PHOTO BY FORD
Ford mulls bringing its smallest compact crossover to America
Ford may be planning to bring its EcoSport crossover to the U.S., Automotive News reports. A camouflaged prototype has been spotted testing around Dearborn, Michigan, with the crossover headed for a possible 2017 launch date.
The EcoSport has been on sale in a number of world markets, but is not offered in North America; it's actually based on the Ford Fiesta hatch, but will compete with the likes of the Jeep Renegade, Chevrolet Trax, and Subaru XV Crosstrek should it make it way to our shores.
The EcoSport debuted in 2002 and was renewed for a second generation in 2012. The wee CUV is powered by a vast range of inline-three and inline-four engines ranging in displacement from 1.0 liters to 2.0 liters, though it is the range-topping models that we're likely to see in the U.S.
Ford has been caught flatfooted by the massive popularity of models sized just below the Ford Escape, which has been battling the likes of the Honda CR-V and Chevy Equinox in the U.S. The company has no answer for models like the Fiat 500X, Honda HR-V and Subaru XV Crosstrek that are proving to be best-sellers.
Ford plans to add four utility vehicles to its lineup in the next few years, and the pre-existing EcoSport could fill out the spot at the bottom of the range. The reborn Bronco is another vehicle that's part of Ford's plan, but it is expected to debut a year after the EcoSport.
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