Ford plans to roll out its new subcompact crossover, the EcoSport, in Los Angeles next week.
Ford’s next big new product reveal is going to be really small: The EcoSport.
What will be the Dearborn, Michigan-based maker’s smallest utility vehicle will be unveiled in Los Angeles next week. The debut was revealed by the self-styled “King of Snapchat” DJ Khaled via his SnapChat account.
“It’s going to be a world premier with this new EcoSport,” he said in the video, which followed others of him driving in a Rolls-Royce convertible.
According to Fordpresents.com, the automaker’s newest model will debut with Khaled at “Go Small. Live Big,” a three-day event featuring special appearances by a number of other music artists.
The event is the night before media events officially begin at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Ford confirmed the debut, but did not provide any additional details about the vehicle.
The EcoSport is currently produced in China, Brazil, India, Vietnam, Thailand and Russia, but with competitors like Honda, Toyota and Chevy finding fertile sales with their small crossovers, Ford jumped into to join the party.
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It shares a platform with the Ford Fiesta. The automaker builds that subcompact at its plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico, so adding the EcoSport to that facility would make sense. The automaker announced plans last spring to invest more than $200 million into a plant in Romania to build the EcoSport there.
The current generation of the EcoSport was introduced in 2012 as a 2013 model. It uses a variety of powertrains around the world. In Europe, the EcoSport is available with three different engines, including a diesel.
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It’s likely that the U.S. model will be offered with some or all of these gasoline engines: a 1.6-liter four-cylinder making 120 horsepower, a 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost turbo making 123 horsepower, or a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 160 horsepower.
Given the current controversies surrounding diesel engines, it’s unlikely Ford will bring that one to the U.S. market. They also come with manual and automatic transmissions.
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The Los Angeles Auto Show is going to be small crossover/ute heavy this year with Toyota unveiling its new C-HR. Mazda is set to show its redesigned CX-5 and Fiat Chrysler is rolling out the new Jeep Compass and an all-new Alfa Romeo-branded crossover.