2022 Ford EcoSport

The Ford EcoSport has us wondering whether Ford ever expected the compact crossover boom to reach the US. You see, it first made its debut in 2012, and while it was built on a global platform, it was originally only sold in India, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, certain parts of Europe, and South Africa. It was a smashing success in those markets, which is probably why Ford revisited the idea of launching it in the USA in 2016. The crossover mania did, in fact, reach the USA, peaking around 2018, just as the EcoSport was launched locally. While the EcoSport was a revolutionary car back in 2012, it faced a tougher challenge in 2018. The segment had grown significantly and included newer, more modern rivals like the Hyundai Kona, Kia Soul, and Honda HR-V.

This year, the EcoSport is equipped with a 166-horsepower four-pot and all-wheel drive exclusively. However, the Ford still has a few things that count against it, like the sub-standard build quality, lackluster performance, and a suspension setup that doesn't quite work for the subcompact crossover duties it was built for. It's not all bad, though, but is a good infotainment setup, practical size, and AWD enough to redeem it?

The design may be a few years old now, but it still manages to be funky and fresh - kudos to Ford for designing a car that holds up so well in a segment where style often counts for much more than function. Each model in the line-up was designed to serve a specific purpose, and their various exteriors reflect that. The S is a no-nonsense entry-level model, equipped with a black beltline molding, black door handles, halogen headlights, and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The SE model has a silver-painted grille, black roof rails, and fog lights, while the Titanium gets larger 17-inch wheels, a chrome grille and beltline molding, as well as silver roof rails. On SE, Titanium, and SES models, the halogen headlights also feature LED daytime running lights and a power moonroof is made standard. The SES gets a blacked-out grille and bespoke black-painted aluminum wheels.

As far as dimensions go, the EcoSport is pretty tiny. It has a 99.2-inch wheelbase, a 161.3-inch total length, and a height of 64.8 inches. That makes it one of the smaller competitors in the segment, but it's worth pointing out that it was one of the original subcompact SUVs. The Chevrolet Trax, Buick Encore, and Honda HR-V best demonstrate the size difference in the segment, as these have a wheelbase that's more than an inch longer. Wheelbase size has a dramatic impact on interior space, as we shall see shortly.

The EcoSport's width of 71.9 inches is on par in the segment. The EcoSport has the highest ground clearance in the segment, though, rated at 7.9 inches. The base curb weight is 3,300 pounds. These figures are also on par within the segment.

For 2022, the EcoSport is available in several exterior colors with some hues specific to trim level. The colors that are available across the lineup at no extra charge are Smoke Metallic, Race Red, Lightning Blue Metallic, Blue Metallic, Luxe Yellow Metallic, Diamond White, Shadow Black, and Moondust Silver Metallic. For the SE and Titanium trims, White Platinum Metallic becomes available at $595. On the S, SE and Titanium trim lines, the blue hues work particularly well.

The SES is only available in Lightning Blue, Blue Metallic, Luxe Yellow, Diamond White, and Moondust Silver. The Diamond White offers a nice contrast to all the black trim, but if you're feeling funky, the Luxe Yellow offers the ultimate extrovert statement.

Unfortunately, the sole engine delivers underwhelming performance. The 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-pot makes 166 hp and 149 lb-ft and can manage the benchmark sprint in under ten seconds, which isn't particularly impressive either. Back in 2012, this may have been acceptable, but we now live in a world where a similarly-priced Hyundai Kona can sprint to 60 mph in around seven seconds.

Where it does impress is in towing capacity. In a segment where most vehicles don't even have tow ratings, the EcoSport can tow 2,000 lbs.

Now that the 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine has been discontinued, the 2.0-liter four-pot is the only engine choice. Its specs are 166 hp and 149 lb-ft which, unfortunately, don't translate into zippy performance.

The 2.0-liter's major issue is the lack of low-down torque, which means you really have to step on it to make progress at higher speeds. It is safe to say that it's better suited to city duty, rather than long journeys.

At least the six-speed automatic does a good job. It allows the driver to make the most of the underpowered EcoSport, as it's eager to shift down. It also works its way through the gears quickly and smoothly.

The EcoSport does have some good handling characteristics, as it's based on the Fiesta. The steering is lifeless and it has no heft to it, but the EcoSport is keen to turn in at low speeds. In and around the city, you might even call it fun. At higher speeds, and on broken surfaces, the EcoSport is less fun. It's softly sprung, which sounds ideal for an SUV, but it's a bit too soft. Over rougher surfaces, it never feels 100% settled. The softer setup also means the body leans more through corners. The soft setup has no problems coping with larger bumps, however. Given how it will mostly be used, we would have preferred a more balanced setup.

Another big annoyance at high speed is the noise. The engine isn't particularly refined, leading to a lot of engine noise intruding into the cabin. The other decent carry-over from the Fiesta is the braking system. It does a good job, but nothing more than what we've come to expect from this segment. When it comes to ride and handling, the EcoSport can't hide its age. All of its newer rivals offer a better driving experience.

Yet another department where the Ford EcoSport struggles to hide its age is in terms of fuel economy. The discontinued 1.0-liter attained more miles per gallon than the remaining 2.0-liter, but even that engine wasn't class-leading. Unsurprisingly, the larger engine returns even poorer gas mileage figures of 23/29/25 mpg city/highway/combined. Another naturally-aspirated rival, the Honda HR-V, manages a much better 27/31/29 mpg with AWD.

With a 13.8-gallon gas tank, the EcoSport has a range of 345 miles.

Fortunately for Ford, it has kept the interior of the EcoSport up to date, even though it doesn't evoke any sort of emotional response. The layout is logical, rather than funky or fresh, and there are no stand-out features you can point to that makes it stand out amongst its competitors. Quality isn't on par with what's currently being done in this segment either. It's perfectly acceptable on the base car, which costs just over $22,000, but once you go above that it just doesn't cut it.

We'll concede that it does feel solid, and that certainly plays a big role. Inspect it closer and you'll note the dated-looking infotainment system and air conditioning, as well as the hard, rough plastics used throughout the interior. The EcoSport scores some points back by being quite spacious - at least in front.

As a subcompact crossover, the EcoSport was never going to be acceptable transportation for five fully-grown adults. With the 36.7 inches of legroom and 37.5 inches of headroom in the back, it was always going to be at its best with four people over short distances. Up front, it's nice and spacious. The driver and front passenger get 42.9 inches of legroom and 39.6 inches of headroom. It's best to keep the rear seat for kids to avoid complaints.

The seats in the EcoSport are adequately comfortable, and support the body in all the right places. It's easy to find a suitable driving position across the range, whether adjusting the seat manually or electronically. The EcoSport is taller than most of the other cars in the segment, which gives it an edge when it comes to visibility.

Medium Light Stone cloth is the only available upholstery option on the entry-level S. Its steering wheel is made of urethane, but it is equipped with audio controls for the dated infotainment system. The rest of the models in the range have leather-clad steering wheels, and the SES adds chrome inserts and unique stitching as well. A leather-wrapped shift knob is standard on every model but the S.

The SE adds an Ebony Black cloth option, as well as an Ebony Black cloth with Orange Copper accents as part of the SE Appearance Package. This $495 option is worth it, if only because it adds some funk to an otherwise dull interior. A choice between Medium Light Stone and Ebony Black perforated leather is all that's available to the Titanium trim, but the upholstery is upgraded to ActiveX. The SES offers the ActiveX seats in Ebony Black only. Ford says this new synthetic leather is more durable and stain-resistant than normal leather.

We have to give credit where credit is due, and the EcoSport most certainly deserves to be praised for its cargo capacity. For a subcompact SUV, it has quite a large trunk. It measures in at 20.9 cubic feet behind the second row, which is comfortably more than the average in this segment. It just goes to show how much planning went into this car when Ford first started designing the EcoSport. With the rear seats folded flat, the EcoSport has 50 cubes of space. The front passenger seat can fold flat as well, for the odd occasion when you need to transport something lengthy.

You can also tell that Ford has been building crossovers for a while because the EcoSport has loads of storage spaces throughout the cabin. These include a sunglasses holder, center console, large armrest storage, and dual cupholders front and rear.

The basic S trim offers the bare necessities, with a little bit extra. As standard, you get a multi-function steering wheel with audio controls, a rearview camera, daytime running lights, and auto Start-Stop technology. It also has manual air conditioning, two smart-charging USB points, and automatic headlamps.

The SE specification adds quite a bit to the mix. It comes with a leather-wrapped shift knob, Intelligent Access with push-button start, heated front seats, single-zone climate control, and a power moonroof.

The top-spec Titanium and SES share many of the same standard features, but there are subtle differences. They both have an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a heated steering wheel, 110-volt power outlet, ambient lighting, a six-way power-adjustable driver's seat, and a voice-activated touchscreen navigation system.

The Titanium has chrome door release handles on the inside, while the SES features chrome on the steering wheel. The SES has ActiveX synthetic leather, while the Titanium has perforated ActiveX synthetic leather.

Ford's SYNC system has been available for a while now, and we've seen it develop through its multiple generations. The base S model is equipped with a rather basic version of SYNC with a 4.2-inch color display. It has AM/FM playback, Bluetooth connectivity, a six-speaker sound system, and a Wi-Fi hotspot capability for up to 10 devices. The SE adds an eight-inch touchscreen and SYNC 3, but offers an optional seven-speaker upgrade. The seven-speaker setup is standard on the SES, and the SYNC 3 system standard from the SE allows for full smartphone integration, which means it's Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. SiriusXM is also available on these units. The Titanium has a ten-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround sound system.

The Ford EcoSport doesn't have a blemish-free reliability record. There have been three recalls to date, with the most recent one affecting the 2020 model. This was for an airbag that was missing the frst state booster which could prevent it from deploying in a crash. 2019 models, meanwhile, were recalled for an insufficient front seat frame weld. Promisingly, Ford appears to have ironed out these issues as no recalls were issued for 2021 or 2022 models at the time of writing.

The EcoSport is covered by a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000 powertrain warranty. This coverage can't match what's available from Korean rivals.

The NHTSA's review of the Ford EcoSport resulted in a four-out-of-five-stars overall safety rating, while the last IIHS review was in 2018. It was only scored on its head restraints and seats, and the IIHS gave those a "good" rating. It does seem that in this area, the EcoSport is really starting to show its age. There are a number of advanced safety features that you simply can't have.

The EcoSport range is equipped with a host of the more traditional safety systems we've grown to expect as standard. These include ABS and stability control and an SOS post-crash alert system. In most modern subcompact crossovers, advanced driver's aids are available as paid-for optional extras, or as standard fitment on the high-end model. When it comes to the Ford, they're simply not there. At least the EcoSport has an impressive airbag count. Every model in the range is equipped with ten airbags, including dual front airbags and curtain airbags. What is does get is automatic headlamps, tire pressure monitoring, a reverse sensing system, a rearview camera, and blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert from the SES trim upward.

In many ways, the Ford EcoSport feels like a third-world offering, and that's because it is. It started out life as a rugged little SUV for terrible roads and cities in third world countries, but then the subcompact crossover boom hit, and Ford was left without a car to compete in that space. Instead of developing an all-new model, they endowed the EcoSport crossover SUV with everything necessary to legally sell it locally, along with a few other niceties. The result is a car that sits in Ford's lineup like a dollop of mustard would sit on top of chocolate ice cream. It just doesn't fit.

It's slow, not particularly fuel-efficient, handles poorly, and it feels cheap. In a world where the Kia Soul and Hyundai Kona exist, the new Ford EcoSport just doesn't have anything going for it. The only department in which it dominates the competition is trunk space, and that's just not a good enough reason for us to call it a good buy.

The Ford EcoSport is one of the cheaper ways to get into a subcompact SUV. The MSRP of the entry-level model is $22,040 and the SE model starts at $25,510. The SES is on sale for $28,205 and the Titanium is the range-topper with a starting price of $28,395. Overall, these prices are higher than last year but that's partially to do with the fact that every trim now comes with AWD as standard. These prices do not include Ford's destination charge of $1,295.

There are four models in the EcoSport line-up: S, SE, SES, and Titanium. Fewer configurations are available for the 2022 model year as AWD is now standard, and there's only one engine choice in the form of the 2.0-liter four-pot.

The S is a basic piece of kit. It has 16-inch alloys, remote keyless entry, start-stop, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, cloth seats, a four-way manually adjustable driver's seat, single-zone air conditioning, cruise control, hill start assist, and a rearview camera. On the infotainment side, it has an old-school SYNC setup with a 4.2-inch display and a six-speaker sound system.

One step up, the SE model includes LED signature lighting, keyless access, push-button start, heated front seats, single-zone automatic climate control, a power moonroof, and a reverse sensing system. In this model and upwards, an eight-inch touchscreen display takes care of the entertainment. It's fully smartphone compatible, which means you get access to both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The SES is aimed at someone with a more active lifestyle or just someone who wants to make a style statement. On the inside, it adds ActiveX upholstery, which is stain resistant. Finally, this model also gets a sound system upgrade above the base model - it's not the full ten-speaker system you'll find on the Titanium, but it does have seven speakers.

Titanium models are equipped with a heated steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and ambient LED lights for the interior. On the safety side, it adds blind-spot monitoring. The seats are covered in perforated ActiveX upholstery, while the infotainment is upgraded to a ten-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround-sound audio system with built-in navigation.

There's not much you can add to an EcoSport. The base S can be equipped with a Cargo Management Package for $110, a keyless-entry keypad for $110, or a remote start system for $495.

The SE model can also be equipped with the SE Convenience Package ($1,495), adding blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, navigation, a 110-volt power outlet, and ambient lighting. The big news is the availability of an SE Appearance Package ($495), which includes 17-inch Shadow Silver alloys, a six-way power-adjustable driver seat, orange inserts in the instrument cluster, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and model-specific cloth seats with Orange Copper accents.

On the top-end models, the Titanium and SES models can only be equipped with the Cargo Management Package and the Interior Protection Package, or a few other standalone features like remote start.

Since there isn't a lot you can add to an EcoSport from a safety perspective, sticking to the lower end of the range should do the job. We'd go for the SE, despite the $3,470 jump in price.

The SE model includes LED signature lighting, push-button start, heated front seats, single-zone auto climate control, reverse sensors, and a power moonroof. In this model and upwards, an eight-inch touchscreen display takes care of the entertainment. It's fully smartphone compatible, which means you get access to both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And that's all you really need. We'd still add the SE Appearance Package ($495) to spruce the interior up a bit. The Convenience Package looks alluring, adding blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, seven speakers, a 110-volt power outlet, and ambient lighting, but it costs $1,495. That's a lot of money for not much kit in return.

The Escape is here because there is some overlap between the two models. With a starting price that's well over $4,000 more, the entry-level Escape is nevertheless cheaper than both high-end EcoSport models. You'd expect the Escape to be a little light on the equipment side, but no. First of all, it easily beats the EcoSport in the engine department. It has a 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine mated to a next-generation eight-speed automatic transmission. It's bigger, faster, more spacious, and a lot more comfortable. The standard kit includes manual air-conditioning, keyless entry, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, pre-collision warning, lane keep assist, pedestrian detection, and a rearview camera. It might not have a large screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but you still get a 4.2-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity. We'd happily give up the large infotainment screen to get a car that's better in every other way.

The Chevrolet Trax is similar to the EcoSport in many ways. It was also one of the first subcompact crossovers. The Trax has a larger 1.4-liter turbocharged four-pot, but it's still no ball of speed. It is faster than the EcoSport, however. The Chevy is also more efficient, as you don't have to work the engine so hard. The EcoSport claws back some ground by offering a larger trunk and an actual tow rating, but the Chevrolet offers more in the way of advanced driver-assist safety features. This is reflected in the Trax's ratings from the NHTSA and IIHS, both of which named it a safe car. The Trax also feels its age, and it also struggles to make a case for itself against more modern rivals like the Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul. Of the two, the Chevrolet is the better car, but when both are up against the entire segment, they fall exceedingly short.