Ford India to launch a new variant of the Ecosport compact SUV called the Thunder Edition

The Ford Ecosport was the vehicle that made the sub-4 meter SUV segment immensely popular a couple of years back. It still is a pretty decent option in the segment but with the onset of newer models like the Mahindra XUV300 and the Hyundai Venue, the Ecosport for sure has been feeling the heat. It has slipped past the top 3 selling sub-4 meter SUVs where once it was on the top spot. To rekindle buyer’s interest in the Ecosport, Ford is preparing a special edition model of the SUV. Called the Thunder Edition, a Youtube channel has gotten hold of a few pictures of the vehicle that suggests it is a cosmetic job mostly.

As seen in the pictures here, it gets a few alterations on the exterior to make it look beefier. The headlamps and the grille mesh have been blacked out while the lower bumper end gets a redesign. The roof rails, wing mirrors and B-pillar are painted in black colour as well. The bonnet gets a matte black sticker on top of it while the roof has been blacked out. The sides also get black stickers running on the lower end of the body while black cladding runs across the lower portion of the body covering the bumpers and sides.

The alloy wheels of the Thunder edition Ecosport here are blacked out as well. The tailgate gets a Thunder sticker printed on it. Overall, the car looks more intimidating than the regular Ecosport variants. Talking about the interiors, they are likely to remain the same. However, it could be that Ford gives it a few minor changes like Thunder branding on the upholstery and dashboard among others. The equipment and features, though, are unlikely to change.

This Thunder edition will most likely be based on the Titanium variant of the car that comes with a 1.5-litre TDCi four-cylinder inline DOHC diesel engine. This engine churns out 99 Bhp of power at 3,750 rpm and 205 Nm of peak torque delivered at 1,750 rpm. It is mated to a five-speed manual transmission with claimed fuel economy of 23 km/l.

The Ford EcoSport Thunder Edition could be priced around the Rs. 11.5 lakh (ex-showroom) price mark, which makes it slightly expensive than the Titanium variant. Shedding some light on the Ecosport’s future, Ford is currently working on a replacement for the Ecospsort that will be based on the Euro-spec Ford Fiesta platform. However, there is still some time before it finally surfaces. India launch will happen probably after 2020. As for the Ecosport Thunder edition, expect it to be launched here by the next month. It will be interesting to see how the Ecosports fares now, especially after the launch of the Hyundai Venue at quite competitive prices.