Exterior Design and Features of Ford EcoSport S
The EcoSport S model is an
extension of the Titanuim + variant of the compact SUV and to distinguish it
from the others, the company has tweaked some of its looks. The vehicle now comes with an all-new smoked
High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamp. In essence it means, the light is
white and not the conventional yellow.
The headlamps also have dark inserts. The fog lamp bezel gets a
prominent black treatment. There are no chromes around the centre grille rather
that too has been blacked out. The new Ford EcoSport S also gets black roof
rails and a black painted roof with an electric sun roof which the company has
christened as “fun roof”. But then the sunroof plays a very limited role in a
country like ours where dust, heat and insects are things we dodge on a daily
basis. The new EcoSport S stands proudly on 17 inches smoke alloy wheels. The
rest of the body remains more or less the same.
Interior Design and Features of Ford EcoSport S
Step inside the vehicle and
you are greeted by subtle, yet pleasing changes within the cabin. The interiors of the EcosSport S have orange
accents on the dashboard, the inner door panels and the seats. The seats are a
combination of premium leather and fabric.
What’s new here is the
instrument cluster which now has a 4.2 inches MID screen that displays a range
of functions pertaining to your car settings which come into play when you
press the buttons that are on your left side when you face the steering wheel.
These buttons, when pressed on the steering wheel take you through a plethora
of settings from Information about tyre pressure and My keys, to Display,
Driver Assist and Vehicle Settings. There are two large analogue meters ---the tachometer
and speedometer. The round meters have a chrome embellishment around it. There
are two small analogue meters which display the temperature and fuel of the
vehicle. As for the rest of the features, they are carried forward from the
existing Ford EcoSport Titanium + model
Safety and Performance of Ford EcoSport S
The Ford EcoSport S variant
has been bolted on with the award winning 1 litre three-cylinder EcoBoost
petrol engine. This is the very same engine that has been around since the car
was launched in India in 2012-13. Now we have a variant dedicated to the
EcoBoost engine and to keep it all powered up is a new 6-speed manual
transmission. The engine delivers around
123.28 hp @6000 rpm and a peak torque of 170mm @ 1500-4500rpm.The engine
delivers a fuel mileage of 18.88kmpl. Of course there are other benefits like
reduced carbon dioxide emissions as compared to a conventional 1.5 litre petrol
engine.
Now if you were to ask me the
high point of the new EcoSport S, I would say it is the deadly combination of
the 1 litre EcoBoost petrol engine and its brilliant 6-speed manual
transmission. The 999cc petrol engine is a turbocharged one and the engineers
at Ford India have done a remarkable job of integrating the hardware with the
software control systems. One hardly
feels the turbo kicking in much before the 2000rpm mark, as power delivery is
very linear when you accelerate and change gears.
As I drove on the Chennai
highway towards Puducherry, I could not resist stepping on the accelerator and
seeing the speedometer touch the 170kmph mark with considerable ease. Then I
had to remind myself I was not a race circuit but on a public road and I had to
get back to following the rules of the land. At high speeds I felt that vehicle
was quite planted to the road. The steering wheel is electric power assist and gives
good feedback while driving and like in the top end Ford EcoSport, this too is
tilt and telescopic.
Bringing the vehicle to a halt
too came with a lot of confidence. The vehicle has disc brakes in front and
drum brakes at the rear. But then Antilock Braking System with Electronic
Brakeforce Distribution, emergency brake assist, electronic stability control,
traction control system and hill control assist are features that add to the
safety while driving. Bumps, noise, body roll, etc, all seem to be well under
control in this new variant. On the safety front too this variant too carries
front dual airbags, besides side and curtain air bags.
Verdict
The Ford EcoSport is a very
capable compact sport utility vehicle. With the 1 litre EcoBoost petrol engine
mated to a new 6-speed manual transmission, the Ford EcoSport S offers loads of
fun and fury. It’s definitely got the right looks, a right fun attitude and coupled
with a brilliant performance it is bound to give the vehicle a massive edge
over competition.