Ford EcoSport Will Leave American Market In Mid-2022

It didn't last very long in the US.

By: Chris Bruce

Sep 10, 2021 at 4:15pm ET

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The Ford EcoSport will get the axe from the automaker's American lineup, The Detroit Free Press reports. The Blue Oval will close the factory in India that builds the little crossover. The vehicle will continue to be available in the US through mid-2022. Production for Europe will still take place in Romania, and the EcoSport will remain in the model range there.

The EcoSport has not been a sales leader for Ford. The company delivered 60,545 of them in 2020, which was down 6.4 percent from 64,708 units in 2019. As of August 2021, Ford has moved 32,697 them – a 22.3 percent drop from the same time last year. In comparison, the Bronco Sport is already outselling the Ecosport with 69,518 deliveries of the Baby Bronco in the first eight months of the year.

Gallery: 2018 Ford EcoSport: First Drive

The EcoSport didn't last very long in America. It debuted in November 2016 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, although sales didn't start until early 2018. At launch, the little crossover was available with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbocharged or a 2.0-liter four-cylinder. The larger powerplant was available with all-wheel drive.

Getting rid of the EcoSport opens up Ford's American lineup to make an even bigger gap for the upcoming Maverick pickup. At a base price of $19,995, the little truck's cost already narrowly undercut the crossover's price.

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There are also economies of scale by prioritizing the Maverick over the EcoSport. The truck rides on the same platform as the Escape and Bronco Sport, meaning Ford can focus investments on these three, similar products.

There are already indications of the Maverick being more of a sales success than the EcoSport. As of late August, Ford has 100,000 reservations for the tiny pickup. Most of them are coming from California, Florida, and Texas. The automaker expects to move 110,000 units of them a year.

Source: Detroit Free Press