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Ford’s tech-savvy SUV on show

BRENTWOOD, England - Ford has revealed a European production version of the new EcoSport SUV at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The EcoSport comes with Ford’s SYNC voice-activated in-car connectivity system as well as SYNC emergency assistance. It will also be one of the first Fords in Europe to offer SYNC AppLink, which allows drivers to voice-control smartphone apps from the driver’s seat.

Ford’s research and innovation chief technical officer Paul Mascarenas said: “We're entering the age of the connected car and debuting EcoSport at Mobile World Congress underlines just how important advanced vehicle technology is to customers.”
 
MORE TO COME

The car will be in Europe's showrooms by the end of 2013, the second SUV to be launched under the company’s expanding umbrella, the Kuga being the first. Next will be the new generation Edge, a more premium SUV already popular in the US.

The EcoSport will also be built on the automaker’s global small car platform. In terms of looks, it has a chunky character with a distinctive grille, short bonnet and raked A pillars, and angular headlights.

EVOLUTION

Mascarenas explained: “The role of the car is evolving. Customers want to enjoy safely the same level of connectivity in their cars as they would do at home and SYNC AppLink enables then to do just that. By maximising the potential of apps, we can offer customers a class-leading range of smartphone app capabilities while on the move."

The emergency assist system connects the vehicle directly to local emergency services operators after a collision in the language of the region using information from the vehicle’s GPS. It will also use the mobile network to pinpoint the location and choose the appropriate language in which to deliver an introductory message.

The EcoSport will be offered with the same one-litre EcoBoost engine found in the new 2013 Fiesta which has just been launched in South Africa.

The range also includes a n81kW 1.5 petrol engine and 1.5 66kW diesel.
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