Ford has spruced up its EcoSport for its 2016 model year. It gets a few additions both inside and out, and under the bonnet is a more powerful diesel heart. This is an update, more than a facelift. So if you don’t spot any major changes at first glance, fret not. Your eyes aren’t deceiving you. Look carefully though, and you will see the new LED daytime-running lights integrated into the now-automatic headlamps on the top-end variant.
The side of the car remains identical to the 2015 model, and the same is the case with the rear, well almost. The boot release has now been moved under the handle. The boot-mounted spare wheel stays, unlike in other countries, where the updated car has done away with the spare wheel altogether.
A new set of alloy wheels would have been a more-than-welcome change, but given that the car’s styling has been quite popular, Ford has kept itself from tinkering around the exteriors too much.
Inside the car, the indicator stalks are finally on the right side, as in literally on the right side, instead of the earlier left-sided arrangement. A new electro chromatic rear-view mirror saves your eyes from the headlight glare of vehicles behind. The handbrake now comes wrapped in leather, and there’s also a chrome pack, which gives chrome highlights to the door handles, instrument cluster rings, power window inserts and AC regulator, which does liven up the interior, albeit feeling a little overdone.
The highlight of the update is, of course, the updated diesel engine, which now pumps out 99bhp against the previous diesel’s power output of 90bhp.
So, how does it drive with the uprated motor?
Ford has improved noise insulation inside the cabin, as the engine noise is far less intrusive than before, right from idle, the engine becoming audible only at high revs. It’s not a drastic change, but refinement is noticeably better than before. The engine dishes out linear doses of power, and is now more responsive, especially at low engine speeds. The additional power makes itself felt in the way the car picks up speed from low revs. You can leave the car on a high gear and comfortably potter around. And though the bump in power is not drastic, the car actually feels quicker.
With this update, Ford has addressed the minor niggles inside the cabin, but it’s the uprated engine that’s of real importance. The best bit here is the fact that all these added goodies don’t ratchet up the price of the EcoSport by much, therefore making it a better value offering.
