All-New Ford EcoSport arrives in New Zealand

All-New Ford EcoSport arrives in New Zealand

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, 10 April 2014 – Combining the agility, affordability and fuel efficiency of a compact car with the versatility and spaciousness of an SUV, the all-new Ford EcoSport arrives at Ford Dealers throughout New Zealand this month.

With a high driving position, superior fuel economy, easy manoeuvrability and smart features, the well-rounded EcoSport is the right vehicle for both city streets and rural roads.

“The Ford EcoSport enables our customers to get into a right-sized vehicle that is a perfect match for New Zealand’s varying traffic and road conditions, from busy city traffic to meandering rural back roads,” said Corey Holter, managing director, Ford New Zealand. “EcoSport drivers will appreciate the high driving position, easy-to-use smart technology, five-star safety and the smart design inside and out.”

“The all-new EcoSport delivers convenience, versatility and practicality that will appeal to a wide variety of New Zealand drivers,” added Holter.

5 Star Safety
The all-new Ford EcoSport has been designed to provide the highest levels of protection and driver support through a range of advanced features; all of which helped the Ford EcoSport earn a top 5 Star ANCAP safety rating.

“Safety is always top of mind for our customers no matter what Ford they’re looking at,” said Holter. “We’re very proud to have the EcoSport with its 5 star safety rating; it joins a Ford New Zealand range with 5 star safety ratings across the entire line up.”

About half of the urban SUV’s body structure is made up of high-strength steel and ultra-high-strength steel, such as boron steel, making the Ford EcoSport’s frame especially strong yet lightweight too.

The SUV’s array of airbags provides additional peace of mind. The Ford EcoSport offers seven airbags as standard – driver and front passenger, driver’s knee airbag, side airbags and curtain airbags.

To take the stress out of driving, the Ford EcoSport also comes with an array of driver-assist systems. Ford’s Hill Launch Assist helps drivers make a perfect hill start whether it’s uphill or downhill, by holding the SUV for up to three seconds. This prevents the vehicle from rolling backwards or forwards while moving off from a slope.

Advanced safety technologies such as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), also help customers remain in control of the Ford EcoSport at all times, especially on slick roads. When the DSC detects that the car is losing control, it automatically reduces engine power and selectively brakes individual wheels to stabilise the vehicle and keep it travelling on track. The ABS system prevents wheel lock and helps the vehicle stop quickly on slick roads.

SYNC’s clever capability
The all-new EcoSport offers Ford SYNC®, standard on both the EcoSport Trend and Titanium. Ford SYNC is the voice-activated in-car connectivity system powered by Microsoft. The award-winning system enables drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel while choosing their favorite music and making phone calls using voice commands.

Information is readily available at the driver’s fingertips, thanks to the SYNC button and main radio and phone controls on the steering wheel. Using Bluetooth technology, SYNC can wirelessly connect up to 12 different mobile phones to the all-new EcoSport.

There are almost 8 million vehicles with SYNC on the world’s road today, with a forecast of 14 million by 2015 as Ford continues to roll out SYNC globally.

Smart convenience even starts before drivers take to the road in the all-new EcoSport. With Smart Keyless Entry featured on the EcoSport Titanium, customers no longer need to fumble with a key to unlock the EcoSport or to start the engine. With a key fob in their pocket or bag, they can unlock the doors automatically by pulling the door handle. Once behind the wheel, they can simply push the Ford Power Start button and go.

The cabin of the all-new EcoSport has 20 practical storage spaces, including a glove box that can keep up to six beverage cans cool. Its cargo space at the back is just as versatile. The rear seats can be reclined for greater comfort or easily folded down for additional cargo space.

With the rear seats tumbled against the front seats, the cargo space increases to 705 liters, big enough to fit a washing machine. The rear seats can be split 60:40 to transport long objects such as flat-pack furniture, while still carrying passengers in the back.

Fuel-efficient power
The all-new EcoSport is powered by Ford’s global 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, with twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) technology. The engine delivers peak power of 82 kW at 6,300 rpm and peak torque of 142 Nm at 4,400 rpm.

The Ti-VCT feature is able to adjust the overlap between the intake and exhaust valves precisely and continuously, so that the engine can operate at optimum settings for peak fuel economy or power output as conditions demand.

Another benefit of this technology is a broadened torque curve. The Ti-VCT strategy allows the intake valve to be advanced, so instant power is delivered when the customer demands it at low speeds. At high speeds, the intake cam is retarded and higher airflows are available.

For the driver, this means improved low-speed torque and increased fuel economy, perfect for urban driving conditions.

The 1.5-liter Ti-VCT engine is mated to the advanced Ford PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission. With the PowerShift automatic, it uses a fuel efficient 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres1.

The dual dry-clutch PowerShift automatic transmission delivers performance similar to that of a traditional manual transmission, with the shift quality and ease-of-use of a conventional automatic. With the SelectShift feature, drivers can enjoy the control of a manual, and change gears at the touch of a button without a clutch.

Ford’s kinetic design and aerodynamics in the all-new EcoSport
The all-new EcoSport delivers aerodynamics with style. The lines and the shape are carefully sculpted to convey Ford’s design spirit while maximising functionality.

The design and engineering teams spent a year-and-a-half shaping the body of the all-new EcoSport to make it more efficient when slicing through the air despite its striking and distinctive SUV profile. They spent 160 hours in the wind tunnel, tweaking mere millimeters, and put in more than 10,000 hours on computational fluid dynamics simulations to find the perfect silhouette. Their hard work resulted in an outstanding drag coefficient of 0.365.

Some examples of the aerodynamic actions include:

· A slight rise at the end of the hood to eliminate areas of turbulence

· Front baffle built into the bumper to avoid recirculation of air and improve airflow under the vehicle

· Improved sealing between the hood and the front grille

· Raked A-pillar and tilted side mirrors designed to reduce wind noise

· Air deflectors in front of the rear tires

· D-pillar kicker to propel air flow

Quality that speaks to all five senses
With a signature Ford face, a dramatic rising beltline and a ready-to-pounce stance, the Ford EcoSport conveys a dynamic spirit of energy in action. The spare tire, with an exclusively designed wheel and cover, is mounted on the tailgate as a classic SUV cue.

Inside, soft-touch fabrics, tight gaps and the global Ice Blue dashboard illumination all reinforce superior quality and craftsmanship. Controls and knobs are ergonomically placed while seats are designed to be soft enough for comfort and firm enough for longer journeys.

The cabin is also extremely quiet at high speeds, thanks to meticulous efforts to reduce noise, vibration and harshness. Add to this a very effective climate control system, and the customer will be very comfortable in the all-new EcoSport.

The Ford EcoSport’s compact dimensions and the electric power-assisted steering with Pull-Drift Compensation help drivers tackle the stress of city driving, be it parking in small spaces, maneuvering in heavy traffic, or making tight U-turns.

The urban SUV’s high ground clearance of 200 millimeters also means customers won’t have to worry about driving over speed bumps and potholes. The EcoSport also has and exceptional ability to wade through 550 millimeters of water.

Nimble and agile
The all-new Ford EcoSport is fitted with an electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) system, which delivers precise steering with a natural and confident feel.

More than 90 parameters have been carefully tuned to deliver accurate responses at high speed while remaining light and manageable when parking. The steering is also intelligent enough to vary its assistance based on vehicle speed, steering wheel angle, cornering forces and acceleration or deceleration.

Because the belt-driven power steering pump is eliminated, EPAS results in a quieter vehicle with fewer components drawing engine power. The EPAS steering system also reduces fuel consumption by at least 3 per cent compared to a conventional hydraulic power steering system.

EPAS also enables new technologies that adjust for minor driving annoyances.

Pull-Drift Compensation detects road conditions – such as a crowned road surface or blustery crosswinds – and adjusts the EPAS system to help the driver compensate for the pulling and drifting these conditions can cause. Active Nibble Control helps reduce vibrations that transfer through the steering wheel. This feature senses and eliminates the "shimmy" felt at high speeds when a wheel is out of balance or a brake rotor is warped. Both software-based technologies are designed and integrated to be seamless and unnoticeable to the driver.

The steering accuracy of the EPAS system is particularly useful when negotiating narrow city streets. The Ford EcoSport’s tight turning circle of 10.6 metres also makes navigating urban traffic easier, especially when making U-turns on streets with cars parked on both sides.

Recommended retail price for the Ford EcoSport Trend is $29,990 and the Ford EcoSport Titanium is $32,990 (GST inclusive).

For more information on Ford EcoSport in NZ, please see: http://www.ford.co.nz/suvs/ecosport

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