Consistent failure in all markets means we absolutely will not miss it.
Ford is said to be looking to phase-out their disappointing EcoSport at long last, in favour of something a little different. While the EcoSport replacement will continue to be based on a Fiesta platform, it’s expected to look more closely-related to the hatchback on which it’s based, which is also said to be a move to distance the new car from the EcoSport.
There’s a lot of hatred for the EcoSport and really, that hatred is founded. It’s a woeful car to look at and to live with, and has consistently disappointed critics and also Ford themselves. While cars like the Nissan Juke & Toyota C-HR have brought great successes and praise to their respective companies, the Ford EcoSport has always been the butt of jokes (even then only to people who recall its existence).
What’s interesting is that the Fiesta itself now features a Fiesta Active variant, which is a crossover-type bodystyle, replete with higher ride height and body-cladding. So the new small SUV will have to differentiate itself from the Active sufficiently to ensure that both cars earn their right to sit on the market.
Expect the new SUV to share the same powertrains as the Fiesta, namely a selection of EcoBoost engines, which will likely send power to the front axle. However, Autocar suggests that it’s also possible that Ford will engineer an all-wheel drive solution for the new SUV, though that’ll only really come to fruition if there’s strong enough demand for such a setup. Doubt you’ll get an all-wheel drive model here though, assuming it gets here at all.
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