Ford has refreshed the bottom rung of its SUV line-up by revealing a heavily revised EcoSport, which will be presented in the metal at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week.
The new car boasts revised exterior styling, an overhauled interior, plus a new engine, fresh technology and the option of all-wheel-drive. It’s not quite the first time we’ve seen it, however – Ford unveiled the US spec EcoSport facelift at the LA Motor Show last year, so the car we’ll see at Frankfurt is its European market sibling.
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In terms of appearance, the EcoSport’s exterior nip-tuck is most evident from the front. The car boasts a new face, ditching the split grille of the outgoing model in favour of a look more in line with the rest of Ford’s line-up. It gets a new large grille, fresh, Mustang inspired headlights with daytime LED running lights, plus new fog lamps.
Changes around the back are much more subtle, with a refreshed rear bumper and restyled taillights. Alongside these base changes, a sporty new model in the form of the EcoSport ST-Line will arrive, kitted out with aggressive looking bumpers and side skirts, plus 17-inch alloy wheels.
Compared to exterior tweaks, changes in the cabin amount to an overhaul. Switchgear and fittings from the latest Fiesta aren’t hard to miss – the steering wheel, gearstick and centre console, plus the central infotainment screen are all transplanted from Ford’s new supermini. Ford claims that the materials on show have stepped up in quality, while the seats are also new. Practicality is said to be improved with the introduction of a height adjustable boot floor.
In terms of tech, the EcoSport has been updated to feature Ford’s latest SYNC 3 connectivity and infotainment. Basic cars will only get a 4.2-inch colour screen with USB ports and Bluetooth, but a floating colour touchscreen either 6.5-inches or eight-inches in size will also be offered, boasting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A secondary display is also available – a 4.2-inch screen embedded in the instrument cluster.
One of the biggest tech additions is the introduction of cruise control with speed limiter functions. A rear-view camera is also available, alongside automatic headlights and wipers, blind spot detection, automatic climate control and power-folding mirrors. A Bang and Olufsen sound system is one of the new luxuries on the options list, but all cars should benefit from new side and curtain airbags.
A 1.5-litre diesel engine boasting 123bhp has been added to the line-up and will be available from mid 2018, mated to a new six-speed manual gearbox and all-wheel-drive. The existing 1.5-litre diesel option also comes with the new gearbox. Alongside the two diesels, Ford’s turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine will be available with 99bhp, 123bhp or 138bhp, with the 99bhp engine to be introduced alongside the 123bhp diesel next year.
Ford says it will launch the refreshed EcoSport in Europe later this year, and with new tech and engineering under the skin, we expect a slight advance on the £15,645 starting price of the outgoing model.
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