dna drive: Ford EcoSport diesel-Compelling proposition

Compact sports utility vehicles (SUV) are in. They always were, right from the times of the Tata Safari and the Mahindra Scorpio to the more Recent Duster and something tells us, despite the higher taxes, people will still gravitate towards them. But more often than not, they’re priced on the higher side. With the EcoSport, Ford changes all of that. Use of excise benefits means that the EcoSport is very competitively priced and offers plenty of features, too. There are three engines on offer, a 1.5-litre petrol, a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel. The most famous of the lot is the world renowned 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, but we’re sure the one that will sell the most will be the diesel. So let’s take a closer look at that one, shall we.

Exterior
Considering its compact dimensions, the EcoSport is more of a raised hatchback than an SUV, but one look at it and you’ll be more than convinced that it’s a proper SUV. The sharp cut-off at the font with the imposing grille and slit-like headlamps mean that despite its size, it still commands respect on the roads.

The plastic cladding on the lower half of the body and wheel-arches further helps its case. And finally, at the back, the spare wheel is mounted on the door.
This was done to slip it in under the 4-metre barrier, but it also adds to the visual heft of the car.

Interior
Moving inside, you’ll see what we mean when we say raised hatchback. The interior is basically a straight lift from the new Fiesta sedan. Then again, the New Edge design of the Fiesta does look pretty slick. The centre console juts forward towards the passengers and still sports a proper number pad on it. We like that a lot more than having to fumble with a knob or a touch-screen when driving.

The interior is all-black with some tasteful red stitching on the seats and upholstery, which may look a little claustrophobic, but in reality, it’s actually more spacious than the Renault Duster. The Duster has an AC vent for the rear seat which eats into the leg-room of the passengers, which is not the case with the EcoSport.

From the driver’s seat, the view is quite commanding indeed. The thin-rimmed steering wheel feels great in your hand and the ergonomics are pretty much spot-on, all the vital controls fall easily to hand and if something is beyond reach, there is the SYNC voice control system to take care of everything just by using your voice.

It’s the little things that impressed us about this car though. The rear wipers, for example, are turned on automatically if you slot it into reverse with the front windscreen wipers on. This is incredibly thoughtful and something that could save you from bumping into someone.

Equipment levels on the top-of-the-line Titanium model we tested were pretty much where we expected them to be. USB, AUX-IN, Bluetooth inputs for the stereo system, rear parking sensors, steering mounted controls and a faux leather interior are all par for the course. Plastic quality great, too, but we’re still a bit unsure about the build quality. It could be that this is a high-mileage press car, but the interior already has a couple of rattles in it.

Luggage space is not match for the Duster, but you can easily cram a couple of suitcases back there without much trouble.

Performance
Thumb the starter and the 1.5-litre diesel mill comes to life. It’s a little noisy right on start-up, but settles down into a quiet hum in a couple of seconds. From the outside, there’s a little clatter while the engine is cold, but that too disappears after it gets up to temperature. The gearbox feels a little resistant to change gears at first and you have to confidently shift or you’ll be hitting the shift gates.

Once on the move, the engine does show some lag down low, but it’s nothing like you’d get in the 110 PS Duster. Once the turbo spools up, you’ve got a wide band of torque to play with, mostly not even needing to downshift to complete overtaking manoeuvres.

Surprisingly, the engine is actually quite eager to rev, letting you hit the redline before having to shift to the next gear. It does lose steam as you reach the redline, but progress is pretty swift. Noise insulation is pretty good inside, and whatever engine noises do filter into the cabin aren’t too clattery.

One of the main advantages the EcoSport has over its rivals is that it has a relatively light clutch, so in heavy city traffic, you won’t be nursing knee pain on top of dealing with traffic. And gearing is also very city friendly, so you can cruise around without shifting too often. In terms of outright performance, it hangs onto the coat tails of the 110PS Duster and pretty much leaves the lower power version for dead. You can thank its light weight for that.

Through our combined circuit, we averaged a fuel economy of around 15 kmpl, which is brilliant, we think.

Ride and handling
Initially, the ride seems a little on the harsher side, but that’s only the sound from the suspension, because in reality, the ride is actually quite pliant. Booth slow speed ride and high speed damping is almost spot on for our roads, but yes, you do have to put up with the suspension noise.

On another note, going back to the raised hatchback remark, the EcoSport handles really well for an SUV, holding onto the cornering line like its life depended on it. There’s bound to be some body roll considering it’s so high off the ground, but even that is surprisingly well controlled. Overall, we think the suspension is pretty much spot on for this car, keeping it both sporty enough with great on-road manners while giving it great ride quality as well.

Final word
Considering it’s fantastic pricing, frankly, we can’t think of many reasons not to buy the EcoSport. Its compact dimensions mean that navigating city traffic is a breeze, you’ve got a well bolstered features list, a frugal but punchy engine, the EcoSport is looking pretty attractive indeed. Sure, we’d have liked a little more boot space or a 6th gear, but we’re just nitpicking. As it is, the EcoSport is a great buy.

SPEC SHEET
Ford EcoSport 1.5 Diesel

Price (ex-Delhi) Rs 6.69-8.99 Lakh

Kitna deti hai? 15 kmpl in our test

Fuel tank: 52 litres

Full tank good for: Over 750 km

Engine: 1498 cc, I4, turbodiesel

Max Power: 91 bhp@3750 rpm

Max Torque: 204 nm@2000-2750 rpm

Good for family of 5: Yes

Dimensions in feet: L/W/H 13.12/5.8/5.6