SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

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Workmanlike: 2020 Ford Ecosport 1.5 Ambiente a/t

Dragon with little puff

Pics by Author
Posted: November 9, 2020

The numbers
Price: R316 300
Engine: 1496 cc, DOHC inline three-cylinder with Ti-VCT
Power: 91 kW at 6500 rpm
Torque: 150 Nm at 4500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: mid-teens (estimated)
Maximum speed: 170 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 8.4 l/100 km
Tank: 52 litres
Luggage: 333 – 705 litres
Ground clearance: 206 mm
Turning circle: 10.6 metres
Towing capacity, braked / unbraked: 700 / 650 kg
Standard tyre size: 205/60R16
Spare: Full size
Warranty: Four years / 120 000 km with three years’ roadside assistance
Service plan: Four years / 60 000 km, at 15 000 km intervals

This automatic transmission version of Ford’s Ecosport 1.5-litre, petrol powered, Ambiente could be described as workmanlike rather than perky, nippy or sporty.

It will deliver you to your chosen destination carefully but not hurriedly. Ratios will switch in their own time and may even kick down if placed under enough pressure. Just don’t expect Mustang-like swiftness.
 
The marriage of this Made-in-India, Dragon-series motor and a six-speed autobox born 18 years ago was perhaps more commercially expedient than favourably starred. We drove a 1.0-litre turbo Trend with this transmission two years ago and found it capable but uninspiring. Wedlock with this even less compatible engine is surely not Karmic.

Put simply, automatic gearboxes rely on a sufficient supply of torque to function happily. The 1.0-litre turbomotor delivers 170 Nm in a steady stream between 1400 and 4500 rpm. This naturally aspirated 1500 cc engine delivers only about 13 percent less torque, but all in one go, peaking at 4500 rpm without the benefit of the turbo-motor’s longer delivery range.

Further, the box is old-tech. There’s no manual override apart from a Low position for towing or steep hills, although lethargy can sometimes be overcome by “illegally” using the grade control switch on the gear knob.

Moving on: This little SUV has a lot going for it. Six airbags to begin with, then ABS brakes with EBA and ESC, a practical trip computer, easy-to-use ventilation and music controls,  ISOFix mountings, child-proof locks, a boot that can take a trolley-full of groceries if packed creatively and back seats that tumble and fold, 60:40, to reveal utility space up to 1.3 metres long. Add fabric covered seats, more comfortable and supportive than those on a slightly costlier competitor I drove that week, chair height adjustment for the driver, adequate knee space in the back and bags of headroom front and rear.

Other kit includes a manual air conditioner, steel wheels with plastic caps, fully sized spare, powered windows and mirrors, a full set of belts and head restraints, fog lamps at the back and rear-mounted parking sensors. The sound machine is original Ford SYNC® with Bluetooth, hands-free phoning, voice control, steering wheel-mounted remotes and two USB ports with iPod functionality.

Fancy stuff like eight-inch colour touchscreen with full connectivity; cruise control; navigation; automatic wipers, aircon and headlamps; keyless starting; tyre pressure monitoring; hill start assist and front fog lights, is reserved for more expensive models.

The car feels solid, with country cousin ground clearance to deal with humps and potholes, there’s a commanding view outward, it steers and parks easily and has a useful selection of storage spaces and power points. And you see them all over. That must surely be good.

Summing up, this is a fine little car with all the kit you actually need. I would choose manual but if you absolutely must have automatic, save up for a turbo.

Test unit from Ford SA press fleet


What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

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