Ford EcoSport S Long Term Review

Since its launch in 2013, the Ford EcoSport has seen a lot of success in the Indian market thanks to its muscular design and Ford's continuous effort of keeping the EcoSport updated and competitive. With the EcoSport S, Ford has done just that by providing the vehicle a much-needed update that lends it a sporty appeal.

Since its launch in 2013, the Ford EcoSport has seen a lot of success in the Indian market thanks to its muscular design and Ford's continuous effort of keeping the EcoSport updated and competitive. With the EcoSport S, Ford has done just that by providing the vehicle a much-needed update that lends it a sporty appeal.

The Ford EcoSport is basically the car which kickstarted the compact SUV segment in India. Ford has done a great job of refreshing the EcoSport's design and not letting it age. The minor cosmetic enhancements not only improve the look but also make the EcoSport S look beefier. The top of the line S variant gets snazzy new 17-inch alloy wheels. The rear mounted spare wheel still makes operating the boot a bit difficult but gives the car a rugged look.

The interiors also offer a great amount of comfort, even for longer durations. Ford's SYNC3 UI is not only easy to use but also quick to respond and is much better than what the competition has to offer. It also gets a sunroof and ambient lighting. Audio quality is fantastic and the cabin feels sporty due to the use of the orange accents.

The suspension is on the stiffer side which leads to a stiff ride. On the plus side, the stiffer suspension leads to impressive handling. However, due to the fat alloy wheels and low profile rubber, the ride quality gets seriously affected. The EcoSport offers the best dynamics of any compact SUV in its segment but the ride quality is just better on lower variants which do not have such big tyres. The light steering offers great feedback which makes the EcoSport S fun to drive.

You can hear very little of the refined diesel engine inside the cabin. The gearbox offers fluid shifts and thanks to the light clutch, driving the EcoSport in the city has become even simpler.  The engine has a great amount of punch which makes overtaking and cruising on the highways a breeze. There is a minor amount of turbo-lag but the car remains stable at high speeds.

The engine is also quite fuel efficient, returning us a mileage of around 14-15 km/l in mix driving conditions. The brakes offer good stopping power and thanks to the wider tyres, there is ample amount of grip around the corners. It is also well loaded in terms of safety equipment and the S variant comes with 6 airbags and ABS.

Ford has still not managed to equip the EcoSport with an automatic gearbox on the diesel powerplant which is really disappointing as all cars in its segment offer one. An automatic transmission makes driving in stop-go traffic a lot less tiring and is ideal for someone who is looking to drive this compact SUV for long periods of time on a daily basis.

Despite the few shortcomings, the Ford EcoSport is still one of the best compact SUVs in the market today. The feature-loaded interiors offer immense practicality and the punchy diesel engine along with superb dynamics make the EcoSport a great choice for enthusiasts. There are a lot of variants on offer with both petrol and diesel engine options. Due to heavy localisation, Ford has also been able to price the EcoSport aggressively. Those on the lookout for a fun, practical and convenient compact SUV will not be disappointed by the Ford EcoSport.

Source: MotorBeam.com