Ford PH might launch the 2019 EcoSport pretty soon

Remember when Ford Philippines laid out its plans for the local market earlier this year? Aside from improving its after-sales program, which they already did by lowering the maintenance costs for its Big Three, the Blue Oval brand also mentioned that it will launch seven new cars this year. That’s right. Seven. 

The first two of these seven new cars, the Mustang and Expedition, were introduced at the Manila International Auto Show last April. Now, after receiving the company’s official invite for a vehicle launch by the end of this month, we’re on the brink of seeing the third one really soon. And based on the image attached on that invite (see image above), we think it’s going to be the refreshed EcoSport. Or is it?

Let’s look at all the telltale signs to see if our hunch is correct.

Of course, the launch invite.

Okay, let’s discuss the most obvious part here: the email invite. The silhouette in the invite sent to us is eerily familiar, right? As one of Ford PH’s best-sellers, everyone knows the Ford EcoSport’s shape like the back of their hands. So, it’s not a surprise that we immediately know the car based on that image sent.

Besides, the only other vehicle that could fit onto that shadow is the bigger Escape compact crossover, but that would literally be a stretch.

All EcoSport promos ended last August 23.

Yes, we have promos, and these monthly car promos usually expire by the of the month. However, it’s odd that official Ford PH promos for the EcoSport ended last August 23. Coincidence? We think not.

The current model is due for an update.

It’s been a solid four-year run for the EcoSport, and as one of the first subcompact crossovers or “small SUVs” that entered the Philippine market, it pretty much pioneered a huge following for the little big machines. However, four years are more than enough, and we think it’s high time that we get the updated version here.

…and our neighbors have already got the facelifted model.

China has been enjoying the new EcoSport in their dealerships for more than a year now. Other countries, such as Vietnam, Taiwan, and Australia, already followed suit, which should tell us that the refreshed model is going to be here sooner than later.

Because we simply need it.

The EcoSport isn’t a best-seller for nothing. It has a proven appeal to the Filipino buyers, and bringing in the new model will heighten the excitement of probable buyers who are considering the subcompact crossover.

The compelling hexagonal grille, restyled wheels, touchscreen infotainment system, and the more powerful 125-hp 1.0L EcoBoost engine with six-speed automatic transmission (say goodbye to the dual clutch transmission) – these updates point us to one thing: we need the 2019 EcoSport in our country, and we need it soon.

Ford Philippines has yet to confirm if it’s indeed the new EcoSport that will be launched by the end of August. While all these are still speculations as of this writing, we strongly believe our hunches, and we’ll make sure to keep you posted as it happens. But for now, you can take this news with a grain of salt.