By: IOL Motoring Staff
Hollywood - Ford has revealed the facelifted version of its smallest SUV, although what you see here is the US-spec EcoSport and the Indian-built models bound for South Africa could still differ in some ways.
By the way, this is the first time that the EcoSport will be sold on US soil and Ford is it clearly aiming it at the youth market, with the company having revealed it at a pop-up event in Hollywood, said to be the world's first Snapchat vehicle launch.
The biggest changes take place at the front end, where it follows the facelifted Kuga in replacing its predecessor's slim grille with a large trapezoidal upper breathing apparatus flanked by pointy headlights.
At the rear you'll notice there's no spare wheel mounted on the tailgate and it's probably been replaced by a puncture kit, but SA models will hopefully retain the tail-mounted spare.
Local versions are also likely to retain the current engine options, which include 1.5 (82kW) and 1.0T (92kW) petrol motors and a 74kW 1.5 turbodiesel. The 1.0 EcoBoost turbopetrol serves as the base engine for US versions, while a normally aspirated 2-litre petrol, mated to an all-wheel drive system, will serve larnier models.
The SA features list is also yet to be confirmed, but US cars get some nifty new gadgets not fitted to current EcoSports, including a Sync3 infotainment system linked to a 20cm touch-screen and featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. Buyers can also opt for a 675-watt B&O Play premium sound system and can choose from seven ambient lighting options.
While our Stateside friends receive their first units early next year, we're currently awaiting confirmation on local availability.