Texts by Clas von Bell, Niclas von Bell
Ford is launching the Ecosport, the smallest SUV in its range, in Finland. We had the chance to test drive a couple of models at the press launch in Finland.
According to the importer, the Ecosport has been almost completely redesigned. At the same time, the car’s chassis has also been changed to match that used in the Fiesta.
According to Ford, the SUV range is expected to be highly competitive. There are currently 19 models competing in the small SUV segment and by 2021 there will be 35 models.
According to Ford, the Ecosport has one major advantage over its big brother, the Kuga: the Ecosport offers an automatic transmission with a front-wheel drive petrol engine. This is a very popular option, according to Ford, and is not available in the Kuga.
The two-wheel-drive models will be the first on the market. Four-wheel-drive models will be available from the beginning of the summer.
The new Ecosport is 8 centimetres longer than the current model. The exterior has been redesigned and the interior is very Fiesta-like.
The Ecosport has the same axle arrangements as the Fiesta and the B-Max, which has already gone out of production. Four-wheel drive is the same as in the Kuga.
The car comes with hill start assist, but not downhill braking.
The car has electric power steering similar to the Fiesta. In the Ecosport, power steering eliminates any minor vibrations from the wheels. In the event of major problems, the information is of course passed on to the driver.
The steering can also react to any strong crosswind and compensates slightly for the wind.
An additional electric heater has also been added to the car’s heating system to warm up the cabin before the engine has warmed up. It is activated by turning the air conditioning switch to the maximum position.
In both automatic and manual mode
We tried both the automatic and the manual transmission models.
The automatic model was the first to go for a spin. It’s a front-wheel-drive model with a 125-horsepower engine.
The car is in the smallest category in the SUV range, but it didn’t feel like it when driving. The car handled nicely on the slightly bumpy winter roads. The shock absorption is stiff.
The driver gets good posture because the steering wheel has both height and distance adjustment. The seat adjustments are also quite adequate.
However, when the front seats are in the fully rearward position, there is no room for an adult to sit properly in the back.
The car is quite quiet when driving. The engine noise is barely audible in the cabin and the road noise is not disturbing when driving on friction tyres.
The other car had studded tyres underneath, and the noise from these was more noticeable in the cabin. However, it was not disturbing. At motorway speeds, there was a slight hiss of fire coming from the doors.
The car’s traditional six-speed automatic gearbox with torque converter worked perfectly during the test drive. You can also change gears using the steering wheel clutches.
The boot of the car is a surprise to many when the tailgate opens to the side. It can be handy in many situations, but it takes up a little more space when open than when up.
There’s no room in the boot for a spare wheel and the floor can be adjusted to two levels with the floor midsole. With the boot on the lower level, the boot has a capacity of 334 litres. The spare wheel can be accessed from outside the boot if required.
Secondly, we tried the 140-horsepower manual transmission. It accelerated a little more quickly than the automatic, but otherwise there was no other notable difference between the cars.
The manual transmission was smooth and precise.
The car is clearly a small SUV, and this car is not the first car for a large family. The car is ideal as a second car or as the only car for a single person or a couple
The basic model costs €20,512 and the Titanium trim level costs €22,970. The top of the range ST-Line costs €24 289.
