Ford’s new EcoSport seem to be the vehicle to get in a city undergoing an upgrade

Words: Chris Ng

If you’ve always wanted an SUV but is put off by the sheer size of the vehicle, then maybe the EcoSport should fit your alley. The EcoSport is built around the same frame as the Fiesta, which means you’ll get very similar interior space. It would not be a miss if one would think that most – if not, all – of the décor has been moved from the Fiesta and into the EcoSport.

So you’ll get all the nifty gadgetry including SYNC that lets you boss it around by making and taking phone calls for you. It even reads out your text messages so that your eyes are always on the road – a most welcomed safety feature. Our Malaysian SYNC is now bilingual, understanding English and Mandarin.

The interior also features 20 storage spaces including the cooled glove box, the drawer under the front passenger that could fit your MacBook and multiple cubby holes to fit bottles and the like. Bigger items can go to the back with more space to be freed up by folding the rear seat’s backrest.

The difference comes with when you sit in the driver’s seat. The high seating position of the EcoSport lets you see more of the road and of the traffic that surrounds you. It is also hiked up 200mm off the ground, has almost no overhangs and can wade in waters up to 550mm deep. Impressive.

Power comes from a 1.5-litre Ti-VCT engine, the same you’ll find in the Fiesta, which generates a healthy 108bhp and 142Nm of torque. Fuel economy is said to be good, the EcoSport uses one litre of fuel for every 15.4km travelled.

As for safety, the EcoSport comes with a host of safety systems, including Hill Launch Assist and traction control, which would take most of the worry away from driving, especially when the roads are wet. Different trim levels offer different number of airbags. The high-grade Titanium comes with six while the standard-grade Trend only lets you have the usual two upfront.

Prices, on-the-road with insurance, starts at RM92,888 with the Trend and hits a high of RM103,888 for the Titanium.

Before you rush to test drive the EcoSport, you need to know how to pronounce its name correctly. You see, the ‘eco’ in its name is actually articulated as ‘echo’ instead of ‘eeko’, as how you normally would when vocalising words such as ecology or economy. This means that the correct pronunciation of Ford’s new vehicle should really be echo-sport. Don’t believe me? Just listen to the radio ads. You can thank us later.