All-new Ford EcoSport is always ready for work and play
MANILA — The all-new Ford EcoSport is always ready to go where the road leads, be it through narrow city streets or up winding mountain passes.
With its high ground clearance, exceptional water-wading capability, refined ride and smooth handling, the urban SUV is perfect for discovering new places in town as well as exploring the country.
The Ford EcoSport offers a high sitting position that gives the driver good visibility of the road ahead. Its ground clearance of 200 millimeters means customers won't have to worry about driving over speed bumps and potholes. This is complemented by superior breakover and approach angles of 25 degrees and a departure angle of 35 degrees. With an outstanding ability to wade through 550 millimeters of water, drivers can confidently drive through large pools of water, especially during the monsoon season.
To give customers peace of mind when driving the Ford EcoSport, the engineers put the SUV through an exhaustive testing process during its development. Almost 20,000 computer- aided assessments were conducted during the virtual phase, with hundreds of iterations to optimize solutions. The urban SUV has also undergone more than 12,000 road and laboratory tests held in South America, North America, Asia and Europe. Some of these tests were conducted in temperatures from -25 to 50 degrees Celsius and at altitudes of up to 4,300 meters.
"We tested the all-new Ford EcoSport to the extreme so that customers know they can depend and rely on the SUV to take them to places," said Kumar Galhotra, vice president of Product Development, Ford Asia Pacific. "With its high ground clearance and superior water- wading capability, the Ford EcoSport is well- suited for exploring."
Nimble and agile
The all-new Ford EcoSport is fitted with an electric powerassisted steering (EPAS) system with Pull-Drift Compensation, 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 in parking maneuvers. 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 three percent 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 10.65 meters also makes navigating urban traffic easier, especially when making U-turns on streets with cars parked on both sides.
Cool, quiet and refined
Paying special attention to passenger comfort in the Ford EcoSport's cabin, the engineers developed an air-conditioning system that is so effective that it can cool the cabin from 65 degrees Celsius— the interior temperature of a car that has been sitting in the afternoon sun—to under 30 degrees Celsius in just 10 minutes. The automatic climate control system uses inputs from the sun load sensor, ambient temperature and integrated in-car temperature sensor to adjust and maintain the desired temperature in the cabin.
Given that air-conditioning can affect fuel economy, the engineers used a new compressor technology that requires less energy, so that the occupants can enjoy cool comfort without burning a hole in the pocket. To ensure the Ford EcoSport's climate control system can handle all weather conditions, it was tested in temperatures from -20 to 50 degrees Celsius, at humidity levels between 20 and 85 percent, and went through at least 1,000 wind tunnel tests.
The second thing that Ford EcoSport occupants will realize after getting into the SUV is how quiet it is. The engineers took painstaking effort to prevent noise, vibration and harshness from intruding into the cabin. They spent countless hours tweaking computational fluid dynamics models and testing vehicle shapes in the wind tunnel for one that reduces wind noise.
They put in sounddeadening materials in the doors, roof and body to minimize noise from making its way into the cabin. To reduce the chance of leaks and whistles, the team used a double-sealing system for the doors and applied new technologies for improved glass sealing. Inside the cabin, the urban SUV has an acoustic headliner that helps absorb ambient noise.
The result is impressive— the all- new Ford EcoSport boasts remarkable levels of interior quietness. The articulation index— which measures how easily passengers can converse in the cabin—is the top in its segment even at speeds of up to 130 km/h. This means that passengers can continue to chat with one another without having to raise their voices even when travelling on the highway.
In addition, the suspension geometry in the Ford EcoSport has been specially designed for an urban SUV. Dampers and springs have been tuned to achieve an optimal balance of steering, handling and ride. Typically, the design of a vehicle suspension involves a difficult compromise between ride comfort and handling but the engineering team used dampers with a hydraulic rebound stop to combine more of both qualities in the vehicle.
The hydraulic rebound stops use hydraulic fluid to dissipate energy when the damper approaches its full extension. The technology can reduce the peak force by two to three times compared to traditional mechanical rebound stops, providing a smoother ride for the customers and preventing damage to the vehicle or suspension. This also helps avoid noise when driving through speed bumps. At the same time, the team engineered excellent stability into the Ford EcoSport by reducing the roll gradient, or how much the car rolls while steering.
The tires on the Ford EcoSport have also been developed to provide an ideal balance between low rolling resistance, compliance and grip. The low-rolling resistance tires not only help reduce fuel consumption but also reduce road noise and deliver outstanding driving dynamics.
The All-New Ford EcoSport in the Philippines
Following its ASEAN debut at the Bangkok International Motor Show the all-new Ford EcoSport brings an entirely new offering to the SUV segment featuring best-in-class design an array of smart technologies and remarkable fuel economy. The allnew EcoSport is set to attract a new generation of urban customers searching for a versatile vehicle to explore the city.
"The arrival of the all-New EcoSport in the Philippines marks another milestone in Ford's continuing product- led transformation. This vehicle combines the agility, affordability and fuel efficiency of a compact car with the flexibility, style and ride height of an SUV. It's the right vehicle for those who desire the capability of an SUV and the convenience of a Ford car," said Minnie Valencia-Bustamante, VP for Marketing and Sales, Ford Philippines.
The all-new Ford EcoSport is set to be available in all Ford dealerships nationwide starting in April.
Catch the all- new Ford EcoSport Roadshow and get to test drive this one-of-a-kind urban SUV at SM City Cebu on March 21-23.