[TusharK]

Earlier this week, we had shared images of the upcoming Titanium S variant of the Ford EcoSport. Now, according to a media report, Ford will offer the 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine on this variant. The engine will be paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. Dealerships are reportedly accepting bookings for a token amount of Rs. 30,000, while the launch is scheduled for May 2018.



Ford stopped offering the 1.0-litre, EcoBoost engine on the EcoSport ever since the facelift was launched in November 2017. In the old EcoSport, the 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol unit produced 123 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 170 Nm of torque @ 1,400 rpm. In addition to the EcoBoost engine, the Titanium S variant will reportedly have a stiffer suspension setup and a quicker steering rack compared to the standard EcoSport. The Titanium S variant is expected to get the 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel as well. This engine makes 99 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and 205 Nm @ 1,750-3,250 rpm. The diesel variant is likely to get a 5-speed manual transmission.

Ford is also gearing up to launch the EcoSport Signature Edition in India. Reports suggest that the Signature Edition will be based on the Titanium+ variant and will be offered with the 1.5-litre Dragon Series petrol engine and the 1.5-litre diesel. This variant is also expected to be launched in May 2018.

Both the Titanium S and Signature Edition will be positioned at the top of the EcoSport range. According to spy images, both variants get updated exteriors and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Source: Autocar India

Link to Team-BHP News

[IRideScent]

Spot on! We can hear the turbo-whistle again
With Sunroof, new 6-speed gear and bigger MID we almost had none wishes left, here Ecoboost 1.0 is again on offer for us enthusiasts. New dragon series is pleasing the mass and the Ecoboost will cater the niche segment who wanted more fun.

With 6-gear probably, it will provide better driveability. This really shows their care for each segment, after all Ford is known for driving enthusiasm.

[vishy76]

This might turn out to be a very welcome move if they eventually decide on it.

Having said that, I do hope they keep the prices realistic. The facelift pushed the prices up by a bit, and although the Ecosport is still a fairly VFM option, the Ecoboost is a complete import and might just cause potential sticker shock to an uninformed buyer, especially as compared to the Nexon.

On a related note, why not take the opportunity and plonk this into the Figo? I do know that it might cause a sizeable increase in price, but I think that the GT twins have proved that a fast hatch with a 10 lakh price tag can captivate a chunk of the market. If Ford prices the Figo Ecoboost at 7-8.5 Lakhs OTR, I can see enthusiasts with their cheque books ready.

They have killed the GT TDI with the Figo S TDCi. Now the Figo S petrol with a competent price tag and a slick shifting manual to murder the TSI.

Things just cant get any better for us enthusiasts can they? The Octavia RS, the Abarth Punto, the GT twins, the GTI and now the Ecosport Ecoboost!

[chiranjitp]

It is nice to see that the 1.0L Ecoboost engine is making a comeback in the Ecosport. However competent the 1.5 Dragon engine might be, the 1.0 Ecoboost is a more high-tech engine with more power & torque. For a S a.k.a sporty variant a powerful engine is a must, which the 1.0 Ecobost engine is.

It seems that both the engines (petrol & diesel) in the S variant would be mated with a new 6 speed GB. The 6 speed GB is a welcome move, specially for the 1.5 TDCi engine which has a tall gearing (in the 5 speed variants) to compensate for the missing gear. Our Ecosport does around 85 kmph in 2nd gear , which is way too much for a diesel engine. Hence I believe with one more gear to play with, Ford might make the rest of the gears a bit short which would help in city drive-ability & acceleration.

It is also speculated that the suspension would be stiffened up. That would be a very bad thing to do, even the normal Ecosport variants have a really stiff suspension. The Ecosport handles brilliantly with the normal suspension for a car that is so far off the ground. I would agree with the steering calibration part, it can certainly be made less lighter for the S variant.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

However competent the 1.5 Dragon engine might be, the 1.0 Ecoboost is a more high-tech engine with more power & torque. For a S a.k.a sporty variant a powerful engine is a must, which the 1.0 Ecobost engine is.

More powerful by 2 bhp?

I haven't driven the petrols - 1.0 and 1.5 dragon. But there's not much to be had as per the paper specs. Would be great if someone who has driven these cars back to back can confirm what exactly is the solid advantage of the Ecoboost version over the Dragon?

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

More powerful by 2 bhp?

I haven't driven the petrols - 1.0 and 1.5 dragon. But there's not much to be had as per the paper specs. Would be great if someone who has driven these cars back to back can confirm what exactly is the solid advantage of the Ecoboost version over the Dragon?

The advantage is easy to understand when you think it's a basically a Turbo vs NA with similar power. The point being the torque surge you get in the mid range with a Turbo (and the higher max torque too). After driving the Ecoboost i got so used to that surge that i miss it when driving NA cars, the experience somehow feels incomplete. It also allows much easier overtaking on the highways.
But overall i think it's more suited for the enthusiasts that are willing to spend another 30-40k on this over the regular 1.5. The general public may not care

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

More powerful by 2 bhp?

I haven't driven the petrols - 1.0 and 1.5 dragon. But there's not much to be had as per the paper specs. Would be great if someone who has driven these cars back to back can confirm what exactly is the solid advantage of the Ecoboost version over the Dragon?

I haven't driven the 1.5L Dragon. IMHO the 1L Ecoboost is overrated, especially in the Ecosport.

The 1.6L ROCAM (Ikon), 1.6L Duratec (Fiesta) engines were way better than the overhyped 1L Ecoboost.

[Silverfire]

There is a 140PS version of the Ecoboost vs the 125PS one that was launched earlier. Any news on whether we will get the 140 PS version? My guess is they will have to bring that in, otherwise the Ecoboost will be a poorer cousin to the 1.5 litre Dragon.

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

More powerful by 2 bhp?

I haven't driven the petrols - 1.0 and 1.5 dragon. But there's not much to be had as per the paper specs. Would be great if someone who has driven these cars back to back can confirm what exactly is the solid advantage of the Ecoboost version over the Dragon?

I have driven both. So, let me try.

The Dragon is a more rounded engine. For the routine Indian driving, this fares best. The NVH is impressive despite this also being a 3 pot and the drivability is excellent right from lower rpms. The higher displacement and it being a NA engine helps immensely. It pulls clean across rpm and also gets to good speeds on highways with ease.

But the EcoBoost is very different even though the power rating is almost same. You won't like it one bit on city roads with traffic or frequent stops. The bottom end is weak. But its a different animal out on the highways. The fun starts from the mid range where it pulls very hard and on open roads, it will even blow the 1.5 TDCi away. Its got more torque and an overboost feature as well which makes it more violent compared to the dragon. The NVH is also more compared to Dragon. But its a nice sounding engine which an enthusiast will appreciate.

The Dragon is the jack of all trades, and the EcoBoost is the master if open road high speed driving is your thing. The difference between a very fit executive and an athlete so to speak. The EcoBoost is flawed, but full of character and easy to fall in love with.

And I am eager to see how the EcoBoost is going to fare with the new 6 speed MT. Good on Ford to bring us these choices!

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

I have driven both. So, let me try.

The Dragon is the jack of all trades, and the EcoBoost is the master if open road high speed driving is your thing. The difference between a very fit executive and an athlete so to speak. The EcoBoost is flawed, but full of character and easy to fall in love with.

If its the golden mean that one is after, then would the TDCI not be a more appropriate choice, rather than either of the petrols? Good power, torque and drivability, not to mention better fuel efficiency. The only reason that I could think of for one opting for the petrols would possibly be the better refinement, perhaps.

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

More powerful by 2 bhp?
I haven't driven the petrols - 1.0 and 1.5 dragon. But there's not much to be had as per the paper specs.

Yup, 2 bhp is certainly not an increase that is worth talking about. But the Ecoboost makes 20Nm of torque more than the Dragon engine & the Ecoboost engine is turbocharged which generally means more mid range punch accompanied by a turbo kick.

I did briefly test drive the 1.0 Ecoboost during our Ecosport purchase. In the short drive I noticed that the engine was lethargic in the low revv range, but as the tacho needle went past the 2000rpm, there was a strong turbo kick & after that the car accelerates nicely, even slightly better than the 1.5L diesel.

We did swap our Punto MJD with an Ecosport TDCi. The Punto is slower than the Ecosport, but the engine feels more exciting to me because of the mild turbo kick at 1900-2000 RPM. On the other hand the Ecosport's TDCi engine has no turbo kick (no lag too), it almost feels like a NA engine. So, these engines with punchy turbo action really excites me.

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

If its the golden mean that one is after, then would the TDCI not be a more appropriate choice, rather than either of the petrols? Good power, torque and drivability, not to mention better fuel efficiency.

Yup, to anyone who is considering the Ecosport, I would only recommend the Diesel. Not only it has more power, torque, better drivability, fuel efficiency, the TDCi is only 40-50k expensive than the petrol. Most of competitors have a 100-120k difference between diesel & petrol variants, not so on the Ecosport. This is because the 1.5L petrol engine is not eligible for tax benefits, while the 1.5L diesel is eligible for tax benefits.

Still, many people are buying the petrol engine, especially in the face-lifted car. I believe this is because of the fact that diesel engines have got a bad name for them recently & also the NGT ban doesn't help. Then there are few peoples who won't buy diesels no matter what, recently one of my friends bought a Ecosport 1.5 dragon Titanium variant against my recommendation. He bought the petrol because his dad can't stand a diesel engine & also because their running is very low.

[GTO]

Having driven all the EcoSport engines, I wouldn't get too excited about the 1.0L EcoBoost coming back. The engine has serious lag - it would be a pain to drive it in the city on a daily basis. My top choice would be the 1.5L TDCi which is such an all-rounder, especially with the recent power bumps. Heck, I'd even pick the n/a dragon engine over the EcoBoost as it has good low-end driveability and a revv-happy nature. Have owned only one car with turbo-lag (Indigo 1.4L Turbo) and it was horrible in traffic.

Originally Posted by IRideScent

With 6-gear probably, it will provide better driveability.

Excellent point. A 6-speed could bring closer ratios which would improve driveability (shorter 1st & 2nd?). But still, there's only so much lag that a gearbox can hide (unless we're talking about torque-converter ATs).

Originally Posted by kiku007

IMHO the 1L Ecoboost is overrated, especially in the Ecosport.

And it wasn't exactly a fuel-efficiency topper either, going by our ownership reports.

[anachronix]

The powertrain as such was good, no hype about it. It can hold revs and the thing goes well too. My only problem was the 1L EB offered in the wrong car.

Originally Posted by kiku007

I haven't driven the 1.5L Dragon. IMHO the 1L Ecoboost is overrated, especially in the Ecosport.

True!

The 1.6L ROCAM (Ikon), 1.6L Duratec (Fiesta) engines were way better than the overhyped 1L Ecoboost.

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

If its the golden mean that one is after, then would the TDCI not be a more appropriate choice, rather than either of the petrols? Good power, torque and drivability, not to mention better fuel efficiency. The only reason that I could think of for one opting for the petrols would possibly be the better refinement, perhaps.

Yeah, that is one way to look at it.

I for one like the general feel of a petrol engine when compared to a diesel. The TDCi for all its merits isn't that free revving.

My daughter for instance doesn't like the smell of diesel cars. And that was revealed when an A-Star AT was added to the garage. Now, she wants to go everywhere inside A-Star because it smells nicer on the outside. She even asked me whether the Fiesta can be made petrol when I explained why the A-Star doesn't make the garage smell like it does. And she gets it from her mother. My wife was like this when we got married and then she got bowled over by the excellent range and drinking habits of diesel cars we have owned since.

That's why I said its good to have these choices. A decision really depends on what one is looking for.

Given a choice, I will definitely pick the EcoBoost for our Fiesta over the TDCi or Dragon though.

[Samba]

Ford has given us cars like the Ikon 1.6 or the Fiesta 1.6.

In 2010 they wanted to enter the mass market and launched the Figo. That was no doubt a superb fun to drive car which had lackluster engines. Fearing of being stamped as a fuel guzzler, Ford refrained from putting the 1.6L petrol engine to the Figo.

In 2013 they introduced the Ecosport and it was an instant hit.
At that time, practically there was no enthusiast engine in the Ford stable barring the EcoBoost engine. The 90 bhp tdci was a practical engine.

In 2015 they launched the new gen Figo/Aspire with the 1.5L tdci and bumped the power to 100bhp in the Ecosport too but again the petrol engines were dud.

Now in 2018, if we look at their line up, all the engines on offer are great and fun to drive-

Figo/ Aspire - 1.5L Diesel with the 1.2 L Dragon engine.
Ecosport- 1.5L Diesel with the 1.5L Dragon engine and now the 1L EcoBoost.

Now coming to the launch of the EcoBoost in the Ecosport, i have a mixed feeling.

Ecosport is a practical car. Its designed to take bad roads with aplomb. It cant match the handling of a sedan/hatchback though its the best handler in its segment. So regarding the purpose this car was made, i guess giving an AWD as an option rather than putting the EcoBoost would have made a better sense, specially when the Duster AWD is at the end of its life cycle.
Ecosport AWD practically have no competitors at this moment.

The 1L EcoBoost could have been given on the Figo sports to take on the Polo GT TSI or imagine this EcoBoost engine with the 140 Bhp tune on the Figo Sports with no competitors right now! Assuming the Abarth is now dead!

An Ecosport AWD + Figo sport with the EcoBoost engine could add on at-least 100-200 extra cars per month, whereas i doubt how many cars per month will increase with the EcoBoost in Ecosport? May be 50?

Ain't a hatch/sedan with a fun to drive engine and a wannabe suv/crossover with an AWD make more sense?