Top selling SUV in India – On the Podium

In the Indian automobile market utility vehicles are having a special place as the preferences of the customers are shifting to family cars. The compact SUVs can be used for daily commuting as well as for long trips. So SUVs are there in the portfolio of most of the manufacturers.

As per the sales figure for the month of June 2014 the Ford EcoSport tops the list of best selling SUVs with a recorded sale of 5176 units. The next best in the list is Mahindra Scorpio with a sales figure of 3849 units, The leaders are followed by the Renault Duster, the Mahindra XUV 500, the Nissan Terrano and the Toyota Fortuner in that order.

The EcoSport based on the B2E platform of the Ford Fiesta has been unveiled in 2012 and launched in 2013. At the front the EcoSport has a body colored bumper with fog lights, an octagonal grille with a thick chrome strip and a broad air dam. Side profile is smooth with body coloured door handles and rear view mirrors fitted with turn indicators. At the rear there are bright tail lamp clusters, a rear spoiler, high mounted stop lamps and a pair of reflectors.

The cabin is spacious with plush seats, a silver and black dash and a leather wrapped steering wheel with mounted audio controls. A powerful music system with CD player, Bluetooth connectivity and an automatic AC are some of the other features of the EcoSport. A SYNC system with an LCD screen and controls alerts in case of emergencies. Other safety features include an ABS, an electronic stability programme, the power assisted steering, six air bags, power windows and the rear parking sensors.

There are ten variants of the EcoSport, six in petrol using 1000 or 1500 cc engines and four in diesel using 1500 cc engines. The standard mileages and maximum speeds will be 18.9 kmpl & 196 kmph, 15.8 kmpl & 165 kmph and 22.7 kmpl & 175 kmph for 1000 cc petrol, 1500 cc petrol and 1500 cc diesel versions, respectively.

The physical dimensions of the Ford EcoSport are 3999 mm length, 1765 mm width and 1708 mm height with a ground clearance of 200 mm. The Ford EcoSport is priced from Rupees 6.3 lakh to 9.7 lakh.

After the most successful launch in 2013 it is consistently getting good sale figures. The main advantage is that it is a sub-4 metre vehicle and hence parking inside the city is not a problem. The petrol versions can be used if the purpose is daily commuting and the diesel variants if the car is to be used for long trips.

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