Ford Ecosport, Hyundai Sonata Set For Auto Expo

Published: Monday, December 19, 2011, 13:53 [IST]

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Ford will unveil its Brazilian import Ecosport at the Delhi Auto Expo. This compact SUV is built on the same platform as the Fiesta and will have a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The Ecosport has already been launched in Brazil and has been fairly successful. Its main selling point will be its space and fuel economy.

Ford has stated the Ecosport will come with both manual and automatic gearboxes. The Ford EcoSport will carry many of the Fiesta's technical titbits but will remain very different when it comes to looks. The design looks like as if the EcoSport is a proper soft roader but the fact is the EcoSport is a compact SUV which is shorter than four metres. This means the compact SUV will attract lesser excise duty making it a cheaper option to buy. It is expected to be priced under Rs.14 lakhs.

The Ecosport will be competing against SUVs such as the Mahindra XUV 500, Tata Safari and Chevrolet Captiva.

The other big car that might make its debut during the Auto Expo will be the new Hyundai Sonata. The Sonata gets the Fluidic exterior design already seen in the Verna. The Sonata is Hyundai's flagship model and the new version will soon be built in India bringing its price down possibly under Rs.20 lakhs.

It will be powered by a 2.4-litre petrol engine paired to either a manual or an automatic transmission. The only possible disadvantage is the unavailability of a diesel engine. Further Hyundai has not been able to make a mark for itself in the large car sector in India.

The Sonata competes against other sedans such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Teana and the Volkswagen Passat.