So it’s been a couple of months with the Ford Ecosport petrol AT and we recently said goodbye to it after a wonderful long term stint. You can read our first long term report here. We drove it for 2000 kms with a mix of city and highway driving and this second and final report would make for a summary of the two month driving and living experience with the Ford Ecosport petrol AT.
What I have loved about the Ecosport is its compact dimensions that makes it vey easy to drive in traffic. It is just perfect for urban commute. Plus, the facelift has given it the much needed oomph as well. I’m glad that Ford has retained the spare wheel on the tail gate, which helps with the SUV character. The 1.5 litre three-cylinder motor has enough punch and is refined as well. The 3 pot layout is only apparent at start up. I also took it for a highway drive with the family and the Ecosport has brilliant cruising abilities. The six speed auto box has quick shifts and handling is as good you expect from a Ford. The steering offers great feedback and it was fun taking on the ghats with the Ecosport.
Moving on, the touchscreen infotainment system is simply fantastic and I have no doubts that it is easily the best in segment. The fonts are large and easy to read and the graphics are super crisp. The black interiors are also to my taste as I am not a fan of beige interiors. While the overall cabin is neatly laid out, there are some plastic bits that can be improved in terms of quality. While the I found the front seats to be comfortable, the Ecosport is at best a four seater. Getting three in the rear is a cramped affair.
The Ecosport was also a favourite with the mother when we went grocery shopping. The 352 litre boot was big enough to swallow the monthly supplies and then some. She also liked the high seating position as she likes occupying the front seat.
The only grouse I have had is the fuel efficiency. The Ecosport returned 7 to 8 kpl in everyday driving and this is despite driving with a light foot. On my highway drive, it gave me around 13 kpl. I expected more.
Overall, the Ford Ecosport petrol AT has been a great companion for the time it has been in the Throttle Blips garage. The engine is powerful and performance is great too. The automatic gearbox just adds to the convenience factor as well. Except the cramped rear and the fuel efficiency, there isn’t anything to fault about this compact SUV. I began to take a liking to the Ecosport and it was very difficult to hand it back. Despite the competition, it still holds it own in the segment. I probably might request for the diesel next time around. But that story is for another day.
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