Although a newcomer to the U.S., the EcoSport small crossover utility vehicle has been a hot- seller in other global markets for a few years. For this test driver, there are plenty of things to like about the 2018 Ford EcoSport. There are nifty features (including the sustainable material cargo management shelf) and quirky features (rear cargo door latch hides within the passenger-side taillight). The driver’s tall seating position rivals a compact pick-up truck. But EcoSport’s chunky A-pillars and the available 8-inch touchscreen’s position “atop” the instrument panel basically impinge the driver’s sight lines.

FWD is standard on S, SE, and Titanium trims with intelligent 4WD available on those same trims. 4WD is standard on the SES trim. The tested 4WD EcoSport SES’s 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (with auto start-stop technology) produces 166 horsepower at 6500 rpm/149 pounds-feet of torque at 4500 rpm. Standard engine for S, SE and Titanium trims is a 1.0-liter EcoBoost 3-cylinder engine producing 123 horsepower at 6000 rpm/125 pounds-feet of torque at 3500 rpm. Both engines mate to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Cargo volume behind 2nd row seats is 21 cubic feet; behind the front seats it’s 50 cubic feet. MSRP of the test driven 4WD EcoSport SES is $26,740. (EcoSport’s base model MSRP starts at $19,995.) Estimated mpg for EcoSport SES is 23 city/29 highway.