First drive: 2017/18 Ford EcoSport

First drive: 2017/18 Ford EcoSport

121bhp petrol automatic now available, but the old diesel is better

Ford kickstarted the compact SUV segment in India back in 2013 with the launch of the original EcoSport. It was something we hadn’t seen in the motherland, and evidently there was a latent demand there. The response was good and you certainly see many on the streets. But I wasn't convinced. I have since had the odd drive in various models, but nothing really stood out. I’m also not entirely convinced about the sub-4m SUV/crossover vehicle as a concept either.

You see, thanks to the taxation structure prevailing in the country, vehicles below 4 metres in length using engines below 1500cc get taxed less. It’s a small but significant saving, and the potential buyer is also a particular type. In brief: the EcoSport and it’s later rivals the Maruti Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra TUV300 et al are urban SUVs, with neither the chops or the intent to do any real mud-plugging.

So what are we left with? The length of a hatchback with more ground clearance, butch design and added equipment. As it turns out, that’s more than enough.

Superior

The new Ford EcoSport is thoroughly refreshed, and I’m happy to say it’s more than skin-deep. There’s a redesigned exterior, interior and powertrain. For a five-year old car, the model has aged well, and the sharp new front brings it up to a 2017 aesthetic ouevre. New grille, projector headlamps, larger fog lamps and obligatory DRLs are all present. In addition, you also get puddle lamps and keyless entry without a button. Just grab the handle and it unlocks!

My #1 new feature — and I applaud Ford India for this design choice — is that they have not used the now-ubiquitous “diamond cut” alloy wheels that have caught on like a rash. Ford has retained a classy, sporty — almost old-school — silver 17" wheel for the top models, and a different design for the 16" wheels on the rest of the range. Tyres also take a step up, with chunky 205-section hoops on the 17" rims. Interestingly, this has not impacted road noise that much, and the cabin remains comfortable and quiet in most conditions.

Steering and handling is also confidence-inspiring in the new EcoSport. Body roll is well-controlled and the steering feels secure and weighty. I’m told the response is dulled from the old model, but I was happy with it. The vehicle feels agile and never crashy over poor surfaces, which is quite a feat considering the size and profile of the tyres.

Ford has retired the old petrol motor and replaced it with a brand-new 3-cylinder 121bhp/150Nm motor mated to a 6-speed torque convertor automatic transmission. As a bonus, they’ve thrown in paddle shifters too — a first for this class of car in the country. The drivetrain is a very weighty checkbox in the feature list, but the reality is somewhat different; read on.

More significant changes are seen inside the cabin. We drove the top-spec Titanium+ cars, and they were shod with all-black leather upholstery with white contrast stitch. The car feels quite premium as a result, remniscent of the VW Tiguan we drove recently. Like that car, the new EcoSport also has ambient lighting, but with the added ability to change colour. The steering wheel is also leather-wrapped and soft. Plastic quality is hard to the touch but with some nice textures that make it look upscale.

The dashboard is all-new, and no longer looks like you need a commercial pilot’s license to operate. Ford has gone from airline-level buttons and very little screen to no buttons and all screen. And what a screen it is! The 8" capacitive touchscreen on the range-topping EcoSports is a new benchmark for the segment; heck, even above it! The responsiveness is on point, and you don’t feel like you’re using a five-year old smartphone like many/most cars do. The UI is plain but functional, and the system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That’s a comprehensive win for the EcoSport.

Solid

While there’s plenty that stands out in the 2017/18 EcoSport, there’s some that is just about par for the course. The general dimensions, for one. This impacts interior space, which is okay, but nobody could accuse the EcoSport for being roomy. With the driver seat set for my 5'9" frame, rear accomodations were decent, but heavier-set people may be tighter.

Boot space is okay, but in practice not superior to some hatchbacks we’ve tested. The volume is greater than a smaller car, but in use, it’s about as convenient. One additional convenience in the new model is the flat floor that reveals additional, hidden storage for those valuables you want to keep out of sight. We were able to get two journaists-worth of bags and camera paraphernalia into the boot without problems, but your family airport drops will still require some folding of seats.

Ford has retained the 1.5l turbodiesel engine from previous models. It’s a solid performer, generating 100hp/205Nm. It’s almost exactly par for the course in this segment, but feels good to drive and mates well with the manual 5-speed transmission. Overtakes feel secure and there’s punch where you need it. It is also quite a refined motor. Outdoing — in fact — the star petrol motor we were there to drive.

The cabin itself — while feeling premium compared to its peers — is also about in the ballpark of the Tata Nexon. It’s a quiet, comfortable space, and superior to the TUV300 and Vitara Brezza in NVH.

Staid

Of course, there’s bound to be some downsides, not least of which is the new 121bhp petrol motor. Ford is unique in offering this sort of engine in the compact SUV class, especially mated to a 6-speed torque converter automatic. Unfortunately, the novelty on paper doesn’t translate to as much fun on the road. The motor is quiet for a 3-pot under 2000rpm, but quickly gets noisy. The transmission is quick to react just off idle, but there just isn’t enough torque to carry the new EcoSport forward with any sense of urgency.

While Ford has supplied paddle shifters — another segment first — even in sport mode, the gearbox shifts rather slow (we counted a full second for anything to happen after a paddle shift) and once you use it manually, it will happily hold redline revs indefinitely. Usually, a gearbox will shift if you’re doing something stupid, but this one lets you embarass yourself. We were told by colleagues that it is the slow transmission that spoils the party for the engine, but we suspect the middling 150Nm torque is to blame.

A niggle that lets down the otherwise excellent interior is the lack of rear AC vents, which few cars leave out these days. We think this is a low-hanging fruit and a disappointing miss. The driver’s console is also a very strange design, leaving a massive blank space in between the dials, broken up only by a small, low-res multi-function display.

Should you buy it?

Five years after Ford practically invented the sub-4m SUV space, we have some solid, mature products at hand. The 2017/18 EcoSport is a well turned-out gentleman with a heart condition. It feels premium and superior to its competition in terms of features, conveniences, design and quality. It’s exciting to consider a 121bhp motor in such a small vehicle, but that’s a bit of a mirage. The diesel motor that we drove in the latter half of our drive was significantly superior to the new petrol in every way. We hear paeans to the old EcoBoost 1.0-litre motor from anyone who’s driven it, but that will come later in this model cycle.

Considering the surfeit of features on offer and the general upscale feel of the 2017/18 EcoSport, we expect it to be priced higher than the competition, which is sub-10 lac rupees without exception. We’d guess 11–12 lac for the top models, which puts it within striking distance of the popular Duster and Creta — both larger vehicles with more options.

The new EcoSport is a solid compact SUV, if you buy the diesel.

Updated 09/11/2017

Ford India has officially launched the new EcoSport. Prices are as follows.