Baby SUV misses the mark
So it’s tall then. Does that mean it’s awful on the road?
Actually, no it doesn’t. The EcoSport is lucky enough to sit on the same platform as the brilliant Fiesta and while the added height (and associated weight) means it isn’t as agile or outright fun as the Fiesta, it does hold its own and is one of the more entertaining steers in the baby SUV segment. Our Titanium model even had paddle shifters on the steering wheel – just like a proper car!
It is the transmission – a traditional torque-converter sixspeed auto – and the brilliant 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo engine that have transformed the EcoSport from a dismal also-ran to something far more competitive – and actually enjoyable to drive – in the segment.
Like all small triples, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost needs to be kept on the boil to get the best out of it on the open road – but it is happy with that and the transmission is nicely capable of being in the right gear at the right time – while it is also nicely torquey and flexible around town.
Oh yeah – it also sounds brilliant too, with a gruffly cute little three-cylinder grumble that is always present, but never coarse or intrusive.
So it’s a far better thing than it was. All sweetness and light then?
While it is a massively better thing than it was, and has actually become rather endearing and likeable with its charmingly awkward ‘‘look at me, I’m almost an SUV’’ shape and brilliant little engine, there are still problems.
The crappy interior plastics are the most obvious fault (but then it is a small Ford, so those are almost a tradition), but the EcoSport’s biggest sins are its glaring lack of modern safety systems when compared to the competition.
While it has the baseline essentials like emergency brake assist and brake force distribution, that is where it stops.
By way of comparison, the Seat Arona comes standard with active cruise control with front assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and after-impact braking (to avoid further collisions after an accident).
And this highlights the EcoSport’s other glaring problem – its pricing.
While Ford has made it far more competitive – and it does undercut the opposition by quite a degree (in most cases) – it’s still not quite enough, particularly given the lack of safety features.
The Arona mentioned above starts at the same money as the top spec EcoSport Titanium ($29,990), but effortlessly outmuscles it in equipment terms, even in base model form.
And regardless of your attitude towards the ‘‘electronic nannies’’ as some of the wittier critics like to call them, getting less for the same money is never a particularly good thing.
Other cars to consider?
The EcoSport undercuts baby SUVs like the Holden Trax, Honda HR-V, Nissan Juke, Toyota C-HR and Hyundai i20 Cross in terms of price, but not in equipment for that money.
The glaring exception to this is the Kia Picanto X-Line at $21,490, but then you are lumbered with an underpowered 64kW engine and an awful 4-speed auto.
However, that previously mentioned and remarkably excellent value-for-money Seat Arona that is packed with equipment and comes with an equally excellent three-cylinder engine with more torque (200Nm) is the biggest argument for not buying an EcoSport, even if it lacks the Ford’s endearingly quirky nature.
But if you are a committed Ford buyer, then you are probably better off buying a Fiesta Sport with the same engine for a grand less.