Ford Ecosport review

Ford has worked hard to improve the Ecosport's interior quality from the previous model. In fact, this is probably the one area that has taken the biggest step forward and it’s now much smarter than rivals such as the Seat Arona. There are soft-touch materials on the top of the dashboard and a cushioned section on the door armrest, but below-par build quality is revealed by plenty of creaks when you grab onto the door handle.

Like the rest of the small SUV class, a lot of the appeal of the Ecosport comes from its commanding driving position. You sit completely upright like you would in an SUV twice its size, with a good view of the road straight ahead, although the A-pillars are relatively thick.

It’s just a shame that the seats are quite narrow and have manual adjustment regardless of which trim you pick. Manual lumbar support adjustment is available on ST-Line, though. The pedals have quite a long travel, which means shorter drivers might have to sit closer to the steering wheel than you’d like. The wheel itself adjusts for height but not for reach, and may result in some drivers feeling a little hemmed in.

The dashboard is based on the latest Fiesta’s, and most of the major controls are easy to use on the move. A 8.0in touchscreen is standard, controlling DAB radio, USB connection plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring. It’s design is outdated, though – the Seat Arona's on-screen graphics are sharper and laid out much neater.