The recent financial troubles suffered by Ford's European operation have forced it to find new ways of making money. This includes increasing its portfolio of SUVs to include the EcoSport, a compact crossover model based on the Fiesta but developed in Brazil.

It has no shortage of rivals - the Nissan Juke is one of the top ten most popular cars in the country, and there is also opposition from the Dacia Duster, Fiat 500X, Renault Captur and Vauxhall Mokka. The EcoSport is far from being the best in its class, but being a Ford it does at least have the advantage of brand familiarity and a large number of dealerships.

It's not especially practical, but some people will like the high driving position and eye-catching exterior. Ford has recently given its EcoSport crossover a minor facelift for 2015, with changes to its interior and ride.

Performance

There are two petrol engines, the more powerful being a 123bhp version of the 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost. A 1.5-litre petrol unit is also available, as is a 1.5-litre turbo diesel. Powershift automatic transmission is offered as an alternative to the five-speed manual gearbox on EcoBoost models.

The 1.0-litre EcoBoost is your best bet. Although the EcoSport is bigger than its little brother, the Fiesta, the EcoBoost engine still manages to offer fun credentials, even if it still takes 12.7 seconds to hit the 62mph mark. As in any other Ford model, the 123bhp EcoBoost is rev happy and is particularly lively low down the revs. Power does, however, plateau further up the rev range.

Ride and Handling

Although the steering has reassuring weight to it, the EcoSport is not as sharp as the Fiesta on winding country roads and it leans a bit in the corners.

The EcoSport isn’t what you would call fun and sporty to drive, but that could be said for most other crossovers. Still in their infancy, crossovers have yet to break the mould when it comes to driver engagement. Around town the EcoSport is fine, with its short wheelbase making for a great companion nipping in and out of traffic. It definitely has its limits though when it comes to venturing onto any type of challenging road – be it pot holed or twisty. Although the steering has reassuring weight to it, the EcoSport is not as sharp as the Fiesta on winding country roads and it leans a bit in the corners. Overall, the ride is comfortable but becomes unsettled when you hit several bumps in quick succession.

Interior and Equipment

It's pronounced 'echo-sport'. Confusingly, the name of the three-cylinder petrol engine is pronounced 'eeko-boost'.

Cheap plastics are usually a given with superminis and lower-priced crossovers, but they are a bit overkill in the EcoSport. Almost anywhere you touch in the cabin there are solid plastics, which give a really cheap feel. Although material quality isn’t great, standard kit on all models is actually very impressive, with all models getting the likes of air-con, USB connectivity and electric windows. There are lots of option boxes you can tick though, with things like rear parking sensors – ideal for city driving – coming in at £210 and Ford’s SYNC with Applink system coming in at £250. Luggage capacity with the rear seats in place is variable and can reach up to 375 litres depending on how you tilt those seats. It's an impressive figure, but it has a lot to do with the EcoSport's considerable height. The actual floor area is quite limited. The rear-mounted spare wheel is now an optional extra for those who are not a fan of it. Although the boot opening is still on the ‘wrong’ side.

Cost

Prices start at just under £15,000 and rise to over £17,000 for the diesel model. 

Prices start at just under £15,000 and rise to over £17,000 for the diesel model. These seem high, though Ford has found that people are generally prepared to pay more for extra equipment. The most basic Fiesta, for example, accounts for a tiny proportion of that car's enormous sales. Although we recommend the EcoBoost, the diesel is certainly the cheapest to run, claiming an average of around 60mpg and CO2 stands at 115g/km – falling from 120g/km. As with other three-cylinder petrols, the EcoBoost’s economy figures are quite hard to achieve, standing at 53mpg and CO2 at 125g/km.

Our Verdict

Many will buy the EcoSport purely based on brand familiarity and because it is ‘one of those new fancy crossovers.’ When it originally launched it did get a lot of flak, but with recent improvements – particularly the ones to its ride – the EcoSport doesn’t offer anything too surprising with regards to possible criticisms. Sure, the interior could be more polished, there could be more rear passenger space and its drive could be a bit more dynamic, but these aren’t surprising areas of possible improvement in the crossover segment.