2021 Ford EcoSport

History/Overview

In 2018, Ford entered the North American subcompact crossover marketplace with the Ecosport. While it was new in Canada, this generation of Ecosport had been on sale elsewhere since 2012, and its arrival here coincided with a mid-cycle refresh of that existing design. There are no changes to the Ford Ecosport for 2021.

Available Trims

Ford makes the Ecosport in S, SE, SES, and Titanium trim levels. S, SES and Titanium come standard with AWD and a 2.0L four-cylinder engine. SE starts with FWD and a 1.0L turbo three-cylinder, and can be optioned with the 2.0L/AWD combo. In all trims, a six-speed automatic transmission is standard.

Standard Features

Air conditioning is standard across the line, starting as a single-zone manual system in S trim, while all other trims get automatic temperature control. Also included are power windows, automatic on/off headlights, a six-speaker stereo with a 4.2-inch touchscreen display, and cloth seating.

Outside, S trim comes with black door handles that upgrade to body colour in SE and above. You also get integrated side blind spot mirrors with power adjustments, 16-inch alloy wheels, and basic keyless entry.

SE gains leather trim for the steering wheel and shift lever, along with a sunroof, passive keyless entry, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Sync 3 infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and heated front seats.

SE’s exterior additions are heated side mirrors, LED signature lighting, fog lights, black roof rails, and a front wiper de-icer.

SES’s only mechanical distinctions are a sport-tuned suspension and 17-inch wheels and tires. This model’s interior adds an auto-dimming rearview mirror, electric driver’s seat adjustments, a heated steering wheel, a 110-volt power outlet, ambient interior lighting, a seven-speaker stereo, navigation with voice controls, and ActiveX seating material.

Titanium’s cabin gets chrome door release handles, a B&O stereo, and leather seating.

Safety-wise, there’s not much to talk about. SE trim includes backup sensors as standard, and SES adds blind spot monitoring with cross traffic alert, and rain sensing wipers. Titanium gets a perimeter alarm.

Conspicuous by their absence are more advanced safety assists, like collision detection/automatic braking, lane departure warning/prevention, radar cruise, or automatic high beams – none of which are offered even as options.

Fuel Economy

Ford’s fuel consumption estimates for the Ecosport are 8.6/8.1 L/100 km (city/highway) with the 1.0L engine and FWD, or 10.2/8.0 with the 2.0L/AWD combination.

Competition

Ford’s decision not to offer any driver assists in the Ecosport puts it at a disadvantage next to most of its competitors in the popular subcompact crossover class. Key among those are the Honda HR-V, the Hyundai Kona, the Kia Seltos, Nissan’s Qashqai, the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Mitsubishi’s RVR, and the Subaru Crosstrek. You can make a slight lateral move to the Toyota C-HR, Nissan Kicks, and Hyundai Venue, all of which are technically crossovers but don’t offer AWD.