- Characterful turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine
- Well-weighted steering provides decent feedback
- Widespread problems with Powershift transmission
- 1.5-litre engine lacks grunt
- Does not ride or handle particularly well
- Cheap interior plastics
- Rear drum brakes
- Impractical side-hinged tailgate and spare wheel
Review: Ford BK.I EcoSport (2013-17)
Overview
Released in Australia in December 2013, the Ford BK Series I (BK.I) EcoSport was a compact SUV. Manufactured in Chennai, India, the front-wheel drive EcoSport was powered by 1.0-litre turbocharged and 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engines. For Australia, the EcoSport range initially consisted of range-topping Titanium variants with the Ambiente and Trend variants following in February 2014.
EcoBoost and Duratec engines
Of the engines,
- The 1.0-litre ‘EcoBoost’ three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine had a cast iron block (for faster warm-up times), an alloy cylinder head, direct fuel injection, double overhead camshafts, Ford’s Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) for variable intake and exhaust valve timing, and a compression ratio of 10.1:1; and,
- The 1.5-litre ‘Duratec’ petrol engine had an aluminium alloy block and cylinder head, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, Ti-VCT and a compression ratio of 11.0:1.
While the EcoBoost engine was offered with a five-speed manual transmission, the 1.5-litre engine was available with six-speed manual and double-clutch (‘Powershift’) units.
| Engine | Variant | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5-litre petrol I4 |
Ambiente | 5sp man., 6sp DCT |
82 kW at 6300 rpm | 140 Nm at 4400 rpm |
| Trend, Titanium, Shadow |
6sp DCT | |||
| 1.0-litre turbo petrol I3 | Trend, Titanium |
5sp man. | 92 kW at 6000 rpm | 170 Nm at 1400-4500 rpm (O’boost: 200 Nm) |
Dimensions
Sharing its platform with the Ford Mk.6 Fiesta , the EcoSport was 4245 mm long, 2057 mm wide (including mirrors), 1708 mm tall (including roof rails), had a 2521 mm long wheelbase and ground clearance of 200 mm; the drag coefficient was 0.371 Cd. Furthermore, cargo capacity was 346 litres, though this increased to 705 litres when the rear seats were folded forward.
Suspension and steering
The Ford EcoSport had MacPherson strut front suspension with coil springs and a semi-independent twist beam (or torsion beam) rear suspension with twin gas and oil-filled shock absorbers. The electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) also featured a ‘Pull-Drift Compensation’ function that could detect road or environmental conditions – such as a crowned road surface or crosswinds – and adjust the EPAS system accordingly.
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the Ford EcoSport included dual front airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, front seat-mounted side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.
As part of the SYNC connectivity system, the EcoSport had a free Emergency Assistance service which could use a synchronised mobile phone to automatically contact emergency services in the event of airbag deployment or activation of the vehicle’s emergency fuel shut-off. Should an occupant not be able to communicate with the emergency services operator, an automated message could inform the operator that an accident had occurred and provide GPS coordinates in the voice message if needed.
Brakes
The Ford EcoSport had 278 mm by 25 mm front brake discs and 9-inch rear drum brakes.
Euro NCAP testing
In Euro NCAP testing , the Ford EcoSport received a four star safety rating which included a 93 per cent adult occupant protection rating and a 77 per cent child occupant protection rating. In the offset crash test, occupant protection for both front occupants was generally rated as good, although chest and lower leg protection for the driver were only rated as adequate. Maximum points were awarded in the side impact test though, in the more severe pole test, chest protection was rated as adequate.
Under ANCAP’s methodology , this testing resulted in a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 35.14 out of 37.
Features: Ford EcoSport Ambiente
Standard features for the Ford EcoSport Ambiente included 15-inch steel wheels (including a full-size spare wheel) with 195/65 R15 Goodyear tyres, a six speaker sound system with MP3-compatibility, a CD player, auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/USB/iPod), Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity with voice control and USB/iPod integration, air conditioning, ‘Dali’ seat fabrics, halogen headlights, a rear fog lamp, 60:40 split and folding rear seats, steering wheel audio controls, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, two 12 volt power sockets, a trip computer and an immobiliser.
As standard, all EcoSport variants featured Ford’s ‘SYNC’ multimedia system which included hands-free, voice-activated connectivity to a mobile phone or music player via USB and Bluetooth. For the EcoSport, SYNC could recognise up to 150 voice commands and also had the capability to read text messages aloud.
Features: Ford EcoSport Trend
The EcoSport Trend was further equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels with 205/60 R16 Goodyear tyres, ‘Shanghai’ micro-fibre seat fabrics, cruise control, front fog lights, driver’s seat lumbar adjustment and a cooled glovebox.
Features: Ford EcoSport Titanium
Beyond this, the EcoSport Titanium was distinguished by its climate control air conditioning, ‘Torino’ leather seat trim with contrasting Cabernet Red stitching, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking sensors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, proximity key (‘Intelligent Access’) with push-button start, electrochromatic rear view mirror and silver roof rails; models with manual transmissions also had a leather-wrapped gearshifter.
Ford EcoSport Shadow Special Vehicle Pack (SVP)
Released in Australia in July 2016, the Ford EcoSport Shadow Special Vehicle Pack (SVP) was based on the EcoSport Titanium 1.5i Powershift but distinguished by its black alloy wheels, blacked-out headlamps, black front grille, black fog bezel surrounds and black door mirrors covers. The Ford EcoSport Shadow SVP was available in Diamond White and Panther Black paint finishes, though the latter was a $450 extra-cost option. Upon its release, the Ford EcoSport Shadow had a manufacturer’s list price (MLP) of $28,090 (does not include on-road costs such as stamp duty, registration, dealer delivery and, where required, CTP insurance).
Brochures
Related links
- Specifications: Ford BK EcoSport (December 2013)
- Technical Specifications: Ford BK EcoSport (December 2013)
Review: Ford BK.II EcoSport (2017-19)
Overview
The Ford BK Series II (BK.II) EcoSport was released in Australia in December 2017. As part of the update,
- The double clutch ‘Powershift’ transmissions were replaced by conventional (i.e. torque converter) automatic transmissions. The availability of automatic transmissions was also extended to the 1.0-litre ‘EcoBoost’ turbocharged petrol engine; and,
- A more powerful 1.5-litre engine was introduced for the EcoSport Ambiente.
Visually, the Ford BK.II EcoSport could be identified by its new sculpted bonnet with central bulge, trapezoidal grille design, angular headlights, rear bumper and tail lights. Three new paint colours – Lightning Blue, Canyon Ridge and Diamond White – were also introduced, for a total of six.
Inside, the BK.II EcoSport had a new dashboard, a new centre stack with fewer buttons, ‘floating’ central touchscreens that had 6.5- or 8.0-inch displays, a new centre console with armrest and ‘media bin’ which housed two illuminated USB ports, and increased use of soft-touch materials. Furthermore, new ‘flip and fold’ rear seats which could be flipped at the touch of a button and the newly introduced adjustable boot floor could be raised for concealed storage.
| Engine | Variant | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5-litre petrol I4 |
Ambiente | 6sp auto | 90 kW at 6300 rpm | 150 Nm |
| 1.0-litre turbo petrol I3 | Trend, Titanium |
6sp auto | 92 kW at 6000 rpm | 170 Nm at 1400-4500 rpm (O’boost: 200 Nm) |
Safety equipment
For the Ford BK.II EcoSport Titanium, standard safety equipment was extended to include –
- Blind Spot Information System (BLIS): used radar sensors to detect vehicles in the driver’s blind spot. If detect, an icon would illuminate the door mirror on the side of the EcoSport where the vehicle was detected; and,
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA): could detect approaching vehicles within a range of 40 metres that may cross the driver’s intended path as they were reversing out of a driveway or parking space.
Features: Ford BK.II EcoSport
Compared to the Ford BK.I EcoSport Ambiente, standard features for the BK.II EcoSport were extended to include 16-inch steel wheels (previously 15-inch), a six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat (previously four-way), a four-way manually adjustable front passenger seat (previously two-way), Ford’s ‘SYNC 3’ connectivity system with a 6.5-inch touch screen, AppLink and enhanced voice control, a digital radio tuner (DAB+), cruise control, a rear view camera and rear parking sensors.
Compared to the BK.II EcoSport Ambiente, the BK.II EcoSport Trend added 16-inch alloy wheels, a seven speaker sound system, an eight-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, front fog lights, leather-wrapped steering wheel, rear armrest with twin cupholders and black roof rails. Visually, the EcoSport Trend could be identified by its silver-finish grille and body-coloured door mirrors and handles.
Relative to the EcoSport Trend, the EcoSport Titanium was distinguished by its 17-inch alloy wheels, climate control air conditioning, leather seat trim, high intensity discharge (HID) headlights with LED daytime running lamps, dusk-sensing headlights, rain-sensing wipers, front parking sensors, proximity key (i.e. keyless entry), steering wheel gearshift paddles, power folding door mirrors, electrochromatic rear view mirror, push-button start, power sunroof and centre console with sliding armrest. Visual cues for the EcoSport Titanium included its chrome finish grille, front and rear bumper inserts, silver finish roof rails and full-size spare wheel cover.
Related links
