2021 Ford EcoSport SE Review

Ford teased the 'SE' variant of the EcoSport in a rather filmy manner, on its social media accounts. And you would have guessed that the SE variant ditches the tailgate mounted spare wheel. The idea is to generate some buzz with a new variant as the EcoSport has gotten lost in the swarm of subcompact SUVs that has taken over the Indian car market. The fun fact here is that Ford has been manufacturing the SE edition in India for a while now, for overseas market of course. But this is the first time that the company will actually launch the SE variant in India. To show you how stark, or not, the difference is, we have both the S and the SE variants of the car together.

Also Read: 2021 Ford EcoSport Launched In India

Also Read: 2021 Ford EcoSport SE Launched In India

Design

(The Ford EcoSport SE does not get a spare wheel at the rear. And the design does grow on you, but we still prefer the spare wheel mounted at the rear)

That's right! No spare wheel at the rear on the SE variant of the EcoSport. The redesigned rear section doesn't look bad any stretch of imagination, but, it takes some time getting used to. After all, we have been seeing the EcoSport with a rear wheel for almost a decade now. Ford says that the decision to launch the EcoSport without the spare wheel mounted on the tailgate was to add to the appeal of the SUV, which is an ageing model, no doubt.

In terms of design, the missing rear wheel and the bumper are the only differences between the 'S' and the 'SE' variants of the EcoSport

The company says it also incorporated customer feedback in the design, which was on similar lines. So, at the rear, you have a tailgate mounted number plate holder and a faux skid plate on the rear bumper. The tailgate itself is still the same unit as before and opens to one side and not upwards, like in most other cars.

(The EcoSport SE gets tubeless tyres, puncture repair kit and tyre pressure monitoring system. This means that Ford is exempt from providing a spare wheel in the EcoSport SE)

Another fun fact! The EcoSport does not get any spare wheel now. What it does get is tyre pressure monitoring system, tubeless tyres and a puncture repair kit. And that's because the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had announced an amendment to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) in July 2020 that vehicles in the M1 category, which include all passenger vehicles with seating capacity of up to 9 occupants can be exempted from providing a spare wheel if the car has TPMS, tubeless tyres and a puncture repair kit.

Tech and Safety

(The EcoSport SE gets the same features as on the S variant. These include a 9-inch touchscreen with smartphone connectivity, sunroof and 6 airbags)

As for features, the new Ford EcoSport SE gets a sunroof, automatic HID headlights with LED DRLs, six airbags, a 9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation and Ford's SYNC 3 infotainment system too. The difference between the 'S' trim and the 'SE' trims of EcoSport is that the SE variants miss out on leather seats, blacked out contrast roof and the Ford 'MyKey', which is part of the standard equipment on the S trim. Rest, all other features stay the same as the 'S' variant.

Performance and Dynamics

(We drove the EcoSport with the 1.5-litre petrol engine and a manual gearbox. The drive experience stays the same as before)

The 2021 EcoSport SE continues to be offered with either 1.5 litre petrol or a 1.5 litre diesel engine. Like before, Ford offers a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic on the petrol variants and just a 5-speed manual on the diesel variants. There are hardly any changes to the way the EcoSport drives. We have the top-spec variant with the petrol engine and a 5-speed manual gearbox. The engine continues to be a peppy, fun motor which can handle a bit of spirited driving. The bottom end offers enough grunt to get going, picking up from slow speeds and the mid-range offers that punch too.

(The EcoSport continues to be a decent handling car, with supple suspension)

The EcoSport continues to be a sweet handling car, with decent feedback from the steering. The ride quality is supple, the same as it was always. Despite its age, the EcoSport continues to be a good option for small families and does well in the city and on highways.

Pricing and Verdict

(The spare wheel at the rear is missed in this profile shot! Yes, we prefer the EcoSport with the spare wheel)

The EcoSport SE variant slots in between the Titanium and the top-spec 'S' models and the petrol variant is priced at Rs. 10.49 lakh while the diesel model is priced at Rs. 10.99 lakh. The prices of the Titanium trim and S trim range from Rs. 9.79 lakh and go up to Rs. 11.49 lakh. Having spent some time with the new EcoSport one can say that the spare wheel at the rear offers that butch 'SUV' look and has always set the EcoSport apart from the rest of the pack. Take that away and you take the identity away of the car! And a spare wheel too. And while the look of the EcoSport without the spare wheel may grow on you, we still prefer the old-school look!