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Shrinking car markets are the perfect place for Ford’s new baby SUV, the EcoSport, to survive. The Fiesta-based high-riser, built in India and here in December, is the result of a sudden and unexpected market U-turn that is sometimes called “the next big thing’’.
Small SUVs aren’t new. The Suzuki-cloned Holden Cruze and the Daihatsu Terios are two pseudo-4WD wagons that tempted some buyers in the 1990s but the genre fizzled out. Where they struggled, the new breed is now finding an accepting market. Australia will host seven new baby SUVs before June 2014.
The Ford EcoSport is one and though it’s virtually on the boat from its Chennai factory, it will be beaten by four similar size, similar concept rival - the Opel Mocca, Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008 and Holden Trax. Next year comes the Renault Captur, Volkswagen Taigun and perhaps a version based on the Mazda2. “Its no secret the SUV segment is booming,’’ says Ford Australia spokesman Neil McDonald. “We see no reason why the mini-SUV segment won’t be the same.’’
Car makers believe the baby SUVs will repeat the explosive sales success of baby passenger cars. Ford’s Asia-Pacific vehicle program director Trevor Worthington, now based in Shanghai, says intense focus groups in major global markets resulted in the EcoSport.
“We found that the design must be relevant, contemporary and fit customer lifestyles,’’ he says at the car’s debut in Goa, India. “Customers tell us they are busy, they live in busy cities and want technology to fit into this busy life. The compact size and high driving position were also demanded by all focus groups. It’s the same message we had with Territory all those years ago. So we made a car that is efficient and has the latest technology. There’s no waste in this car.’’
The intention is huge sales. More than two-million cars will be made each year on the Fiesta/EcoSport platform by 2015. It is made in Brazil and China and now starts up in India for the domestic market and that in Europe and Australia. It will be made in Thailand but only for regional sales.
The 1-litre, three-cylinder will become the most expensive model in Australia’s line-up and wear the Titanium label. That’s predominanly because it’s an expensive engine to make. Initially it will mate only with a five-speed manual gearbox and a six-speed dual-clutch auto is a long way out. The 1.5-litre petrol will get a choice of the five-speed manual and the dual-clutch auto from day one.
The feature list isn’t confirmed but the EcoSport gets Ford’s Sync cabin communication system and “emergency assistance’‘ - a program that automatically contacts emergency services if the car has its airbags deployed or its fuel pump cut-off switch activated, as in a roll over. The system works with a paired mobile phone.
The Ford and Microsoft-developed Sync, which will be extended to other Ford cars, operates on voice commands to activate the phone, music library and will read aloud SMS messages. Ford Australia says the car, here in December, will be “very competitive’’ in the new segment so expect an entry-level price of about $22,000.
It’s based on the Fiesta platform so gets all the Fiesta’s goodies, though the high-riding look obviously lifts (no pun intended) appeal. It has a huge 200mm ground clearance and a 550mm wading depth - all initially academic when the wagon is only a front-drive but there are advantages, not the least being a high hip point and a boot floor that makes loading easy.
The car is designed with input from around the world, with Aussies doing their bit to include the Territory face. The cabin features don’t yet mimic Fiesta and add nine cup or bottle holders, a six-can glovebox with cooler, drawer for a laptop under the passenger’s seat and the clever Sync infotainment-communication system.
Cabin space is excellent for the car’s exterior dimensions, including a boot volume of 362-litres that expands to 705-litres when the rear seats are split, folded and tumbled forward. The spare wheel is on the rear door, saving more cabin space, but it is side-hinged on the right-side so it opens away from the curb in our market. There are 20 storage spaces inside the car, repeating the generosity of the Territory.
The biggest news is the 92kW/170Nm 1-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol EcoBoost engine that has equivalent performance to a 1.6-litre engine. Features include a small turbocharger, variable-valve timing, direct petrol injection and a smooth engine despite no counter-balance shaft for the odd-firing triple cylinders. It is a premium engine so will be on the upper models.
It’s mated to a five-speed manual but don’t hold out for an auto - it is “not even in the planning stages at the moment’’ says Worthington. In fact, there’s no car with the 1-litre engine and an auto box in Ford’s global inventory. Ford claims 5.3 L/100km compared with the aspirated 1.5-litre engine that drinks at 6.3 L/100km.
There is a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine in some markets but it’s not for Australia. It is only a 2WD though the platform accepts all-wheel drive. Brazil, where this car has been available for almost two years, has a 2WD and an AWD model. The suspension and electric-assist steering are tuned by Ford Australia (test cars have been in the country for some time) to suit local conditions though the company says they’re already made very durable for India’s rugged conditions.
Ford says it is almost assured of a five-star crash rating. The EcoSport gets all the current electronic safety aids, and adds “hill launch assist’’ that holds the car on a slope for three seconds, brake assist, emergency brake light feature and the emergency assist if the car has a prang.
Emergency Assist is available on Sync-equipped models and uses the driver’s paired phone to to send an emergency voice message to emergency operators when an airbag is deployed or the fuel pump is shut off. It also sends the car’s GPS co-ordinates to the emergency operator to make finding you easier. The EcoSport wears its spare on the tail and is expected to be a full-size wheel.
India is a tough call for motorists. The roads are usually rutted bitumen, narrow and with gravel shoulders while traffic flow is erratic - at best - and simply chaotic at all other times. It is the poor road surface that immediately shows up the EcoSport’s compliant suspension and well-cushioned steering. It sits on the road like a bigger SUV and despite the suppleness of the suspension, tracks accurately through the corners without the usual vagueness of the electric steering.
The 1-litre engine feels nothing like a three-cylinder. No-one would pick this as being inadequate to the point of one cylinder. It has a meaty exhaust note, there’s no vibration through the firewall or steering wheel and it simply loves to rev. Ford says it’s strong through the rev range but one-litre is too small to disguise some inadequacies off the mark and especially when under about 2500rpm.
But use it between 3000 and 6000rpm and it’s a fun engine with an eagerness that will delight buyers who enjoy a fang and know how to use a manual - though only five speed - gearbox. The ride comfort is great and that makes up for seats that are adequate for urban duties but lack lateral support. The car seats five - at a pinch - but is roomy enough for four 1.8m adults.
An impressive wagon that certainly gives you a lot of space and flexibility. Buy this or a Fiesta? This one wins.
| Vehicle | Specs | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanium 1.5 | 1.5L, —, 6 SP | $9,240 – 12,980 | 2013 Ford Ecosport 2013 Titanium 1.5 Pricing and Specs |
| Titanium 1.0 | 1.0L, —, 5 SP MAN | $9,130 – 12,870 | 2013 Ford Ecosport 2013 Titanium 1.0 Pricing and Specs |
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