By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(December 24, 2016) When Ford launched the Fiesta back in 1976, it was late to the small car party, but claimed that its entry would follow the old adage, “Last out, best dressed.” At the L.A. Auto Show in Ncvember the company showed its entry into the micro-crossover segment, the EcoSport; a vehicle that has been on sale in South and Central America since 2003, and is now in its second generation.

The original EcoSport — which was designed in the U.S., and built in Brazil on the B3 Fiesta platform — looked like a cross between the first-generation Escape and a shrunken Ford Freestyle/Taurus X.

Available in front- and all-wheel drive versions, it proved to be a stout seller with 700,000 sold in 2011 alone. It was replaced in 2013 by a new version built off the current B2E Fiesta platform, and taken global. In addition to Brazil, the EcoSport is now built in India, Thailand and Russia, and is exported to South Africa, Taiwan, Japan, Australia and Europe.

European sales dragged until the EcoSport was significantly upgraded for the 2015 model year, and it is this version — which is getting new sheetmetal and an interior upgrade for its mid-cycle refers — that has been adapted for the U.S. market.

If you are expecting some sort of poverty-spec SUV, think again. The EcoSport will be offered in four trim levels — S, SE, SES and Titanium — and the top of the line Titanium will come standard with a 675-watt, 10-speaker audio system with branded B&O Play woofers and tweeters from the folks at Bang & Olufsen.

Or you can order the SES with its copper-colored seat and interior accents, Intelligent 4wd, sport-tuned suspension and steering and more. Also available is the Sync 3 infotainment system that replaces the capable but unloved MyFord Touch system. Optimized for voice recognition and hands-free use, it has an 8-in. touchscreen, is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and connects with the FordPass mobile app. This lets drivers start, lock, unlock and locate their vehicles from almost anywhere on the planet, as well as view information like the fuel level and odometer reading remotely.

The base powertrain is Ford’s gutsy 1.0-liter EcoBoost triple mated to a six-speed automatic and driving the front wheels. Move up to the optional 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four, and the six-speed automatic remains but all four wheels are driven.
 
One thing you won’t get is the automotive equivalent of next day shipping as the EcoSport won’t arrive on these shores until early 2018, and will be imported from India. That may seem like a long time to wait (and it is), but there’s a method to Ford’s madness. The early debut lets the buying public know there’s a Ford in their future, while giving the company time to build out the last of the second generation EcoSport models and make any changes necessary for the new model.

The Virtual Driver