Ford EcoSport review, test drive

Push the engine start button and it’s impressive how quietly and smoothly this three-cylinder engine idles. Ford’s clever solution of carefully unbalancing the engine’s front pulley and rear flywheel to counteract the vibes from the naturally unbalanced three-cylinder motor seems to have paid off. The clutch is light, the gearshift is snicky, and the engine makes its peak torque of 17.3kgm from 2000rpm. What this means is that there is a hint of lag, after which this pint-sized engine really gets into its stride. The plateau-like torque curve gives this engine strong mid-range performance and flows into a top end that’s uncharacteristically strong, especially over the last 1000rpm of its rev band. Part-throttle response is quite good, and the EcoSport is quite effortless to drive if you’re not in a hurry. Still, it’s not perfect, and you will realise this in traffic, where you sometimes need to downshift to get the most out of it. This small-displacement engine simply doesn’t have the snappy responses of a similarly powered naturally aspirated motor, like the Honda City’s 1.5-litre i-VTEC unit. If you want to accelerate quickly from low speeds, like when you come off a speed breaker or want to make that amber light, you need to shift a gear down.

Still, the EcoBoost is quite a hoot to drive and outright performance is seriously good. The meaty mid-range makes light work of highway driving, and we were astonished how quickly the EcoSport hit serious three-digit speeds. The dash to 100kph comes up in a decent 12.5 seconds but it’s really the way the EcoBoost feels in the real world that makes it special.

Also, when it’s really revving, it makes a three-cylinder thrum much like a smoother and quieter version of Suzuki’s K10 triple. Note that this sound is more sporty than annoying.

The diesel is a more conventional 1.5-litre four-cylinder motor plucked from the Fiesta. While it may make just 90bhp, it’s the torque that makes all the difference here. The 20.8kgm gives it adequate grunt and you rarely find it underpowered. The motor is quite responsive and tractable too, but there’s a wee bit of turbo lag below 2,000rpm and the tall gearing blunts responsiveness to some extent. Power delivery is largely linear and there’s no sudden surge when the turbo kicks in, which makes the EcoSport easy to drive in traffic.

Flat out, the diesel hits 100kph in 13.7sec, which is again quite impressive, but it’s the long-legged cruising ability that makes the EcoSport diesel a good long-distance companion.

Both the EcoBoost and diesel EcoSports use Ford’s tried and tested IB5 gearbox, which may not be the most precise unit around, but it’s got a smooth and easy shift.