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While Future Automobiles Sri Lanka, a subsidiary of Softlogic Holdings, offers exclusive deals such as the irresistible trade in offer for any brand of vehicle with a Ford product, it also introduced the all-new Ford EcoSport in Sri Lanka last week.
The all new Ford EcoSport makes its much anticipated debut in Asia, tapping into a growing desire in the region for an urban SUV that combines the agility, affordability and fuel efficiency of a compact car with the flexibility as spaciousness of a sport utility vehicle.
Based on Ford’s global B-segment platform, Future Automobiles said during the media preview of the vehicle that Ford EcoSport is an aspirational alternative to the compact car, spacious for five adults and their gear.
The SUV’s blend of versatility and smart connectivity will attract a target of independent lifestyle customers who not only live life to the full but also love exploring the world at large.
Its high driving position, rugged capability, superior fuel economy and convenient features all make it just the right vehicle for both city streets and mountain roads.
The Ford EcoSport is launched with the global 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which delivers 108 PS of power and peak torque of 138 Nm. Depending on the market, it can be mated to either the fuel-efficient six-speed Ford PowerShift automatic transmission or the five-speed manual transmission.
The engine features twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) technology which allows extremely precise, variable control of ‘valve overlap’ – the window of time in which both the intake and exhaust vales in an engine are open at the same time. For the driver, this means improved low-speed torque and increased fuel economy.
While Ford EcoSport will be built at the company’s plants in China, South America, Thailand and India, the production for the Sri Lankan market will come from the latter two countries.
Although the production of Ford’s latest vehicle is scheduled to take place in August this year, Future Automobiles COO Sujeeva Premaratne shared at the media preview that the company is open for advance orders. He further stated that in Sri Lanka, the focused market for the Ford EcoSport is permit holders. “The showroom price is about Rs. 6 million, whereas for the permit holders the vehicle would cost somewhere between Rs. 3 to 4 million,” said Premaratne.
Pix by Upul Abayasekara
