Shortened crossover Ford Equator Sport: its design and less powerful engine

Last updated Apr 14, 2022

The five-seat SUV will be offered with a 1.5-liter “turbo quattro”, while the older brother will have a 2-liter turbocharged engine. Both models are aimed only at China so far, but it is possible that later they will enter other markets.

The Ford Equator Sport was unveiled in pictures from the Ministry of Industry of China in September, and today the first official event was held at the Guangzhou exhibition. The Sport prefix does not mean belonging to the “charged” crossovers at all: this SUV is actually a shortened version of the “correct” Equator, launched on the Chinese market in March this year. The latter is equipped with a five-, six- or seven-seater sedan, and the Sport is designed for only five. Well, let's also remember that the Ford Equator, built on a front-wheel drive platform, is considered a cheaper alternative to the Explorer, which has a longitudinal engine layout and basic rear-wheel drive.

Crossover blue – Ford Equator Sport, purple – Ford Equator

The appearance of the Equator Sport is made in the style of a three-row SUV, but the design of the junior cross is still its own: the LED running lights located at the top have an elongated shape, the headlights – others, such as the radiator grille, also replaced the bumpers, tailgate and taillights. The length of the Sport is 4630 mm, the width is 1935 mm, the height is 1706 mm, the wheelbase is 2726 mm. The dimensions of the equator are “simple”: 4905/1930/1755 mm, the distance between the axes is 2865 mm.

Ford Equator Sport

Inside with a “large” SUV, a shortened version is connected to a scoreboard (a combined virtual “tidy” and a touchscreen of a multimedia system), a two-story tunnel and a puck instead of a traditional lever. But the front panel itself is new, plus the Equator Sport has a different climate control unit. The list of equipment also includes a panoramic roof, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and lane keeping.

Ford Equator Sport

The engine is also different, with the Ford Equator Sport powered by a 1.5 EcoBoost petrol quad with 170 hp, while the old SUV is offered with a 2.0 Turbo EcoBoost engine with 224 hp. They haven't talked about sports boxes yet, the three-row crossover has a six-speed robotic with two clutches. The drive of both equators is exclusively front.

Ford Equator Sport

The Equator Sport will be built at a joint venture between Ford and JMC (Jiangling Motors Corporation), which also makes three-row SUVs. The novelty will go on sale in the first quarter of next year. The price has not yet been announced. Ford Equator today costs between 169,800 and 221,800 yuan, which is equivalent to approximately 1,932,000 – 2,523,000 conventional units at the current exchange rate. For comparison, Ford Explorer will cost a minimum of 309,800 yuan (3,525,000 conventional units). By the way, the flagship SUV is getting ready for a restyling, even if the current generation Explorer started its career quite recently.

Ford Equator three-row

The company has not yet announced plans to sell the Equators outside of China. However, the Ford Territory SUV (and manufactured by JMC-Ford) was originally billed as a “heavenly” exclusive as well, and is now being introduced in South America and Southeast Asia. So Equator / Equator Sport has an opportunity to leave the Chinese market. But new Fords for the last time still do not shine, because we are left with only commercial Transit.