Ford
The EcoSport is the smallest SUV on offer from Ford, and for 2020 only three alterations have been made to its subcompact formula. The addition of FordPass connectivity and an 8-inch touchscreen on the SE is most noteworthy. But the EcoSport SE, SES and Titanium also come with a new adjustable cargo shelf and a SES Black Appearance Package for a bit more visual flair.
Click here to read our most recent Ford EcoSport review.
Powertrain and specs
A 1.0-liter turbocharged, in-line-3 remains as the base powerplant for the EcoSport, and is only available with front-wheel drive. Power output for the EcoBoost engine is rated at an acceptable 123 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque.
All-wheel-drive EcoSports are built with Ford’s 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that puts out a peppier 166 hp and 149 lb.-ft. of torque. All 2020 EcoSport engines are bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission.
All 2020 EcoSports ride on a MacPherson strut front suspension and either a semi-independent rear suspension in the front-wheel-drive versions or a fully independent rear suspension in the all-wheel-drive models. The EcoSport SES is equipped with a “sport-tuned” suspension, which just means it’s ever-so-slightly stiffer than other models.
Owners of the front-wheel-drive EcoSports will have a small advantage over the four-wheel-drive models in urban driving. The EPA-estimated fuel economy for the front-wheel-drive models is 27 miles per gallon city and 28 mpg combined. Both models achieve an estimated 29 mpg highway, but the all-wheel-drive models receive an estimated 23 mpg city and 25 mpg combined.
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Interior
Cloth seats are available on the EcoSport S and SE trims. Ford’s “ActiveX” synthetic seating is available in the SES model, and perforated, leather-trimmed seats are only available in the EcoSport Titanium. That said, no matter which material you choose, the EcoSport’s seats only come in black or beige.
Manual seating is found in the EcoSport S, but SE and higher trims get a 10-way, power-operated driver’s seat and a heated front row. Creature comforts like a leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel are found in the SES and Titanium.
Cargo capacity is greatest with the EcoSport’s second row folded — it’s a sizable 50 cubic feet — but drops to just under 21 cubic feet with all seats upright. The swinging rear hatch makes it simple to access the cargo area without knocking your noggin, but limits access from the driver’s side, or when parallel parked.
Technology
The EcoSport S is the only model to still carry the bare-bones, 4.2-inch multimedia display, while the SE, SES and Titanium are all equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen with Ford’s Sync 3 system.The S model also comes with a version of Sync with voice recognition, but the multimedia system only offers AM/FM radio and a six-speaker audio system.
In the SE, navigation is a $995 option that adds another speaker to the regular audiosystem, blind-spot monitoring and a 110-volt AC power outlet. Blind-spot monitoring is standard on the SES and Titanium models. While features like hill-start assist and parking sensors are available, the EcoSport can not be equipped with adaptive cruise control or automatic emergency braking.
Sync 3-equipped EcoSport SE and SES models come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a five-year prepaid SiriusXM subscription and a seven-speaker audio system. But the Titanium specification swaps that seven-speaker system with a Bang & Olufsen nine-speaker audio system with a subwoofer.
All EcoSports have the ability to connect to a 4G LTE signal and can link up to 10 devices to its Wi-Fi hotspot, which comes with a three-month or 3GB free trial as part of FordPass Connect technology. FordPass Connect also allows for remote starting — a $495 option on all EcoSports — locking and unlocking, vehicle location assistance and vehicle status monitoring.
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Pricing
The 2020 Ford EcoSport is priced from $21,090. The EcoSport SE and Titanium will set buyers back $24,450 and $27,360, respectively. While it makes sense to see the Titanium as the top-level trim for the EcoSport, the SES, with its standard all-wheel-drive, actually has the highest base price of $28,475. All prices include a $1,095 destination charge.
Availability
The 2020 Ford EcoSport is on sale now.
