Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has confirmed the expansion of its EcoSport range to include an automatic version of its entry-level Ambiente petrol model.
At the start of April 2020, CARmag.co.za broke the news (including pricing) but now Ford SA has confirmed the arrival of an additional EcoSport derivative. In addition, the Blue Oval brand’s local arm has revealed “specification upgrades” for the Trend and Titanium variants.
As a reminder, the new 1,5 Ambiente AT is priced at R297 600, which makes it some R17 900 more expensive than the manual version and R36 300 cheaper than the 1,0 EcoBoost Trend AT. The new variant employs the brand’s naturally aspirated 1,5-litre, three-cylinder petrol unit, which sends its 91 kW and 150 N.m to the front axle via a six-speed automatic transmission (as opposed to a five-speed manual).
So, what changes with the Trend and Titanium versions of the EcoSport? Well, both trim levels gain a collision mitigation system, which alerts the driver of a potential collision, primes the brakes and, if necessary, applies maximum braking force once the driver hits the brake pedal.
Trend variants furthermore gain cruise control with an adaptive speed limiter, while Titanium derivatives score front parking sensors to complement the rear items that are standard across the range. A new “underbody protection shield” has also been added to Trend and Titanium models, rendering them “more robust” on rough roads.
As before, all EcoSport models come standard with a four-year/120 000 km warranty and a four-year/60 000 km service plan (with intervals of 15 000 km).
Pricing:
Ford EcoSport 1,5 Ambiente: R279 700
Ford EcoSport 1,5 TDCi Ambiente: R289 900
Ford EcoSport 1,5 Ambiente AT: R297 600
Ford EcoSport 1,0 EcoBoost Trend: R319 200
Ford EcoSport 1,0 EcoBoost Trend AT: R333 900
Ford EcoSport 1,0 EcoBoost Titanium: R357 000
Ford EcoSport 1,0 EcoBoost Titanium AT: R370 400
