Ford’s smallest utility vehicle is bound for North America, giving hope to Blue Oval fans who find an Escape too unwieldy.
The EcoSport, offered in overseas markets since 2004, will soon be pressed into service to round out the bottom of Ford’s domestic utility lineup.
According to , Ford can blame the information leak on DJ Khaled, who teased his involvement in the reveal on Snapchat last night.
“Monday I’m introducing the Ford EcoSport,” the rap artist said in a short video. “It’s going to be a world premiere with the new Ford EcoSport.”
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The unveiling comes on the eve of the Los Angeles International Auto Show. While Ford has confirmed the decision to bring the model stateside, it won’t say when it will go on sale.
Sharing its B3 platform with the Ford Fiesta, the EcoSport offers differing powerplants depending on the market, though a 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder comes standard in most countries. Select countries see non-turbocharged gasoline and diesel 1.5-liter four-cylinders, as well as a 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter four. Ford hasn’t mentioned what powertrains North American customers can expect.
The automaker clearly doesn’t like the idea of being left out of the small but fast-growing subcompact crossover segment, dominated by the likes of the Chevrolet Trax and Mazda CX-3. While only 3 percent of U.S. volume, the segment has seen sales rise by 30 percent this year.
