Clash Of Segments: Ford Freestyle vs Ford EcoSport - Which Car To Buy?

The Freestyle’s competitive pricing makes it a great value-for-money offering. But does it make more sense than even the EcoSport?

Ford recently launched the cross-hatch version of the Figo, the Freestyle, in India. Its prices start at Rs 5.09 lakh and go up to Rs 7.89 lakh. At this price range, it undercuts the Ford EcoSport by a huge margin, which is priced from Rs 7.82 lakh to Rs 11.35 lakh (all prices ex-showroom Delhi). However, there is one variant of each of these cars so closely priced, that some buyers might want to compare the two.

But before we dive into the detailed comparison, here are the primary differences between the two.

Ford Freestyle	Ford EcoSport
A jacked-up hatchback: The Freestyle is based on the concept of converting a hatchback into a utility vehicle. It is basically cross-hatch version of the Figo hatchback	A sub-4m SUV: The EcoSport was developed as a sub-4m SUV from the ground-up. It, therefore, has the presence of an SUV
Compact on the outside, spacious on the inside: The Freestyle is clearly the smaller car of the two, but it’s quite spacious, with its interior measurements like headroom and rear kneeroom being better than the EcoSport	More luggage space: The EcoSport might just be as spacious on the inside as the Freestyle, but it gets a 352-litre boot which can be expanded to 1178 litres
A powerful diesel engine: The Freestyle is powered by a 1.5-litre engine that makes 100PS of maximum power and 215 Nm of torque. It has a claimed fuel economy of 24.4kmpl	A Powerful petrol engine: The EcoSport gets the new Dragon series engine. A 1.5-litre petrol motor that produces 123PS of maximum power and 150Nm of torque. It returns a claimed fuel efficiency of 17kmpl
Competition: Hyundai i20 Active, Honda WR-V and Toyota Etios Cross	Competition: Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Mahindra TUV300

Variants

The top-spec Freestyle diesel is priced at Rs 7.89 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). We have compared this to the base-spec Ambiente variant of the EcoSport petrol, which is priced at Rs 7.82 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Other variants of the two Ford cars cannot be compared because the price difference between them is on the higher side. The base-spec diesel variants of the two cars have a difference of more than Rs 2 lakh, while the price difference between the base petrol variants of the two models is over Rs 2.5 lakh.

Engine

While the Freestyle is powered by a 1.5-litre diesel engine that makes 100PS of maximum power and 215Nm of peak torque, the EcoSport gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine producing 123PS of power and 150Nm of torque. Since the Freestyle is a diesel offering and it’s the smaller car too, it’s more fuel efficient as well. The EcoSport, on the other hand, offers a better power to weight ratio of 100.8PS/ton and that should make it more fun to drive on road.

If you think maintaining a diesel would be more expensive than a petrol, you are right. But as per Ford, 1 year/20,000km service for the EcoSport petrol will set you back by Rs 4,497, while the same for the Freestyle diesel will cost Rs 4,643 - just Rs 146 more for the Freestyle.

Features

Ambiente is the base variant of the EcoSport and it is equipped with all the basic safety features. It gets dual front airbags and ABS with EBD. Rear parking sensors are also a part of the package. Other features on offer include all-four power windows, height-adjustable front seat, electrically adjustable ORVMs, day/night IRVM and an audio player with Bluetooth, FM, USB and four speakers.

The top-spec Freestyle Titanium+, on the other hand, is packed to the gills with features. In fact, it is one of the most well equipped cars under Rs 10 lakh. For safety, it gets features such as 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX child seat anchors and active roll-over prevention with hill launch assist, electronic stability program and traction control. Other features on offer include a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with SYNC 3, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic climate control, height adjustable driver’s seat, all four power windows, electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs, push-button start, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, auto dimming IRVM and 16-inch alloy wheels. Clearly, the Freestyle’s top variant is a more attractive package than the base-spec EcoSport.

Verdict

Why Buy Freestyle?

• Being the top-spec model, the Freestyle comes will all sorts of convenience and safety features you can ask for in a car of this segment, and even more

• The diesel engine of the Freestyle will be more fuel efficient than the EcoSport’s petrol engine. So if your daily running is high, the Freestyle will be cheaper to run. Also, the Freestyle, despite being a diesel offering, is negligibly more expensive to maintain

• While the EcoSport is a small SUV, the Freestyle is even smaller. So driving it in the city and finding parking spaces would be easier

Related: Ford Freestyle: 5 Things That Could Have Been Better

Why Buy EcoSport?

• The EcoSport has an SUV-like road presence. Some buyers might find it more attractive than the Freestyle

• At 352 litres (expandable upto 1178 litres), the EcoSport’s boot capacity is considerably higher than that of Feestyle’s 257 litres. So, if you travel by road more often, the EcoSport’s larger boot will certainly come in handy

• The EcoSport, being a popular car, should have a better resale value than the Freestyle, which is yet to prove its worth in the market

Related: Ford To Launch EcoSport Signature Edition Alongside The Sportier S

Also Read: Clash Of Segments: Ford Freestyle vs Maruti Swift – Which Car To Buy?|| Clash Of Segments: Ford Freestyle vs Tata Nexon- Which Car To Buy?

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