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Three years after the European start, Fords Baby SUV, the EcoSport, was treated with an urgently needed upgrade.
A mild exterior deformation, a new technology, more refinement and comfort as well as an additional engine and an all-wheel drive option have transformed the car into a more serious competitor in the flowering compact SUV sector.
Ford couldn’t have shown it better but a couple.
It is fair to say that the changes to the styling are subtle. The most obvious of the Öksport has received a more incorrect face that brings it closer to its big brothers (The Kuga and Edge) as well as new HID headlights (high intensity discharge) and LED Daytime Running Lights.
The taillights and the rear bumper of the ECSPORT were also revised, although the rear door is unfortunately still open to the side. At best retro.
Ford also took the opportunity to expand its attraction with a number of personalization options with which buyers can choose from several roof and body color combinations as well as shabby new wheel designs and accessories, including a bicycle rack.
There is no doubt that ecclesiastic sports look smarter in its unmistakable, chunky way, but the most radical changes are inside, where the cabin has been brought up to date.
The dashboard and middle console layout became largely from the new Fiesta (which is not a bad thing). Depending on the equipment variant, a floating infotainment screen dominates up to 8.0 inches, while the instrumentation is now much clearer and the seats have new fabrics and are more comfortable. An impressive 675 watt B&O sound audio system is also available.
For the first time, the speed control is offered with an adjustable speed limiter in ecosport. Other available delicacies are a revenue camera, automatic headlights, rain gypsum, a heated steering wheel and the blind spot information system from Ford, with which the driver can approach vehicles. Unfortunately no sign of autonomous emergency braking (AEB).
The interior in general seems to have a higher quality feeling, whereby the soft touch plastics are increasingly being used, albeit not at the door. It is crucial that it is now well put together and has a touch of solidity.
Fords also worked hard to make ecstatic sports a more satisfactory car in order to drive with information on suspension and steering to make it more European.
Available in three equipment levels Zetec, Titanium and Sporty ST-LINE starts the range at 17,495 GBP and increases to 21,145 GBP.
There are three petrol and diesel engines, starting with the award-winning 1.0-liter ECOBOOST three-cylinder turbo gasoline unit, which is available in two tune states (124 hp or 138 hp). Both are paired with a six-speed gearbox, while the C02 emissions are 119 g/km and the fuel consumption of 54.3 MPG. From mid -2018, a 99 hp Ecoboost is also offered.
Significantly, the brand new 1.5-liter Ecoblue diesel engine from Ford will also be available from mid-2018. The 1.5-liter Ecoblue four-cylinder diesel of 124 hp is paired with a new six-speed manual transmission and offers “lower CO2 and larger fuel. Efficiency ”, but we don’t have the exact numbers yet.
In the meantime, the only available diesel is the long-standing 1.5-liter TDCI from Blue Oval, which offers 107 g/km CO2 emissions and economy up to 68.9 MPG.
We have replaced the new Ecoblue diesel with Ford’s intelligent all-wheel drive system and a manual transmission as well as the 124 hp version of the Ecoboost petrol engine with an automatic transmission with six-speed six-speed. On paper, the latter can be up to 48.7 MPG and CO2 emissions of 134 g/km capable.
Of the two, the diesel was more to our taste. Our route took us on highways, up and down, up and down, and through cities, and it was not only surprisingly smooth and sophisticated, but there were more than enough grunts.
We were unable to test the effectiveness of the AWD, which can adapt the torque tax up to 50/50 between the front and rear wheels to less than 20 milliseconds (this is 20 – faster than flashing), but there seemed to be a lot to exist. The journey is firm, while the handling is more secured than the ecstatic sport of old with little body role.
Our change to the 124 -hp -Ecoboost petrol with Auto -Box was not quite as impressive. This is probably the most popular engine selection, but the 11.6 seconds quoted to reach 62 miles per hour seemed to be somewhat optimistic.
In addition, the automatic transmission seemed to be excessively sensitive. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad engine/gear combination, you just have to take it easily.
This version was also not as planted as the diesel AWD. There was also a little more body roll in the corners on more difficult road sections. On the positive side, the steering was fine with both models.
They sit high up in the cabin – especially on the passenger side, where there is no seat height adjustment – but it is generally a convenient place to be with good visibility.
There is space for adults to sit comfortably in the rear – even the middle seat is not completely except borders. There is enough space to store smaller items, while the trunk that contains a new height adjustment floor has a capacity of 334 liters or useful 1,238 liters with the rear seats.
In the UK, more than 40,000 ECOSPORS has been sold since 2014. In view of the popularity of compact SUVs and the updates of the new model, there is no reason why it is not sold well. It will never be a class leader, but Ford did just enough to make sure it can keep up with its competitors
Verdict: The Ford Ecosport is significantly improved with better processing quality, refinement and comfort as well as updated technology. In particular, the new Ecoblue diesel engine, which was paired with AWD in 2018, is a real step.
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