The 2018 Ford EcoSport Starts at $20,990, But How Much Could You Spend on a Loaded EcoSport?

Timothy Cain
by Timothy Cain

For the 2018 model year, your local Blue Oval dealer will sell you an India-built Ford EcoSport Titanium AWD, with a handful of options, for $29,960.

Yes, that’s an uncomfortable MSRP for the funny-looking, tippy-toe-styled EcoSport, which Ford likes to pronounce echo-sport as if it’s a particularly athletic Toyota subcompact sedan circa 2003. But the entry point for Ford’s new entry-level crossover is much, much lower. At $20,990 including delivery — a 16-percent discount compared with the Ford Escape S — a 2018 Ford EcoSport sends power from its 1.0-liter turbo triple to the front wheels through a standard six-speed automatic transmission.

All-wheel drive and a 166-horsepower 2.0-liter four-pot add only $1,500 to the sticker of the basic 2018 Ford EcoSport S, which comes standard with a 123-horsepower EcoBoost 1.0-liter producing 125 lb-ft of torque.

While that basic EcoSport tips the scales at just over 3,000 pounds, when fully weighted down with all-wheel drive and a 2.0-liter Ford says the cute-ute weighs 3,327 pounds. Ford says the 1.0, which isn’t available with all-wheel drive, can tow 1,400 pounds. The 2.0-liter, which will be equipped exclusively with all-wheel drive, tows up to 2,000 pounds. Entry-level wheels are interesting low-gloss magnetic-painted machined-face aluminum 16-inchers that lend an air of ruggedness to the EcoSport. Hey, don’t be so quick to snicker.

The EcoSport was originally geared towards emerging markets where roads are often questionable and the terrain untenable. The EcoSport thus offers 7.8 inches of ground clearance, substantially more than the Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V, or Buick Encore.

But the EcoSport is tiny, stretching just 161.3 inches stem to stern and offering only 20.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity behind the rear seats. Ford’s own Escape, no Expedition mind you, is 17 inches longer and provides nearly two-thirds more cargo capacity. Even the Honda HR-V is eight inches lengthier than the EcoSport.

With a dearth of dimensional dominance, how does the 2018 Ford EcoSport compete on price?

VehicleBase MSRP: Automatic Transmission & AWDBuick Encore Preferred AWD$26,790Chevrolet Trax LS AWD$23,395Fiat 500X Pop AWD$24,885Ford EcoSport S AWD$22,490Honda HR-V LX AWD$22,610Jeep Renegade Sport 4×4$23,915Mazda CX-3 Sport AWD$22,300Mini Countyman All4$30,950Mitsubishi Outlander Sport ES AWC$23,435Nissan Juke S AWD$23,075Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i$23,710

Every EcoSport save for the $27,735 SES comes standard with the 1.0-liter and front-wheel drive. (Every SES is an AWD 2.0.) The $23,900 SE adds SYNC 3, a sunroof, and dual-zone automatic climate control to the S. The Titanium, which starts at $26,735, is equipped with navigation, premium audio, leather seating, and 17-inch alloys. In between the Titanium and Titanium AWD 2.0 sits the SES, with sport suspension, navigation, and blind spot monitoring. At the top of the heap, a $28,235 2018 Ford EcoSport Titanium AWD 2.0 can be optioned up with special alloys, Ford’s keyless entry keypad, a Cold Weather package with, for example, a heated steering wheel, and numerous small goodies. The grand total is $29,960.

Think that’s crazy? According to Kelley Blue Book, the average transaction price for a subcompact crossover in August 2017 was $24,387, just $395 less than the ATP of an average midsize car.

U.S. subcompact crossover sales are up 10 percent this year, forming 3.3 percent of the overall market. So far this year, the Jeep Renegade is the segment’s top seller, but General Motors (with the Encore and Trax) own the largest chunk of the segment: 29 percent. Honda’s HR-V, up 28 percent through 2017’s first two-thirds, is the fastest-growing subcompact crossover in America.

[Images: Ford Motor Company]

Timothy Cain is a contributing analyst at The Truth About Cars and Autofocus.ca and the founder and former editor of GoodCarBadCar.net. Follow on Twitter @timcaincars and Instagram.

Timothy Cain
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  • Oosh Oosh on Sep 18, 2017

    Easily the worst new car I've ever driven, had one for a day last year, and it compared unfavourably to my wife's old 90s beater Hyundai Excel.

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    • Adam Tonge Adam Tonge on Sep 18, 2017

      @DeadWeight I don't think he will. The EcoSport is Third World trash that shouldn't exist in the US market.

  • Brettc Brettc on Sep 18, 2017

    I was looking around on Ford's site over the weekend and was surprised to see that I could now build an Echo-sport. I couldn't believe that it could be optioned up to the $30000 range, but I would some imagine people will buy loaded trims. But they will probably also buy a lot of S trims. At least you get actual alloys with the S instead of the steel wheels and wheel covers of the Ess-cop-ay S. These things will probably be cheap in 2019 and beyond on the used market.

    • Adam Tonge Adam Tonge on Sep 18, 2017

      This is the time of year they update the configurator for the new models. The Expedition build & price is now live too.

  • El scotto Oh, ye nattering nabobs of negativism! Think of countries like restaurants. Our neighbors to the north and south are almost as good and the service is fantastic. They're awfully close to being as good as the US. Oh the Europeans are interesting and quaint but you really only go there a few times a year. Gents, the US is simply the hottest restaurant in town. Have to stand in line to get in? Of course. Can you hand out bribes to get in quicker? Of course. Suppliers and employees? Only the best on a constant basis.Did I mention there is a dress code? We strictly enforce it. Don't like it? Suck it.
  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
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