Ford’s new EcoSport SUV for Europe has made its debut at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The EcoSport, which goes on sale at the end of this year, combines the fuel efficiency of a small family car with the flexibility, spaciousness, high driving position, and “go anywhere” appeal of an SUV, according to Ford.

It will be equipped with Ford SYNC voice-activated in-car connectivity system as well as SYNC Emergency Assistance.

SYNC Emergency Assistance directly connects the vehicle occupants to local emergency services operators after an accident, in the correct language for the region using information from the vehicle’s on-board GPS unit, and mobile network to pinpoint accident location and choose the appropriate language in which to deliver an introductory message.

In addition, the compact SUV will be one of the first Ford vehicles in Europe to offer Ford SYNC AppLink, which enables customers to voice-control smartphone apps from the driver’s seat.

“The role of the car is evolving,” said Paul Mascarenas, chief technical officer and vice president, research and innovation at Ford. “Customers want to be able to safely enjoy the same level of connectivity in their cars as they would do at home, and SYNC AppLink enables then to do just that.”

There will be a choice of three engines - a 125 PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, a 110 PS 1.5-litre petrol engine and a 90 PS 1.5-litre diesel engine.

It will be the second SUV to be launched in Ford’s expanding European range, following the recently-launched Ford Kuga.

Ford also plans to bring to Europe the next generation Ford Edge, a larger and more premium utility vehicle popular in the U.S. and other markets.

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