Test riding the new Ford EcoSport Titanium+ AT

The subfourmetre crossover segment is full to bursting these days but that wasnrsquot the case when the EcoSport first came along to India In fact it had a bit of a monopoly back in the day and essentially began the crossover revolution on our shores And while therersquos a whole lot of love for these allrounders all that adoration has attracted a slew of manufacturers to throw their hat into the crossover ring Ford is hoping to come out swinging with the new EcoSport and to that effect has kitted it with a new ticker the 15litre threepot codenamed DragonThe allblack interior looks good PicsSanjay RaikarTherersquos a lot of other new stuff too starting with the face Itrsquos reminiscent of the previous model but enough to give the car a more contemporary look A new twoslat grille is flanked by projector headlamps with integrated DRLs and the hood has been tweaked for added style The 17rdquo alloys are also new and set off the carrsquos looks rather nicely Lastly there is the new bumper and foglamp design and fresh roofrails Apart from these changes the EcoSport retains its original styling cues It is quite a handsome car overall especially the one that we tested with the shiny Lightning Blue paint jobThe 15litre naturally aspirated petrol is the biggest change in the EcoSportTherersquos a bit of change inside too with a new dash which holds a massive 8rdquo touchscreen front and centre The dash looks a bit more premium now and the big touchscreen was much needed too The latter looks great works smoothly and comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay tech and even has Fordrsquos latest Sync 3 architecture Using the reverse camera is especially comfortable as the massive screen makes even the smaller objects visible but the lack of inbuilt GPS is surprising and disappointing There are also two USB ports which is definitely better than one and a cool foot well light with multiple colour options to choose from Last word on the cabin the dimensions of the EcoSport havenrsquot changed so it still feels a little cramped especially the second rowCruise control isnt often found on cars in this pricerangeThe engine is the bit that everyonersquos on about and with 123 PS and 150 Nm of torque on tap from the 15litre naturally aspirated petrol it is an improvement over its predecessor The EcoSport is fairly quick on its feet especially since there isnrsquot a spooling turbo slowing it down Those quick overtakes can be easily achieved and our 060 kmh time of 564 seconds was indicative of that This is also down to the new auto gearbox that replaces the old dualclutch It works smoothly and the shifts feel on point The addition of paddle shifts makes for a little more fun on the runHowever the EcoSport seems to run out of breath as you approach the triple digits on the speedo Therersquos also cruise control available for those long stretches Cabin noise is quite muted even when carrying pace as well which is a plus The ride on the EcoSport is decent You feel the potholes more at slightly lower speeds but the higher you climb the suspension seems to absorb The EcoSport handles well too and the steering is both precise and communicative The braking is pretty solid with 280 seconds taken to come to a standstill from 100 kmhSafetywise this topend auto comes with ABS and traction control and six airbags and also packs in hilllaunch assist We obtained an overall fuel efficiency 1025 kml which isnrsquot bad at all You have to part with R1099 lakh exshowroom for the car and at that price point the EcoSport is a capable package overall and is definitely taking the fight to the rest of the crossover competitors in its new avatarCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates