I am sitting in traffic, gazing down upon the voluptuous charms of the Lotus Elan in front of me, when the thought occurs that I am driving a washing machine. It's the burly dimensions of the Ford EcoSport that do it – though the fact that my test version is a brilliant shade of Hotpoint white doesn't help. Even the name seems reminiscent of a 30C cycle, one that's gentle on the environment but tough on stains.
The EcoSport is part of Ford's latest rally into the SUV market – its budget, entry-level model. As such, it is functional rather than beautiful, despite some attempts at spangle (LED lights, titanium trims). There are the same basic issues that afflict other compact SUVs: a small base and a body that builds upwards, meaning a car that is tall and square and serviceable.
Of course, there is nothing inherently dreadful about functionality – after all, I am today on a useful mission: driving across town to buy a piece of wood to fix my bed. However, the fact that I have owned this bed – an antique French rattan frame with a tendency to half-collapse – for a year and a rickety half without mending it says something about how I rank usefulness against aesthetic appeal; I'm afraid I choose the beautiful over the practical pretty much every time.
The EcoSport is not exactly ugly, it simply parks in that space of perfectly all right. Essentially, it's a Fiesta with planning permission – the same frame, and a similar engine, though lugging the SUV's extra bulk, it lacks the Fiesta's pep. The steering is pleasingly light for city driving, if a little twitchy, but it's strangely noisy – the sound of the engine seems to come whistling round the eaves.
The big let down is the interior, where the plastics feel tinny and slight, disappointingly workaday. And while the driver's seat is a fancy, six-way adjustable thing, the truth is it feels hard and a little awkward whichever way you adjust it. Still, there's scope for an upgrade on the technology: an extra £250 buys you the Ford SYNC, which gets you a Bluetooth connection and voice-activated apps – Parkopedia (which finds your nearest parking space), emergency assistance and an impressive music-streaming service.
Most of all, though, the EcoSport is desperately useful, a Robert Dyas of a car. It boasts 20 storage compartments, from backseat pockets to a cooled glove box and a drawer beneath the passenger seat for storing rawlplugs or rivet nuts or similar. Its height means the rear seat can accommodate three (lean) adult passengers, and makes it much easier to load; a boon for anyone juggling infants and car seats. There is plenty of boot space: I can tell you, with some authority, that a large piece of wood fits comfortably.
Some of this space has been achieved by mounting the spare wheel on the tailgate. While this might be a pleasing feature for some – and I'll admit that finding the boot handle secreted in the rear light is rather nice – the fact that the door then has to hinge outwards rather than upwards seems daft for a city car. And that tail-mounted wheel? There's no escaping it: an unmistakable reminder of the front load and spin cycle.
Ford EcoSport
Price Standard on the road £16,495 (this version £17,205)
Top speed 99mph
Acceleration 0-62mph in 14 seconds
Combined fuel consumption 61.4mpg
CO2 emissions 120g/km
Eco rating 6/10
Cool rating 4/10
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