Test riding the new Ford EcoSport Titanium+ AT

The sub-four-metre crossover segment is full to bursting these days, but that wasn't the case when the EcoSport first came along to India. In fact, it had a bit of a monopoly back in the day, and essentially began the crossover revolution on our shores. And, while there's a whole lot of love for these all-rounders, all that adoration has attracted a slew of manufacturers to throw their hat into the crossover ring. Ford is hoping to come out swinging with the new EcoSport, and to that effect, has kitted it with a new ticker: the 1.5-litre three-pot codenamed Dragon.

The all-black interior looks good. Pics/Sanjay Raikar

There's a lot of other new stuff, too, starting with the face. It's reminiscent of the previous model, but enough to give the car a more contemporary look. A new two-slat grille is flanked by projector headlamps with integrated DRLs and the hood has been tweaked for added style. The 17" alloys are also new and set off the car's looks rather nicely. Lastly, there is the new bumper and fog-lamp design, and fresh roof-rails. Apart from these changes, the EcoSport retains its original styling cues. It is quite a handsome car overall, especially the one that we tested, with the shiny Lightning Blue paint job.

The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol is the biggest change in the EcoSport

There's a bit of change inside, too, with a new dash, which holds a massive 8" touchscreen front and centre. The dash looks a bit more premium now, and the big touchscreen was much needed, too. The latter looks great, works smoothly, and comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay tech, and even has Ford's latest Sync 3 architecture. Using the reverse camera is especially comfortable, as the massive screen makes even the smaller objects visible, but the lack of in-built GPS is surprising and disappointing. There are also two USB ports, which is definitely better than one, and a cool foot well light with multiple colour options to choose from. Last word on the cabin: the dimensions of the EcoSport haven't changed, so it still feels a little cramped, especially the second row.

Cruise control isn't often found on cars in this price-range

The engine is the bit that everyone's on about, and with 123 PS and 150 Nm of torque on tap from the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, it is an improvement over its predecessor. The EcoSport is fairly quick on its feet, especially since there isn't a spooling turbo slowing it down. Those quick overtakes can be easily achieved, and our 0-60 km/h time of 5.64 seconds was indicative of that. This is also down to the new auto gearbox that replaces the old dual-clutch. It works smoothly and the shifts feel on point. The addition of paddle shifts makes for a little more fun on the run.

However, the EcoSport seems to run out of breath as you approach the triple digits on the speedo. There's also cruise control available for those long stretches. Cabin noise is quite muted even when carrying pace as well, which is a plus. The ride on the EcoSport is decent. You feel the potholes more at slightly lower speeds, but the higher you climb, the suspension seems to absorb. The EcoSport handles well, too, and the steering is both precise and communicative. The braking is pretty solid, with 2.80 seconds taken to come to a standstill from 100 km/h.

Safety-wise, this top-end auto comes with ABS and traction control, and six airbags, and also packs in hill-launch assist. We obtained an overall fuel efficiency 10.25 km/l, which isn't bad at all. You have to part with R10.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the car, and at that price point, the EcoSport is a capable package overall, and is definitely taking the fight to the rest of the crossover competitors in its new avatar.

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