The upcoming India-spec 2018 Ford EcoSport facelift will pack a spanking new 1.5-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine. This new motor will replace the current 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol, which also powers the Figo and Aspire petrol-automatic variants.
The new 1.5-litre Ti-VCT (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing) made its world premiere in Brazil in May this year. The EcoSport facelift becomes the first vehicle in Ford’s global lineup to use this new motor. The tech on board includes a lightweight aluminium block, integrated exhaust manifold (just like the 1.0-litre EcoBoost), Ti-VCT among others.
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In the Brazil-spec 2018 EcoSport, this engine puts out 131PS of max power and 153Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 5-speed manual or a new 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters. This new torque converter automatic has replaced the 6-speed dual-clutch Powershift automatic of the outgoing model.
This new drivetrain (new 1.5-litre petrol + 6-speed AT) option will also help the 2018 model to better distinguish itself from its relatively economical siblings, the Figo and the Aspire, which also share the current 1.5-litre Ti-VCT motor with the outgoing EcoSport.
