Ford EcoSport Emergency Assist: What Is It?

By Ganesh

Updated: Friday, January 31, 2014, 17:11 [IST]

When Ford launches the EcoSport in India, the EcoBoost engine will not be the only highlight of the car. Ford will also introduce its Sync infotainment system based Emergency Assist feature for the first time in India.

The Ford Emergency Assist system is a safety feature that automatically alerts emergency services when the car is involved in a serious accident and also sends the location of the car. If the accident leads the airbags to be deployed and/or the fuel supply to be shut off then the system connects to 108, India's emergency service number.

The emergency call is made after a gap of 10 seconds, giving the occupant time to cancel the call if they prefer to. Also, at the end of the emergency call the system leaves the line open in handsfree mode to keep the operated connected to the occupant involved in the accident.

The advantage of Ford's Emergency Assist system over other similar systems is that it uses the driver's smartphone to make the emergency call. This means Ford Emergency Assist feature is a free service, requiring no subscription. The only requirements are that the phone should be Bluetooth capable and should be connected to car's system at the time of accident.

In case the driver leaves the phone behind or does not connect the phone to the car's system, it automatically alerts the driver about the same before the start of the journey.

Ford Sync Emergency Assist feature is available in several Ford models globally, but it is not clear whether the EcoSport will feature a full fledged Ford Sync infotainment system or just the Emergency Assist part. Also, it can be safely assumed that Emergency Assist will only be available in the top end, Titanium, variant.

"Ford's Emergency Assistenace system has already proved itself as a life-saver in other parts of the world and we expect our customers here to appreciate this level of reassuring in-car connectivity," said Joginder Singh, president and managing director, Ford India.