The Ford Ecosport Active isn’t necessarily for the lethargic. You may want to get in and get out at ‘em. Though way smaller than the 7 passenger BMW X7 M50i, which I recently took on a test, the EcoSport Active is a savvy small-ish sports utility vehicle (SUV – and can comfortably fit five adults) that at first sight sports a distinctive design. Thanks to a little bit of a nip and tuck, these minor cosmetic upgrades have created a more athletic and sporty trim overall.
This vehicle is a year older than me, born in 2003, with the second-generation arriving many years later in 2012. It has built a loyal following, selling hundreds of thousands of units. In its latest guise, the trend may yet continue, though its surgery seemed minimal.
Dy dad keeps mouthing off on Cher, some has-been musician from the 60s who believed in life after love and spent a wasteful amount on plastic surgery after her Sonny didn’t shine anymore. Her first husband was named Sonny. They divorced in the 80s. But the less said about Cher the better. This vain singer gave nip and tuck a sad name. Beauty needs no scalpel. Nor is it in his kiss as she claimed. It’s all about the heart and soul.
On the other hand, the body of the Ford Ecosport Active as we know it has kept pace with the times, evolving to keep pace with demanding consumer needs. You know that this is the ‘Active’ thanks to the badge on the front fenders. Space is always important in one’s relationship – and car.
This has reasonable room inside, perfect and versatile accompanied by partial leather seats if you have a team of passengers. The cabin inside has improved. Yes, it could do with a tad more refinement but Lucifer is in the detail if one wants to look.
The Ford EcoSport is based on the trendy mid-range Eco-Sport with the 1.0l EcoBoost automatic engine – which is claimed to be Ford’s multiple award-winning engine. Certainly, it has a swiftness to it – with the help of the turbo boost and an impressive 92kW of power and 170Nm of torque via a six-speed automatic gearbox.
The special edition of the EcoSport Active has a robust appearance, some would say more memorable than Cher. But this is possibly due to the colour coding which is black-all-round, from the front grille, headlamp surrounding and foglamp bezels, wheel arch mouldings, front and rear skirts and the 17-inch alloy wheels as well.
The 17-inch wheels give a more muscular stance and presence. The dark finishes extend further on to mirror caps, roof, roof rails and along with dark-tinted windows.
Given the natural preoccupation with crime, you will be pleased to learn that this Ford EcoSport Active is kitted with safety features designed to keep one cushioned from the many bad drivers on our roads. And if thieves try to make off with your car, they may not find it as easy as breaking into you house while on holiday.
The Ford EcoSport Active has seven airbags (dual front, side, curtain and a driver’s knee airbag), along with ABS brakes with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and Hill Launch Assist (HLA).
Rear parking sensors are fitted, and the vehicle is equipped with a high-grade Thatcham alarm with immobiliser. All in black finishes balances perfectly with the four alluring paint colours that contrast and come with the car depending on your own unique colour preferences for the car such as Frozen white, and along with three more distinct colour combos like Luxe Yellow, Solar Silver and Magnetic dark grey.
As long as it’s not Cher, you should be fine. The Ford EcoSport Active seemed thirsty but helped beat the inertia in the Naidu household. Price-wise, the 1.5 Ambient manual starts at R311 400, and goes all the way to R416 900 for the 1.0T Titanium Auto and R393 700 for this 1.0T Active auto.
. The 1.0T Active aut costs R393 700.){kind=link}