Nope. This wouldn’t be the first time Ford has launched a car in Europe at the Mobile World Congress which all things said is more about the gadgets than automobiles. The B-MAX was also unveiled in Europe at the 2012 Mobile World Congress. The compact and connected EcoSport will make its European debut at the 2013 MWC.
Ford’s in car voice activated system -SYNC- made its European debut last year on the B-MAX. This year, the EcoSport will be equipped with Ford SYNC voice-activated in-car connectivity system in addition to SYNC Emergency Assistance. SYNC Emergency Assistance dials local emergency services with accident location information obtained using the car’s on board GPS unit and mobile network (A-GPS). The system also delivers a voice message in the local language.
In addition to the new alloys on the EcoSport that we haven’t seen elsewhere, the Ecosport for Europe also retains the brushed aluminium finish on the scuff plate at the front and rear bumper. The test mules being tested in India have the black finish on the lower part of the bumpers. The tail gate mounted spare wheel also gets a not so good looking cover.
“We are entering the age of the connected car and debuting EcoSport at Mobile World Congress underlines just how important advanced vehicle technology is to customers and to Ford,” said Paul Mascarenas, Ford chief technical officer and vice president, Research and Innovation.
The EcoSport will be the first Ford vehicles in Europe to offer Ford SYNC AppLink, which enables customers to voice-control smartphone apps. A partnership with Spotify also enables occupants to listen to streamed music at least in the US and Europe.
“The role of the car is evolving,” said Paul Mascarenas. “Customers want to be able to safely enjoy the same level of connectivity in their cars as they would do at home, and SYNC AppLink enables then to do just that. By maximising the potential of apps, Ford can offer customers a class-leading range of smartphone app capabilities while on the move.”
The EcoSport in Europe will be powered by a 1.0 L EcoBoost making 125PS, and the 110PS 1.5 Ti-VCT Petrol and 90PS 1.5 L TCDi diesel we’ve seen in the new Fiesta in India. The powetrain options seem to be the very same being predicted for the Indian market.