What you can expect from Ford at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo!

Ford India is planning to unveil a global vehicle and also to launch the Fiesta automatic at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. Ford may also display the Fiesta hatchback, the new generation Mondeo, Focus and Mustang muscle car alongside its existing lineup of cars that include the Figo, Fiesta Classic, global Fiesta and the Endeavour.

The most exciting part of Ford’s 2012 lineup will be the launch of the new Eco Sport compact SUV. With so much action planned for 2012, let’s take a quick look at Ford’s upcoming models.

Ford Eco Sport – January 2012 – Rs. 6 lakh*

The much awaited compact SUV from Ford, the Eco Sport, codenamed B515 is a sub 4-meter, 5-seater built on the new Fiesta’s platform. Expect the Eco Sport to follow a kinetic design theme like the global Fiesta. The Eco Sport will feature flared wheel arches 16-17 inch wheels, high ground clearance and under body cladding. The spare wheel will likely be mounted on the rear to free up boot space.

The interiors of the Eco Sport too, may resemble the interiors of the Fiesta sedan, though the gizmos such as the voice activated controls may not be offered to keep its price under check. The compact SUV will likely offer good legroom and decent shoulder room while headroom should be just about adequate.

Under the hood of Eco Sport, we expect Ford to plonk in the 1.5-litre diesel motor that powers the Fiesta sedan. This motor, which is known for its linear acceleration and bottom end torque, puts out 89.7 bhp of power. The Eco Sport is being built on the Fiesta sedan’s platform and may hence restrict Ford from offering a four-wheel-drive system. When launched, the Eco Sport will compete with cars like the Premier Rio, Mahindra mini-Xylo and could be priced in the range of Rs. 6 lakh – 8 lakh.

Ford Fiesta Automatic – January 2012 – Rs. 10.25 lakh*

Ford will launch the Fiesta petrol sedan with a dual clutch “Power shift” six-speed automatic transmission. Unlike regular automatic cars, the Fiesta automatic gives the driver the pleasure of quick shifts just like a manual transmission, without the need to shift gears.

Expect Ford to offer the Fiesta automatic in two variants – a mid-trim version and the top-end Titanium Plus. The top-end Titanium Plus variant will have all the gizmos as in the manual variant such as cruise control, automatic climate control, power-folding mirrors, voice activated commands, and electronic power steering with pull-drift compensation technology. Expect the automatic variants to be priced about Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 1 lakh more than their corresponding manual variants. CarToq has already driven the Fiesta Automatic. Read more: Ford Fiesta AT road test

Ford Fiesta hatchback – June 2012 – Rs. 6.5 lakh*

Ford India has been testing the Fiesta hatchback from before the Fiesta sedan was even launched. We feel Ford may launch this hatchback in mid 2012. The Fiesta hatchback will have the same exterior styling as its sedan counterpart except the rear where the hatchback ends with an attractively sculpted hatch. The interiors of the Fiesta small car will also look like the sedan, with same dashboard styling. Expect gizmos such as voice activated controls, cruise control and power folding mirrors to feature in the Fiesta hatchback as well. The upcoming Fiesta small car may get a 1.5-litre diesel motor from its sedan sibling which puts out nearly 90 bhp of power. When launched, this hot diesel hatchback from Ford will face stiff competition from the Fiat Punto 90HP and the Hyundai i20 diesel among other premium diesel small cars.  It is expected to be priced at around Rs. 6.5 lakh.