Saints be praised: Ford has finally ditched the maligned Power Shift dual clutch automatic transmission in the 2019 EcoSport, as we reported last week. Along with a conventional 6-speed automatic, Ford’s “Made for the Urban Jungle” sub-compact SUV gets a slew of exterior, interior, and feature upgrades that give more ammunition to battle the increasingly competitive segment.

When Ford introduced the EcoSport in 2014, it had a whopping 90 percent market share. Although that has dropped to about 50 percent 4 years later, the fact that there are at least half a dozen choices out there says something about its popularity.



Visually, Ford has traded the catfish look for something that aligns it with other members of the Ford SUV family. The front-end is entirely new, starting with the sculpted hood featuring a wider central dome. The headlamps are also larger and more expressive, incorporating LED daytime running lights on all except the base Ambiente trim while at the bottom are new triangular-shaped front fog lights. The side and rear haven’t changed much save for a new spare tire cover design and tweaked taillights. The higher-trimmed variants, from Trend upward, get stylish 17-inch alloy wheels though.

Ford says the re-design serves both form and function with design and engineering teams spending more than a million man-hours studying computer fluid dynamics and more than 200 hours in wind tunnel tests to refine the aerodynamics.



In redesigning the EcoSport’s interior, Ford worked on a user-centric design that’s almost completely new. Soft-touch materials, particularly on the upper instrument panel now convey a more premium feel while relocated controls offer a more ergonomic experience. In fact, the carmaker said they spent thousands of hours watching and evaluating how people interact with their car on a daily basis, using tools including eye-tracking software alongside traditional customer feedback to identify which buttons drivers interact with most. Because of this, they deliberately held back on “digitizing” controls and thus, the EcoSport still features physical knobs for the entertainment volume, temperature, and fan speed dials.

Meanwhile, a broad range of other controls have been integrated into a visually appealing and intuitive 8-inch touchscreen. The same system serves as the main interface for the cutting-edge SYNC 3 infotainment system that features, among others, offline GPS navigation for the first-time in the EcoSport.



Going back to the biggest change for 2019, Ford is giving the EcoSport an entirely new drivetrain which should offer customers greater performance and capability.

Two engine choices are now available: the 1.5-liter Ti-VCT and the 1.0-liter EcoBoost. Both featuring an inline-3 layout, the 1.5-liter “Dragon” engine develops a healthy 123 horsepower and 150 Nm of torque while the turbocharged EcoBoost makes 125 horsepower and 170 Nm of torque. For three-pedal variants, it’ll still rely on a 5-speed manual while those opting for a two-pedal set-up will enjoy the smoothness (and reliability) of a conventional 6-speed automatic.


The 1.0 EcoBoost will have a new Auto Start-Stop system which automatically shuts off the engine when idling at a red light and quickly restarts it when the driver lifts a foot off the brake, helping to save fuel and reduce emissions.

In terms of safety, all models will come with 4 SRS airbags (additional 2 airbags for upper trim models), ABS with EBD, and stability control. Four-wheel disc brakes are standard as is a rear camera.

The 2019 Ford EcoSport will now be sourced from China (instead of Thailand) and will be available in a wide array of colors: Absolute Black, Ingot Silver, Crystal White, Ruby Red, Canyon Ridge, and Blue Lightning. Retail sales will start by August 30, 2018 and will be made available in the following variants and prices:

• 1.5 Ambiente M/T - P 918,000
• 1.5 Trend M/T - P 968,000
• 1.5 Trend A/T - P 1,028,000
• 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium A/T - P 1,168,000