The new 2018 Ford Ecosport, pronounced echo-sport, is Ford’s entry into subcompact SUV market that has been growing rapidly in the past few years. The Ecosport fits into the market alongside the likes of Mazda, Jeep, Honda, and almost all other major car companies.
Ford’s new Ecosport starts at $19,995 for the base S model with a 1 liter Ecoboost engine and can be priced up to $26,880 for the SES model with AWD and a 2-liter engine. The smaller engine gets better fuel economy than the larger in the city (about 23 MPG depending on the trim) but both get 29 MPG on the highway.
I got to review the Titanium trim level, the highest trim level without AWD, and was very comfortable driving around Miami. The leather seats were nice to sit in from short journeys to longer trips around town. While not necessary here in South Florida, I’m sure the heated seats are a very nice option to have farther north and to have them on a subcompact SUV is good to see.
While the back seats are less generously sized for more than two adults, they would be great for chauffeuring a family around town. The storage space in the side-hinged trunk is plenty big enough for any sports equipment or other large items with 20.9 cubic feet of space with the back seats in place and 50 with them folded down.
The exterior and interior design is familiar if you know much about Ford’s current lineup of cars. The Ecosport shares the same design language with the Escape and the Edge. The interiors share many of the same elements which will make for inexpensive repairs down the line.
Driving the Ecosport is neither dull nor exciting, honestly. While neither engine has enough power to get a new driver into trouble, it doesn’t feel anemic and unable to overtake on the highway. With 123 horsepower, the base engine is more geared toward fuel economy than power or torque. Good fuel economy and the short wheelbase all help it check the boxes for what you should look for in a city car.
Starting in 2019, Ford no longer will be making any sedans and the Ecosport will be smallest and cheapest car you can buy new at Ford dealerships. The current trend in the car market has been that people are buying more and more SUVs with sedan sales falling by the wayside. Ford’s solution was to cut all sedans from the lineup and this has created a large stir in the automotive world.
While not as pronounced in other markets around the world, domestic manufacturers have been cutting sedans for several years now. Chevy has discontinued the Aveo and SS, Chrysler only sells the 300, and Dodge’s only sedan is the Charger.
The only American brands that have recently added to their sedan lineup is Tesla and Cadillac. Ford is investing in the new Ecosport platform to fill the affordable car market for young adults buying their first new car.
Oh, did I mention I love the color of my test vehicle — blue candy. A little bit more expensive but really sweet.
