Ford EcoSport video review
The EcoSport is Ford’s take on the Nissan Juke, and is essentially a Fiesta-based SUV
Let’s start with the pronunciation - Ford is requesting that people refer to it as the “EchoSport”.
Either way, there’s plenty to like about this car. It’s stylish, features angular headlights which come with LED daytime strips, 16-inch wheels and silver roof rails – all as standard.
It’s only available in front-wheel-drive, but it has 200mm of ground clearance and a wading depth of 550mm. It’s perhaps not as striking as the Nissan Juke, or as personalised as the Renault Captur, though.
There’s also another major flaw. The rear styling is ruined by a big spare wheel – and there’s no option to have it removed, either. Meanwhile, the boot swings out like a fridge door, so once you’ve parked in a tight parallel space or a multi-story car park, there’s no accessing the boot.
On the plus side, the EcoSport drives really well, and as it shares most of its mechanicals with the Fiesta, the weighty steering and precise gearbox both feel really well engineered.
There are three engines to choose from in the line-up, including a 110bhp 1.5-litre petrol and a range-topping 1.5-litre diesel. In this video review, we test the 1.0-litre EcoBoost model, which reaches 0-62mph in 12.7 seconds and still managing to return 53.3mpg.
Ford is planning to sell one million SUVs over the next six years, and the Ford EcoSport will be key to making this strategy work. Watch the video review and see if you agree.
