as the WR-V and the Hyundai i20 Active. Freestyle will launch in India in the second quarter of 2018 and will probably sit below the Ford Ecosport.
Ford Ecosport’s younger sibling: Ford Freestyle
The Ford Freestyle looks similar to the Ford Figo but instead of adding black cladding to the latter, the American carmaker has gone the same route as Honda (WR-V) and made distinct changes to the CUV. The success of the Ford Ecosport has made it clear to the company that the Indian customers have been growing affectionate to cars with butcher dimensions at least when compared to the hatchbacks. The Freestyle thus features a higher ground clearance than the Ford Figo and the black cladding surrounds the car from all sides including the front and rear.
The insides of the younger sibling of the Ford Ecosport have not been disclosed but we can pretty much be sure the car will come with a touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Coming to the mechanicals, the Ford Freestyle will carry a 1.2-litre petrol engine from the Dragon series which makes 94-96 BHP of power. The 1.5-litre diesel engine from the Ford Ecosport is also offered thus making the Freestyle one of the most powerful cars in the segment.
Freestyle CUV Might Be Priced Lower Than The Ford Ecosport
The Ford Freestyle competes directly with the Honda WR-V and the Fiat Avventura which start around 7.5 Lakhs in India. Some other cars like the Toyota Etios Cross and Hyundai i20 active which appeal to the same buyer are cheaper by up to 1 Lakh and start around 6.5 Lakh Rupees. Since the Ford Ecosport is already priced at 7.67 Lakhs, we expect the Ford Freestyle to undercut this pricing to make its case against its elder sibling. The launch is expected to happen sometime between April and June later this year.
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