The Ford EcoSport SE has been finally launched after a series of teasers. As reported by us earlier, the EcoSport SE gets different rear styling and sits below the top-spec EcoSport S variant. Read on to find out more about it.

• Ford EcoSport SE does not come with a tailgate-mounted spare wheel
• Gets a tyre puncture kit instead
• Major update for EcoSport could hit showrooms by festive season

Ford EcoSport SE: price, engine options and feature details

The EcoSport SE gets a unique tailgate design that misses out on the tailgate-mounted spare wheel, which is available on other EcoSport variants sold in India. The made-in-India Ford EcoSport without a tailgate mounted spare wheel has been on sale overseas since 2015 and has been introduced for the first time in the Indian domestic market. This means, the EcoSport SE will come with a puncture repair kit as standard instead of a spare wheel.

Prices for the EcoSport SE start at Rs 10.49 lakh for the petrol variant and Rs 10.99 lakh for the diesel.  Apart from the different tailgate design and a unique feature list, the EcoSport SE shares almost everything with the Titanium variant it is based on, but costs about Rs 70,000 more. This includes the 122hp, 1.5-litre petrol and 100hp, 1.5-litre diesel engine options, which come with 5-speed manual gearboxes as standard.

Safety features such as ABS with EBD, a rear camera, and a rear wiper and defogger, are shared between the EcoSport SE and the Titanium variant. However, to the EcoSport Titanium’s list of 16-inch alloys, projector headlights, LED DRLs, keyless entry and go, a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, the FordPass in-car connectivity tech and a powered sunroof, the SE gets the aforementioned tyre pressure monitor, dual front, side and curtain airbags, ESC, traction control, hill-start assist, auto HID headlights and wipers, cruise control, Ford’s SYNC 3 8.0-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.

Compared to the top-spec EcoSport S, the new SE trim misses out on ISOFIX anchors, leatherette seat covers and puddle lamps. However, the EcoSport SE does costs Rs 50,000 less than the range-topping S variant.

According to a few dealers, Ford has decided to add the new variant to the India line-up after gauging customer feedback about the styling of the export version of EcoSport. By adding the export version's tailgate design, the brand wants to increase the ageing SUV’s appeal in a very competitive compact SUV market.

Can cars be sold without a factory offered spare wheel in India?

Yes. According to a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) amendment from July last year, passenger vehicles falling under the M1 category, subject to certain conditions (like having a TPMS), are not required to be sold with a spare wheel. The M1 category refers to all passenger vehicles with a seating capacity of up to nine occupants, including the driver. The vehicles also must not weigh more than 3.5 tonnes.

Ford EcoSport rivals

The compact SUV segment has recently seen a rapid expansion. The Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite are just the most recent entrants, while the Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza have been among the leaders in this category. Other contenders include the Toyota Urban Cruiser, Mahindra XUV300 and the Tata Nexon.

Prices, ex-showroom, Delhi