Ford has launched the Equator Sport in China, a new SUV built locally by Jiangling-Ford as a smaller, sportier and more affordable sibling of the regular Equator that has been on sale since last year. As you can see in the images, it is a car that brings a more sporty and adventurous look, so it aspires to position itself as one of the most attractive options in the Asian country.
At first glance, the Equator Sport, which debuted a few months ago at the Guangzhou Auto Show, looks a lot like the Equator. However, the two SUVs are quite different in terms of footprint.
The measurements of the new car
More specifically, the five-seater Equator Sport measures 4,630 mm (182.3 inches) long, 1,935 mm (76.2 inches) wide and 1,706 mm (67.2 inches) high, with a wheelbase of 2,726 mm (107.3 in). By comparison, the seven-seater Equator is 275 mm (10.8 inches) longer, 5 mm (0.2 inches) narrower and 49 mm (1.9 inches) taller, with a 139 mm (5.5 inch) longer wheelbase.
Part of what can be seen from the outside
The SUV incorporates Ford’s latest design language with slim LED headlights, a large hexagonal grille, aluminum-style details and a fairly sculpted bodywork. Compared to the Equator, it has a sleeker window and a less boring rear. The latter loses the full-width LED bar, benefiting from a more sloping rear windshield and steep shoulders.
On the front, for example, we notice a wide and short bonnet, with defined lines that end right on the grille and optics of the car. The grille comes in a hexagonal shape, in chrome, with the manufacturer’s slogan right in the center. All its optics have advanced LED technology. On the sides of the bumper we notice fog lights, air intakes, and a third air intake in the lower area.
On the sides, the silver alloy wheels or wheels are striking, with the blue center, calipers and discs on all its wheels. There are silver details on the lower part of the doors. The door locks come in the same body color, while the mirror housings are combined with the black color. There is a roof grill.
The rear comes with a shark fin-shaped radio antenna, sports spoiler with a third stop, LED brake or stop lights, auxiliary lights embedded in the bumper, among other details.
Inside the car
Inside, we find a separate panel for the digital cockpit consisting of two 12.3-inch screens (7 inches and 12.3 inches in the basic model). Instead of using the Ford SYNC4 infotainment like the Monde, the Equator Sport gets the Tencent TAI 4.0 system that still supports the latest connectivity features. As for ADAS, the model benefits from the Ford Co-Pilot 360 suite that is already available in the rest of the range. Technology aside, the cabin looks pretty premium for the SUV price segment, with wood accents on the dash, a panoramic sunroof, and leather-style upholstery.
Mechanical capabilities
The Equator Sport is available with a turbocharged 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine that produces 168 horsepower and about 260 Nm of torque that is sent to the front axle via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This configuration is different from the Equator, Mondeo and Evos which are available with 2.0-litre Ecoboost engines. Local media suggest that the ICE-powered SUV will join a PHEV variant in the near future.
Car prices
The Ford Equator Sport is now available in China with a price range of 139,800 and 165,800 yen, or what is equal to about 22,050 and 26,151 US dollars respectively.
