Ford Ecosport Review
By Motor Match • 07/02/2024
The compact SUV segment is a hotly contested one with manufacturers of all types entering their own offerings to get a slice of the demand.
What is it?
Ford has been no different, either, with this car - the Ecosport - being its main point of attack into this area of the market.
It’s been revised a number of times to keep it current, too, but the Ecosport’s chunky design and boxy proportions have been an aspect which has consistently helped this car to stand out. Let’s see what else it has to offer.
What’s new?
Ford’s most recent update for the Ecosport introduced an even bolder look with a wider grille while offering a greater range of exterior colours to help with personalisation. There’s also a smart-looking contrast roof and a compact rear spoiler as a way of backing up some of that ‘sport’ in its name.
Something that has been retained is the Ecosport’s compact dimensions which make it great for inner-city drivers and ensure that procedures like navigating a multi-storey car park are a breeze.
What’s under the bonnet?
Ford offers some compact and efficient engines for the Ecosport. There’s a 1.0-litre ‘Ecoboost’ unit available with 99,123, or 138bhp, with all delivering well over 45mpg combined. The most powerful of the three setups will bring a 0-60mph time of ten seconds flat, too.
There’s also a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel available with either 99 or 123bhp, and these are the best options if you’re after the best possible efficiency as you could get up to 53.3mpg combined. Most versions of the Ecosport come linked to a six-speed manual gearbox, too.
What’s it like to drive?
Of course, the Ecosport isn’t what you’d call a fast car but this segment isn’t a go-to one for performance. However, the Ecosport does return some decent handling with well-managed body control, though the ride can feel a bit firm over imperfections and allows potholes and poor surfaces to transfer some of the vibrations through to the cabin.
However, good visibility helps when positioning the Ecosport at low speeds, while you can’t fault the efficiency of the car’s engines. Though the diesel might be tempting in this regard, we’d opt for the petrol instead since it better fits the Ecosport’s nature and is far more pleasant to drive around town.
How does it look?
Ford has consistently revised the Ecosport and these days it remains a quirky option from a styling perspective. As we’ve touched on, there are plenty of colour options to choose from and we’d argue that the Ecosport suits bolder shades such as red and blue which lean into its more out-there character.
You’ve also got plenty of wheel design choices to go between, allowing you to get the car exactly right for your personality.
What’s it like inside?
Ford has kitted out the Ecosport with plenty of comfort-boosting features such as well-padded seats and soft-touch materials in certain areas. We like the chunky controls that you get in the Ecosport, too, which help to make the whole car feel more intuitive than others in the market.
At 355 litres, the Ecosport’s boot isn’t the largest - and falls behind rivals such as the Seat Arona - but at least it’s easy to access. However, the quirky side-hinged rear door - which is a bit of a throwback to classic off-roaders - does mean you have to be wary about parking too close to a wall if you still want to get into the load area.
What’s the spec like?
Three trim levels are available on the Ecosport - Titanium, ST-Line and Active. Titanium brings plenty of equipment as standard, including 17-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and Ford’s SYNC system accessed via an eight-inch touchscreen. We like the addition of black roof rails for a more off-road-ready look, too. Switch to ST-Line and the Ecosport takes on a much sportier character courtesy of a full ST-Line styling kit, 17-inch alloy wheels and lowered sport suspension, among other features.
Finally, Active leans into the more go-anywhere nature of an SUV with a full black body styling kit with elements such as the headlamp bezels, wheel mouldings and front grille bars all finished in black. An exclusive Frozen White paint scheme is applied at this level, too.
Verdict
The Ecosport represents a quirky alternative to the mainstream. While it can’t match others for spaciousness or driving ability, it won’t cost the earth to run and really does stand out from the crowd with its chunky, off-road-inspired looks.
Plenty of standard equipment and nice, intuitive controls contribute towards making this a very attractive compact SUV option.
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