Ford launched the EcoSport recently. We went to Goa for a first drive in this car that is poised to start a new trend in the compact SUV segment
THIS WAS FOR THE THIRD TIME in three months that I went to Goa for a first drive. Earlier Rajasthan was the preferred destination for new car launches and first drives.
The compact SUV, Ford EcoSport, first shown at the Auto Expo in 2011, is finally here after a wait of over two years. There is hardly any change in the production car compared to the original concept shown in New Delhi. The front end sports the new Ford design language. The black bumpers and the cladding side panels give the car a high stance and make it look taller
than it actually is. The swooping A-pillars along with the racked front windscreen improve the car’s aerodynamics and also add to the sporty look of this small SUV. The sloping roof merges well with the C-pillars and the rear end, thus giving the EcoSport good all-round proportions.
The quality of plastic in the interior is quite good and the seats are comfortable with good side support.
The cabin and boot space could have been better, since a lot of room has been wasted in the engine bay. For some reason the engine is moved forward as it sits a little ahead of the front axles and there is enough space to slot in a V six engine.
The drive from the Park Hyatt to the Lallit via Fort Agonda gave us a lot of opportunity to test the car’s handling capability and driveability. I was looking forward to driving the EcoSport to see how the international ‘engine of the year’ award winning Eco boost engine performed. The power and torque figures of 125 PS and 175 Nm from a 1,000-cc, three-cylinder petrol engine are unheard of. When you have such high power and torque figures from a small engine, you normally get a lot of turbo lag too. The minute you select the first gear and start driving, you realise that it does not feel like a three-cylinder engine; instead it feels more like a fourcylinder diesel powerplant with the refinement of a petrol engine. It delivers a flat torque from 1,400 revolutions
per minute onwards. You can stick to the sixth gear at 60 km/h and the EcoSport will cruise happily. Put your foot down and this compact SUV rewards you with brisk acceleration as the engine revs freely towards the red-line with a nice sporty roar. The performance this three-pot, 1,000-cc engine delivers is unbelievable.
The drive to Fort Agonda was perfect to test the handling capability of the car and the EcoSport did not disappoint us on that count, as it took everything in its stride from poor road surface to high-speed corners. Like all Fords, the EcoSport is involving to drive and the steering gives excellent feedback. The only downside is the blind spot created by the A-pillar and the small
quarter-glass on the A-pillar is just ornamental.
With the EcoSport Ford have created a new segment of compact SUV for the masses. After having the entire boxes ticked Ford have a winner on their hands. Now the only thing that remains is a good price-tag.
NEED TO KNOW
FORD ECOSPORT
PRICE Rs 24.2 lakh (OTR, Pune)
ENGINE 1000cc, 3 cylinder. 125PS, 175 Nm
TRANSMISSION Five-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
FUEL EFFICIENCY 18.9kmpl (claimed)
Story: Aspi Bhathena
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
