A tale of 2 EcoSport Titaniums

With traffic congestion going on almost 24/7 and flash floods becoming more common, it is time to be smart and look at the type of vehicle you drive on a daily basis.

A typical Point A to Point B vehicle, especially in urban scenarios, need not be fancy, large, so as not to require an unusually large engine — and by that I mean anything more than 1.5 liters.

Ford seems to have figured out just the right formula for that specific type of vehicle: Tall for flood protection, small and compact for the city, and with a small displacement engine for fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

Launched in 2014 locally, the compact EcoSport with its small engine and tall ride height seems to be the answer to all of the above.

We give its Titanium trim, and the two variants it offers, a good look to see how low (of a displacement engine) of a and how high of a price you can afford to drive the top-of-the-line Ford EcoSport.

There are two variants to this trim and while both use a six-speed automatic gearbox, the Titanium AT (automatic transmission) uses a 1.5L engine with 121hp and 150Nm of torque while the EcoBoost Titanium AT uses the 1.0L EcoBoost engine that puts out 123hp and 170Nm of torque.

Both grilles have a chrome finish, but the Titanium AT uses halogen headlamps while the EcoBoost Titanium AT already has automatic HID (high intensity discharge) projector headlamps along with signature LED (light emitting diode) daytime running lamps. Both come with headlamp levelling, front and rear fog lamps, and silver-finish roof rails.

What needs to change is the position of the spare tire because it’s still mounted on the tailgate, which makes it appear cumbersome and physically heavy to open up. Because of the weight, there’s no opening it halfway if you just want to sneak a small bag in. If you take long enough, three seconds or more, it will slowly swing all the way open, so be careful if there’s a wall or obstruction on the left rear side of the vehicle.

The Titanium AT has fabric seats while the EcoBoost Titanium AT has leather; both sport an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat, four-way adjustable passenger seat, 60:40 split-fold rear seats, and Isofix child anchors.

It sports a 4.2-inch instrument cluster display screen and the eight-inch color and capacitive touchscreen (positioned very well to reduce glare) infotainment system, comes with Sync3 connectivity with AppLink and voice-recognition system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two illuminated USB ports, and seven speakers along with the standard AM/FM radio, Bluetooth capability, two 12V accessory power outlets (front and rear). Only the EcoBoost Titanium AT has satellite navigation.

Smart keyless entry with push button start/stop is also exclusive to both Titanium variants along with power sunroof, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, electronic automatic temperature control, overhead console with sunglasses holder, passenger vanity mirror illumination, and rear retractable armrest.

Limited to the EcoBoost Titanium AT are rain-sensing windshield wipers and an electrochromic rearview mirror.

With both models come power door locks, variable intermittent windshield wipers, follow-me-home lighting, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, electrochromic rearview mirror, map lights, sun visor with covered vanity mirror and ticket strap on driver’s side, center console with armrest, map pocket (passenger seat), load compartment lamp, and a cooled glove box.

In terms of safety, it offers driver and front passenger airbags, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, a seatbelt minder system, electric power-assisted steering, anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, front disc brakes, hill start assist, hill descent control, traction control, electronic stability control, a rearview camera, rear park assist, three-point seat belts, child-proof door locks, and an emergency brake light.

The EcoSport Titanium 1.5L Automatic Transmission goes for P1.1 million while the range-topping EcoSport EcoBoost Titanium 1.5L Automatic Transmission is priced at P1.19 million.

Photos from Ford Philippines