The Ford EcoSport is a compact SUV measuring less than 4-metres in length. The SUV comes loaded with a host of advanced features and equipment at a competitive price. The Ford EcoSport comes in 11 versions with 3 engine, 2 fuel options and 2 transmission. The main rivals of the Ford EcoSport are the Renault Duster, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, Mahindra TUV300 and Hyundai Creta.
The petrol trims of the Ford EcoSport are priced between Rs. 7.14 lakh to Rs. 10.85 lakh while the diesel trims of the Ford EcoSport start at Rs. 818,900 lakh. The prices are Ex-showroom, New Delhi.
ENGINE AND SPECIFICATIONS
The Ford EcoSport is available with a choice of two petrol and one diesel engine specifications. The petrol variants include two types of engines- a 1.5 litre, 4-cylinder, Ti-VCT petrol engine which produces 112 PS of power at 6300 RPM and 140 Nm of torque at 4400 RPM and the secondly, globally renowned 1.0 litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged, EcoBoost petrol engine which generates 125 PS of power at 6000 RPM and 170 Nm of torque between 1400 to 4500 RPM.
On the other hand, the 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine develops 100 PS of power at 3750 RPM and 205 Nm of torque between 1750 to 3250 RPM. and 204 Nm of torque. All the engines come mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Although, the 6-speed automatic transmission (AT) gearbox is, too, available on the petrol variant.
The Ford EcoSport petrol engine offers a mileage of 18.88 kms in a litre whereas the diesel EcoSport returns fuel economy of 22.27 kms in a litre. The mileage numbers for both versions are ARAI- certified. Besides, the car has a fuel tank capacity of 52 litre.
As far as acceleration is concerned, the turbocharged EcoBoost petrol motor of the Ford EcoSport achieves the 0 to 100 kmph mark in just over 12 seconds with a top speed of 160 kmph while the 1.5 L Ti-VCT petrol engine attains the 0 to 100 kmph mark in about 13.25 seconds along with the top speed of 168 kmph. On the other hand, the 1.5-litre diesel engine catches the 0 to 100 kmph mark in a mere 13.2 seconds with a top speed of 175 kmph.
EXTERIOR
The SUV is based on the Kinetic Design theme. The front profile of the Ford Ecosport gets slender headlamps with integrated LEDs that work as daytime running lamps while the side profile of the Ford Ecosport gets a new design augmenting its sporty characteristics. The strong façade of the SUV has massive front bumper with a huge three layered air dam and there are decently carved chrome encircled fog lamps just alongside the air dam.
The door handles of the car are simple nevertheless the striking silver colour roof rails enhance the side profile. The wheels are 16-inch alloys and the bumper of the car comes in semi black mode which makes it look attractive whereas the rear wind screen glass has integrated spoiler and the tail gate of the car slides open. Besides, the spare wheel is mounted on the tail gate.
The overall dimensional length of the Ford Ecosport is 3999 mm long, 1765 mm width with a height of 1708 mm. While, the wheel base of the car measures 2520 mm along with a decent ground clearance of 200 mm.
The Ford Ecosport is available with a choice of eight colours- Mars Red, Golden Bronze, Chill Metallic, Diamond White, Kinetic Blue, Moondust Silver, Panther Black and Smoke Grey.
INTERIOR
The interiors of the Ford Ecosport are similar to that of the Fiesta sedan. The Ford Ecosport has good space at the front and the rear. Besides, the car has reclining rear seats that make it much comfortable and the thigh support is also decent. The Ford EcoSport comes equipped with a number of features like smart keyless entry, push button start, electrically adjusted front and rear windows, reverse parking sensors, steering controls and a high quality audio system with USB, Aux and Bluetooth connectivity.
There is a one touch up and down function on driver side window. In addition, driver’s seat of the SUV gets height adjuster with lumbar support and, at the same time, an arm rest and a footrest are also placed for the comfort of driver. The car has various storage compartments and cuby holes within the cabin. Moreover, the Ford Ecosport does have a boot space of 346 liters and a cooled glove box that is very useful during long drives especially in summers.
PERFORMANCE
The Ford Ecosport has amazing performance. The award winning EcoBoost engine of the SUV offers ample performance. At the same time, safety is one of the strengths of the Ford Ecosport when compared to other SUVs in the market. The Ford Ecosport has front and rear disc brakes as a standard feature which, in point of fact, is not common on other compact SUVs. The car comes equipped with ABS with EBD, traction control, electronic stability program and hill launch assist on the petrol automatic variant.
Other safety features of the SUV include smart keyless entry, engine immobilizer, seat belts for all passengers, ISOFIX child seat, rear parking sensors, defogger, high mount stop lamp, emergency brake hazard warning, configurable speed alarm and dual front, side and curtain airbags.
ADVANTAGES
The Ford Ecosport is loaded with good features and comes with the world-class 1.0-litre Ecoboost engine. The elegant exterior appearance of the car makes it standout of the crowd. Ride quality is decent. In terms of safety, the Ford Ecosport ranks high as it comes with a number of safety features.
In addition, the Ford Ecosport has one of the best braking systems in the segment. The Ford EcoSport is a 5 seater car and undoubtedly such cars are suitable for small Indian families.
DRAWBACKS
The boot space of the Ford Ecosport is significantly smaller than all competitors. And, the car has relatively less cabin space. Moreover, the limited availability of service centers in the country is also a major drawback for this SUV.
VERDICT
The Ford Ecosport is a stylish and feature-loaded great compact SUV. The car has a strong and sturdy body and, at the same time, performance is also appreciable. Besides, the Ford Ecosport has an array on engines and transmissions on offer. On the plus side, the EcoBoost engine of the Ford Ecosport is excellent. On the whole, the Ford EcoSport is the ideal family car for India.