Ford EcoSport review

Now we get to the bit that really matters, but before we jump in, a word for the exterior design. Now in line with the Kuga and Edge, complete with snouty grille and angled headlights, it’s no longer the runt of Ford’s litter.

Go for the new ST-line trim, which adds sports suspension (still not very sporty), a body kit, 17-inch smoked alloys, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, part-leather seats and ST scuff plates, and it’s not a bad-looking thing – so long as you like cars that resemble sports shoes. Even on lesser Titanium and Zetec trim levels you can let your hair down with a contrasting roof and wing mirrors in white, red, black or orange.

Front and centre in the interior is a new Sync 3 infotainment system from the new Fiesta. The top of the range 8-inch touchscreen juts out a little precariously from the top of the dash, but is hard to fault in terms of graphics, content (Apple CarPlay, DAB, Bluetooth all present and correct) and usability. A 6.5-inch touchscreen is also available, although without sat-nav, and a ten-speaker B&O audio upgrade is well worth the extra £300.

So, five years after its launch, the EcoSport finally feels up to date, but what hasn’t changed are fundamental flaws in the packaging. While the front row is perfectly spacious and airy, the rear bench is cramped and despite a clever new movable boot floor, the space back there is still limited: 355-litres plays 400-litres in the Seat Arona.