It’s fair to say the Ford EcoSport (pronounced “Echo-Sport”) hasn’t been as successful as everyone thought a Fiesta-based crossover would be. But fear not, Ford is hoping to fix this with a new and improved version of its EcoSport for 2015.
On paper, the changes may not look massive. The rear-mounted spare wheel is no longer standard, giving buyers the option to specify it, the interior has had a slight polish and there has been some reworking to the suspension.
The main complaint with the EcoSport has been that it fails to offer the same prowess of the Fiesta supermini it is based on – which is understandable to a certain extent as it is a taller vehicle. But what difference do the new changes make?
A lowered ride height of 10mm and improvements to its suspension, including new dampers and springs, mean the EcoSport is fairly composed under most driving conditions. It still leans a bit in the corners and the ride can get unsettled if you hit several bumps in quick succession, but for those who are going to buy a crossover, it is perfectly capable.
That goes for the steering as well. There is good, reassuring weight to it and it is fairly responsive, but it can feel a little numb just off-centre, something that makes all-round driving enjoyment tougher to achieve. But for those likely to buy it, it will probably go unnoticed.
Seating position wise, the EcoSport can feel a little strange. Sure, you feel raised up, much like in an SUV – which is great, but you almost feel like you are towering over the dashboard. This feeling is the same for front passengers as well.
The changes to the interior make it look a bit more upmarket, thanks to a massive reduction in grey plastics. There are, however, still a lot of cheap scratchy plastics about the cabin, but this is pretty common in superminis and supermini-based crossovers.
Kit levels for the EcoSport are pretty generous across the board, with necessities like air-con, USB and electric windows all thrown in as standard. The only head scratcher is what optional extras you go for. For example, we had rear parking sensors fitted to our model – a £210 extra.
Although there have been minor changes to certain powertrains in the EcoSport, the 123bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol we tested remains unchanged – and the EcoBoost suits this car perfectly. As expected, this is a great little motor with decent punch, it certainly feels quicker to 62mph than 12.7 seconds. We had this engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox which is slick up and down the gears.
As it is based on the same platform as the Fiesta, there were instantly high hopes for the EcoSport – and as it can’t match the all-round fun-to-drive feel of its little brother, some may merely label it as disappointing. But I disagree. Qualms I have with the EcoSport, such as interior quality and lack of fun behind the wheel, I could say about many other crossovers and, at the minute, it is still tough to say exactly which of the crossover bunch are class leaders in these areas.
Find prices for the Ford EcoSport.
