Coscharis Motors Launches new Ford EcoSport at Abuja Motor Fair

Coscharis Motors, exclusive distributor for Ford in Nigeria, unveiled the new EcoSport compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) at the Abuja International Motor Fair.

“We are thrilled to introduce the new Ford EcoSport to the Nigerian market,” says Abiona Babarinde, General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications at Coscharis Motors. “The vehicle comes with more advanced features, more refined styling, and more sophisticated technologies.

“The EcoSport is a popular model in Nigeria,” said Babarinde. “And the new EcoSport offers customers even more style, comfort, capability, and choice – blending rugged SUV functionality with city car practicality – making it more appealing and competitive than ever.”

Powerful and efficient

The new EcoSport is powered by Ford’s proven range of 1.5-litre engines, linked to front-wheel drive. The 1.5 TiVCT petrol unit produces 90kW (123PS) of power matched to a peak torque output of 151Nm. It is available with a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission on the EcoSport Ambiente, or in automatic guise on the Trend and Titanium.

Rugged and refined styling

The new EcoSport features bold, dynamic Ford SUV styling. A sculpted bonnet with a central bulge delivers a cleaner front-end appearance. Angular fog light housings complete a front three-quarter profile that was inspired by the straps of a rucksack and designed to reflect an adventurous character.

EcoSport’s rear bumper and tail light designs also are revised to deliver a cleaner, more sculpted appearance. Customers can choose from seven bold exterior colours, including Lightning Blue and Race Red.

EcoSport now also delivers a new level of interior refinement with easier-to-use controls and soft-touch materials, and a new centre console ergonomically designed for easy operation, featuring fewer buttons. New seats designs are optimised for greater front and rear occupant comfort, and deliver a more upscale feel, including partial leather on the Titanium model.

The interior features a host of smart stowage solutions, including an underseat storage drawer located beneath the front passenger seat, along with a spacious rear luggage compartment with integrated cargo tie-down hooks.

Sophisticated driver assistance technology

The new EcoSport builds on the commanding SUV driving position and rewarding Ford driving dynamics to deliver an even easier and more enjoyable driving experience using advanced technologies.

Ford’s sophisticated SYNC®3 communications and entertainment system is available on the new EcoSport. SYNC®3 is supported by the new 8-inch colour touchscreen, which can be operated with pinch and swipe gestures. On the Trend model, SYNC®3 uses a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen.

As a mother, Dr. Mrs. Farida Adelaja could not help but weep uncontrollably after watching a sitcom during the 9pm Network News bulletin on the inherent hazards of dangerous driving and other road vices. She shuddered with fright while reading the reaction from the Medical Doctor of Divine Touch Hospital Ibafo in Ogun State on the recent fatal crash involving a commercial bus belonging to the Young Shall Grow Motors along the Lagos – Ibadan express way, Ogun State in the early hours of Tuesday, 23rd October, 2018, killing 10 persons and injuring many other passengers, Dr Dotun Odofin, said “of the eight injured brought to the hospital, seven survived. He added, “The motor boy of the luxury bus, Ifeanyi Eze, died five minutes after arriving at our hospital. He was among the eight injured admitted to our hospital. His two legs were crushed. Six patients have been discharged because they had minor injuries, while one Togolese woman is still receiving treatment. The passengers said the driver had been reckless since they left Onitsha, Anambra State, for Lagos and they even called the company’s office to complain before the accident happened.”

According to The Ogun State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps who led a team of rescue operatives to the scene of the crash, Corps Commander Clement Oladele, said “the commercial bus conveyed 42 passengers. He, however, said nine people died in the crash, adding that eight passengers were injured”.

He said, “Atotal of 42 persons were involved in the accident, comprising 34 males and eight females. Three males and two female adults were injured, while seven males and two female adults died.” Oladele said the whereabouts of the bus driver was unknown.

Reacting further, The Chief Medical Director of OOUTH, Dr Peter Adefuye, said “nine bodies were brought to the hospital’s mortuary by emergency management workers”, adding that “some of the deceased could be members of the National Youth Service Corps”.

He said, “We learnt that the luxury bus rammed into a parked trailer on the highway. Nine bodies were brought to the mortuary; they had injuries.

“One had his head almost ruptured, while others had multiple fractures. It is possible that the deceased sat close to where the bus rammed into the trailer. Some of them appeared like youths on the NYSC scheme; they were in white tops and khakis. There were others in mufti.

“For now, the deceased are still recorded as unknown. However, the medical and social departments, with the support of the Police, will search their luggage. If they have ID cards or any means of identification, we will trace their family members. This process will take one or two days. We may have to contact their families if they don’t show up.”

These gloomy reflections were the pre-occupations on the mind of Dr. Mrs.Adelaja as she lay bedridden in her room with feeling of relieve after surviving a near fatal lone crash which resulted to spinal cord injuries. Within the last 11 months, she has passed through the Doctor’s surgical knives for 5 times with scars which only brings unpleasant memories.

With occasional grunts; she recounts the painful experience of November 2014 which according to her was an unforgettable day of her life. A day which puts an abrupt end to all her plans and then confined her to a solitary bed and has to move with the aid of one of her children, Bimpe who has virtually stopped going to school in order to attend to her mother’s needs.

According to her “We had almost passed Katsinala when I heard a sudden sound which was followed by a burst tyre and the next thing I saw was our bus skidding off the road. I woke up later on a hospital bed with a strange numb feeling on my left leg. The nurse later told me that I was brought in by concerned Nigerians together with some other passengers who were involved in the near fatal accident and now, I can no longer use my left leg. It is very painful.” he said.

Also recounting an unpleasant experience during a trip started from the Kaduna Mando park at exactly 7.30pm in October of last year, Miss Ephraim Bassey; a tomato seller who trades on perishable food items at the popular Uyo Central market, recalled from her hospital bed in Abuja that “the fatal crash which claimed 7 lives and left 4 other passengers on critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of Unity Clinic at Kubwa, could have been averted if the driver had noticed the worn-out tyre on his vehicle before the night trip which has left me with a severe neck and back injury that made it difficult for me to sit down for too long. It was very ghastly and I was lucky to have lived through it.” she explained.

AcommonfeaturebetweenAdelaja andEphraim’s near death experience is the fact that both are hinged on the fact that both crashes occurred during the period which most people referred to as the ember month’s period.

BisiKazeem,CorpsCommander,CorpsPublic EducationOfficer, FRSCHeadquarters,Abuja