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-   -   Ford starts building EcoSport 2.0L petrol in India, but it's only for exports (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/178750-ford-starts-building-ecosport-2-0l-petrol-india-but-its-only-exports.html)

Thank you to the Team-BHP fan (he prefers to remain anonymous) who sent this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts!

Ford India has started production of the EcoSport with a 2.0-litre petrol engine. A quick search on Zauba shows that the company is exporting the compact SUV to Mexico. This engine will be offered only in international markets and won't be launched in India.

This 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine churns out 138 BHP and 186 Nm of torque. It is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and a DCT automatic gearbox is available as an option.

According to international reviews, the 2.0-litre petrol EcoSport feels sluggish to drive and hence, Indians aren't missing much with the absence of this engine option in the market. The EcoSport in India continues to be offered with a 1.5-litre diesel (which accounts for the majority of the sales), while petrol lovers have got the 1.0-litre EcoBoost at their disposal.

Ford will not launch the 2.0-litre petrol EcoSport here, since it will place the compact SUV in a higher excise duty bracket. This won't be beneficial in a price sensitive market like ours, especially at a time when the EcoSport's chief competitor, the Maruti Vitara Brezza, is pulling customers away from Ford showrooms.



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It is quite a mystery that Ford, with all its global might cannot find a petrol engine for Ecosport that does not feel sluggish, even for the export market.

Yeah, going by international reviews, we really aren't missing out on too much. Apparently, it's not revv-happy either.

You can say that again. More so because the erstwhile 1.6L (of the ol' Fiesta) was so darn awesome. Sharp throttle response, excellent low end torque and a revv-happy nature. The 1.5L n/a petrol is pale in comparison. A rare time that a manufacturer's replacement engine is nowhere as good as its predecessor.

138 horses is lame for a 2l block. Ford's new Ti-VCT motors are not a patch to the old Duratec engines.

I don't understand why they are not taking the turbo direct injection route considering the engine does exist. The 1.6l engine on the Volvo V40 petrol is a Ford Ecoboost motor that belts out close to 180 horses and 280nm of torque. This would have been a perfect fit for the EcoSport.

I had a Ford Focus in the US in year 2000 - 2003, it had a 2.0 Litre petrol engine. It was called the ZETEC engine, it was one of the worst engines I have ever driven. Good low end torque, but it used to refuse to rev up. Very noisy at high revs when it eventually got there. The car had about 14 recalls and I sold it for a third of the price i paid for it in less than 3 years. I hope it is not this engine that is making a comeback to the developing nations that may be more accepting.

On the other hand, I am very happy with my Indian TDCI Ecosport. Runs even better with age (just crossed three years of ownership) and has zero problems, just one recall but I was glad to do it since it was safety related.