Ford might have shut production in the Indian market but it continues to be quite active in our neighbouring market. In collaboration with its Chinese partner - Jiangling Motors, the American carmaker has introduced a yet another China specific model - the Ford Equator Sport which officially has made its first public appearance at the Guangzhou Auto Show. The new Ford Equator Sport is more of a soft-roader and will take on the likes of the Honda CR-V. The bigger three-row Equator made its global debut in March this year but according to the reports, this is a new vehicle under the skin, though it may have borrowed few design cues from its bigger cousin.
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The Ford Equator Sport has a shorter wheelbase compared to the its bigger cousin.
The major difference quite obviously begins with its dimensions. For your perspective, it has a wheelbase of 2,765 mm 140 mm shorter than the larger Equator that offers 2,865 mm between the wheels. For the similarities in the design language, the Equator Sport features the same large radiator grille at the front flanked by thin LED headlights with C-shaped DRLs. The side profile is muscular with wide wheel arches masking the 20-inch wheels and there are plastic cladding in the lower section of the doors for that quintessential SUV appeal. The rear end is also very similar, though the Sport misses on the LED stripe connecting the taillights.
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The dashboard design and overall layout of the cabin is not much different
On the inside, the biggest difference is in the number of people it can accommodate. While the bigger Equator is a six or seven seater, the Ford Equator Sport offers space for five passengers. The dashboard design and overall layout of the cabin is not much different and it features the same dual-screen layout, though the surrounding trim looks more sober.
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There is a brand new 1.5-liter, four-cylinder turbo petrol engine under the hood.
Under the hood, there is a brand new 1.5-liter, four-cylinder turbo petrol engine belting out 168 bhp and 260 Nm of peak torque. The motor is mated to an automatic transmission and we speculate it to be an all-wheel-drive (AWD) car where power goes to all the four-wheels in equal measures. The claimed maximum speed is 180 kmph.
