When the Cooper Motor Corporation (CMC), the exclusive distributor for Ford in Uganda, unveiled the new Ford EcoSport compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) last week, even I who has such a mild interest in vehicles got really excited. The Ford EcoSport is what every smart woman on the move is looking for in a car.  It offers comfort, value for money, and safety. Combining agility, affordability and fuel efficiency of a compact car with the flexibility and spaciousness of an SUV, the Ford EcoSport is simply perfection. Here are five reasons to fall in love with the cute SUV.

 Powerful and efficient

The new Ford EcoSport is powered by Ford’s proven range of 1.5-litre engines, linked to front-wheel drive. The 1.5 TiVCT petrol unit produces 90kW (123PS) of power matched to a peak torque output of 151Nm. It is available with a five-speed manual on Ambience only or in automatic guise across the series line up. This helps to efficiently save fuel without sacrificing its top-of-the-line acceleration and unnoticeable gear changing capabilities. In other words, more smooth driving and less gas-pumping.

Rugged and refined styling

The new Ford EcoSport features bold, dynamic Ford SUV styling. A sculpted bonnet with a central bulge delivers a cleaner front-end appearance. The front-end design is dominated by a new large trapezoidal grille design and distinctive angular headlights that incorporate stylish LED daytime running lights on the range-topping EcoSport Titanium. Angular fog light housings complete a front three-quarter profile that was inspired by the straps of a rucksack and designed to reflect an adventurous character. EcoSport’s rear bumper and tail light designs also are revised to deliver a cleaner, more sculpted appearance. Customers can choose from seven bold exterior colours, including Lightning Blue and Race Red. A new 16-inch alloy wheel design on the Trend and Titanium model complements the rugged, sporty character, with the latter featuring a distinctive Shadow Silver finish.

EcoSport now also delivers a new level of interior refinement with easier to use controls and soft-touch materials, and a new centre console ergonomically designed for easy operation and featuring fewer buttons. New seats designs are optimised for greater front and rear occupant comfort and deliver a more upscale feel including partial leather on the Titanium model. It has 20 accessible compartments including cup holders, side-door pockets, a slide-out drawer under the front passenger seat, and a glove box that can keep food and drinks cool. Imagine all the room it has for every woman’s daily essentials, umbrella, sunglasses, extra clothes, laptop, name it—the EcoSport has the space for it. With a little creativity to tweak the boot compartment, it can turn into a chic walk-in closet. The boot floor uses a special honeycomb construction that makes it gram-for-gram stronger than steel, and able to support more than 300 kg.

Sophisticated driver assistance technology

With Ford EcoSport’s Smart Keyless Entry, doors unlock automatically so long as the key fob is within reach. Once inside, a push of the button is all that’s needed to start the engine, so say farewell to emptying you bags in search of keys that wastes precious time. It builds on the commanding SUV driving position and rewarding Ford driving dynamics to deliver an even easier and more enjoyable driving experience using advanced technologies.

Ford’s sophisticated SYNC®3 communications and entertainment system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto™. On the EcoSport Titanium, SYNC®3 is supported by the new floating, 8-inch colour touchscreen, which can be operated with pinch and swipe gestures.  On the Trend and Titanium, automatic headlight activation and rain-sensing wipers remove some of the stresses of driving and enable customers to better concentrate on the road ahead. Electronic Automatic Temperature Control further improves comfort on the Titanium, with the rest of the range equipped with manual air-conditioning.  Driver assistance and safety technologies common across all three specification levels comprise ABS brakes with Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and only on selected models the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Hill Launch Assist (HLA) enables smooth pull-offs on steep inclines and declines.

Improved occupant protection includes driver and passenger front airbags on all models, supplemented by new curtain airbags that provide maximum side-impact coverage on the Trend and Titanium. An engine immobiliser is fitted as standard on all models, bolstered by an integrated alarm system on the two higher-spec derivatives.

Environmentally friendly

The Ford EcoSport gets its environmentally friendly moniker from its internationally acclaimed 1.0-1.5 litre EcoBoost engine. This innovative Ford design brings together the power of a turbocharged engine with an eye-opening estimated fuel economy of about 5.7-6.5 litres per 100 kilometres, that will keep both your back pocket and the environment a lot happier.