Ford Ecosport on sale in 2014

The Ford Ford Ecosport SUV is headed to UK dealers in the spring of 2014, the car maker has confirmed. The Ford Fiesta-based two-wheel-drive SUV is just under 4m long and jacked up to give 200mm of ground clearance to match its beefy looks and open grille.

Originally developed by Ford Brazil to satisfy demand for a cheap but rugged SUV for South America, the latest version is being brought to the UK under the ‘One Ford’ banner and is styled and engineered to higher standards to satisfy European buyers. 

South American buyers also benefit because they get a better car than could be justified if the development budget was constrained by sales limited to a handful of global countries.

European buyers are likely to get a wider range of powertrains, too. Details are limited, but it appears that a 100bhp 1.0-litre EcoBoost and 125bhp 1.6-petrol will be the petrol offerings. A four-wheel drive version is sold in Brazil but no decision has been made to export it to Europe.

By the time the EcoSport goes on sale in 2014, Ford will be well into a program to streamline its small diesel engine range in favour of a 1.5-litre capacity TDCi in place of today’s 1.4 and 1.6-litre units.