Ford has disclosed details regarding the facelifted EcoSport, which is due to launch in India on November 9, 2017. the company will start accepting bookings from November 5, 2017. The refreshed compact SUV, which is credited with kick-starting the compact SUV segment, gets a raft of cosmetic changes to the exteriors and interiors, and features a new 123hp, 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol motor from Ford’s new Dragon series of engines.

The previously offered 100hp, 1.5-litre diesel engine will continue with the five-speed manual gearbox. The new petrol engine will also be mated to a five-speed manual, but will also get an optional six-speed automatic transmission. At present, there is no word on the 1.0-litre Ecoboost turbo-petrol being available with the facelift model.

Ford claims that localisation of the EcoSport has gone up from about 65 percent to 80 percent, while also claiming best-in-class ownership costs with spare parts that are up to 40 percent less costly than its rivals.

The facelift model’s styling, particularly the grille, is in line with new Fords, and it now features projector headlamps with LED daytime running lights, new 17-inch alloy wheels and new exterior colour options like blue and red. The top-spec Titanium S trim gets blacked-out headlamp bezels, fog lamp bezels, alloy wheels and the grille.

Inside the cabin, the EcoSport facelift is offered with a touchscreen infotainment system (depending on the trim level) mounted in the redesigned centre console, which comes with Ford’s SYNC3 support system and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The interiors also sport new seat upholstery, audio controls mounted on the three-spoke steering wheel, automatic climate control and dual USB ports.

On the safety front, even the base variant is equipped with two airbags at the front and ABS with EBD. The petrol-automatic trim also comes with paddle shifters, hill start assist, ESC and traction control. The top-spec variant will get side and curtain airbags along with Isofix child seat mounts at the ear.

We shall have to wait until November 9 for the prices but expect a marginal premium over the current model that starts at Rs 7.21 lakh and goes up to Rs 10.92 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). It remains to be seen if the facelift with the new engine will help the EcoSport retake its crown in the competitive compact SUV segment with cars like the Tata Nexon and Maruti Vitara Brezza.