Introduction

The EcoSport is going to be a hit; the prices have managed to drop more than a few jaws. Most sales are going to be that of the diesel, so we got our hands on one. If you’re looking to read about the rest of the car, we’ve already got that up on our roadtest of the EcoBoost that you can read here.

Exterior

For a review of the exteriors, please refer to our road test of the petrol EcoSport by clicking here

Interiors

For a review of the interiors, please refer to our road test of the petrol EcoSport by clicking here

Engine and transmission

The diesel is the same 1498cc turbocharged unit from the new Fiesta. It sports common-rail direct injection, which helps it develop 91PS and 204Nm. Those sound like hatchback figures, and they are, but that’s okay, it isn’t slow because it doesn’t weigh much more than a hatchback. The diesel is a very refined unit – not too many people in India have used this engine because so far it has been available only in the Fiesta. What surprises is not just the lack of NVH in the cabin, but outside also. Rev it to the high 5000rpm redline, and there is audible coarseness in the last 1000rpm or so; however, there are never unpleasant vibrations. The EcoSport has been geared tall for fuel efficiency, so turbo lag is evident when trying to pull away from walking speed in second gear, but otherwise the torque curve is linear and the lag will not have you worrying over whether you’ll make the overtake or not. The gearbox is a slick-shifting five-speed manual, and the throws are short and positive.

Ride and handling

The diesel’s extra weight in the nose lends itself to a stiffer setup at the front, and that’s a good thing because steering feel improves. The EcoSport surprises with its willingness to change direction – contributing to this is a front anti-roll bar. The diesel also rides a little more comfortably than the EcoBoost, so it makes a better case for itself as a long-distance car. You cannot blow through a set of potholes like you would in a Duster, of course, but the high ground clearance means that at least you aren’t worrying about scraping the underbody. The brakes on our test car were exceptionally good, with great bite and progression. The diesel has crushing cruising ability, with it staying stable at speeds up to 150kmph. The electrically-assisted steering might seem too light to the traditional Ford driver, but the pull-drift compensation seems to work well, reducing driver fatigue at high speeds. The weak link still remains the hatchback-spec tyres which are great for fuel efficiency and longevity but not grip. The ARAI fuel efficiency claim of the diesel is a staggering 22.7kmpl, but our harsh usage cycle saw it return over 11kmpl. This bodes well for the fuel efficiency figures of the EcoSport.

Verdict

At Rs 8.99 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi for the Titanium option pack that offers six airbags and leather upholstery, there will be a very large number of takers for the EcoSport diesel. We just hope that Ford can produce enough to deliver them in a reasonable amount of time.