Ford EcoSport - Surprising little off-road adventurer

By Lawrence Minnie 

Ford recently unveiled the facelifted Ford EcoSport and invited us along on an adventurous drive into the middle of nowhere, to explore the off-road credibility of this light SUV. Is this the compact crossover that you'll want to spend your life with?

We were more than happy to jump on board and explore the vast KwaZulu Natal Midlands, in search of the perfect spot to photograph this excellent little SUV.

Exterior

Not a lot has been changed with the new facelifted model, with a few simple yet very effective tweaks made to merely amplify the character of an already perky city-SUV.

Starting on the outside, the new model gets a new set of DRLs (Daytime Running Lights), a new front fascia, a newly-shaped bonnet with a  “power bulge”, and a new front grille that brings it in line with the rest of the Ford range.

On the side profile the new EcoSport gets power folding side mirrors, new fog lamps with integrated turn signals, and a striking set of new alloy wheels. Around the back, the small changes continue with new taillight clusters, a new rear bumper, and rear parking sensors as standard. Higher-spec models now get a hard-plastic spare wheel cover that replaces the canvas one.

The changes aren’t drastic and the overall effect is quite pleasing to the eye. The changes on the inside though, are a different kettle of fish.

Interior

The changes to the interior really do elevate the EcoSport significantly. Perceived quality reaches a new level with new seat materials, ambient lighting in the foot wells, a new centre console with a sliding armrest and the welcome addition of Keyless Entry with the Ford MyKey function. Centre stage in the new look and feel of the interior is the 8” colour TFT screen infotainment system (fitted to Titanium-spec models), programmed with SYNC 3 and packaged with Android Auto and Apple Car Play. The way that this screen is mounted was a point of contention among those in the travel convoy, with some liking the incorporation into the dash, while others said it seemed like an afterthought.

The centre console has also been fitted with two well-placed USB ports that fall just beneath the newly-redesigned climate control panel. There's a new 4.2-inch screen placed between two new gauge clusters and a new steering wheel with the addition of paddle shifters that control the new 6-speed automatic transmission.

Engine

The new EcoSport receives two engine derivatives, the award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost 3-cylinder petrol engine and the 1.5-litre TDCi 4-cylinder diesel. Both engines are paired well with the respective 6-speed auto and 5-speed manual models, and the final drive is near perfect for the size and weight of the car.

While on our cross-country adventure, our automatic 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium (R 339 900) returned very respectable fuel consumption figures in the 5.8 – 6l / 100km range; this proved to be very advantageous as we found ourselves quite far from civilization, traversing hill and dale, in search of the perfect photo opportunity.

The Drive

The EcoSport actually surprised me. I’ve always thought it to be a light city car/crossover that would spend its life hopping sidewalks and parking in gravel parking lots during sporting events, but out in the remote hilly country, it tackled every rock-strewn track with relative ease.

There was never really a point where I felt that the little SUV was outside of its depth, and to be honest, there were some parts of the route that were almost 4x4 low-range worthy.

The suspension took all the bumps and ruts in its stride, while the EcoSport just chugged along, with the auto transmission changing as needed.

Usually after a long challenging route such as this, you would emerge from the vehicle feeling tired and strained, but it was not the case here. The ride and handling was comfortable enough to leave one feeling relaxed, and quite impressed with what the little car can do.

Our verdict

The EcoSport makes up a small portion of Ford SA sales but is the second-biggest seller in their SUV market. For consumers who aren’t comfortable with the Kuga or larger Everest, the EcoSport is definitely the best way to go. With a refreshed new face, capabilities outside of its market segment and the addition of new technologies, the EcoSport is definitely going to the top of the hill, literally and figuratively.

Models and Pricing

1.5 TDCi Ambiente 5 MT	R 264 500
1.0 EcoBoost Trend 6 MT	R 287 500
1.0 EcoBoost Trend 6 AT	R 300 700
1.0 EcoBoost Titanium 6 MT	R 327 800
1.0 EcoBoost Titanium 6 AT	R 339 900

All models sold with 4-year / 120 000km Warranty and 4-year / 60 000km Service plan.