The month of October brought about level one of lockdown which is what many South Africans have been looking forward to since March 2020. This meant that we were exonerated, free, Uhuru to do what we love doing most, traveling, Xploring our beautiful country. Perfect timing? Ford South Africa invited us to xplore the Drakensberg in their new Ford EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente 6AT. This was a kid friendly invitation, the excitement was surreal. My sister fondly known to us as Nana and I packed up our kids (besties) and left Gauteng with nothing but 431km and 4 h 41 mins of driving ahead of us with big unreasonable expectations of peace in our hearts. We managed to house my luggage (an entire house) and hers in that boot that had initially underestimated.
The EcoSport is a compact SUV, sized to compete with the likes of the VW T-Cross, Suzuki Vitara, the recently launched Kia Seltos, Hyundai Venue and Renault Sandero to name a few leading competitors in that segment, quite stiff right? The EcoSport has been on the market since 2013, and performing rather well in the sales department, so there was room for improvement thus Ford has introduced the six-speed automatic transmission for the 1.5 Ambiente. The drive to Drakensberg, destination Dalmore Guest Farm was ample time for us to get a feel for Ford’s new offering. Perfect weather, overcast and rainy, non-smooth road, the EcoSport could handle most of the harsh conditions I speak of, the handling was smooth on the famous Drakensberg Mountains which was extra misty. The only disappointing thing was the uphill’s that had the EcoSport screaming for help with struggle until we got to a leveled road. Now if you have driven in and around the Drakensberg you know it’s not one way of driving level on the road, every time we approached an uphill we would feel sorry for the car. The 1.5-litre three cylinder petrol engine produces 91kW, which proved to be sufficient for that size vehicle, not too bad on fuel, you only need +- R500 to fill up and it will last you a while.
Dalmore Guest farm is nestled in the heart of the Drakensberg in the Bergville area, what every Gautenger needs to “get away” from this busy Province. The farm is very hearty and homely and the cottages are beautifully decorated fitted with everything you need for a self-catering stay as well. The drive into the farm needs patience and might I add the EcoSport handled the terrain quite well but I suspect if it were a daily drive with the EcoSport in such terrain, you would have a rattling car within months.
There are also quite a number of activities in and around the area, it’s the Drakensberg, Xplore it! We had our bookings made by Ford for pony rides for the kids at the Dragons Peak Mountain Resort where we also had a wholesome breakfast. The adults had the pleasure of relaxing at the nearby Drakensberg Sun Spa. You will not run shot of things to do around these parts, the Valley Bakery is a MUST if you ever find yourself here.
This weekend was a great experience, our toddlers had fun, and we had some down time. The drive was comfortable, the EcoSport had enough legroom for all of us.
Here’s a couple of more features you will find in the Ford Ecosport 1.5 Ambiente 6AT
- Multimedia functionality
- Ford’s SYNC with Bluetooth and Voice Control
- Two USB ports
- Six speakers and a 4.2-inch screen
There a number of useful safety features included in this model, front and rear parking sensors are always a plus and these are standard across the seven EcoSport derivatives. The EcoSport will keep winning in this segment because it’s priced low, its comfortable, drives well-ish and it’s a cutie pie.
Model & Pricing
- EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente 5MT R288 300
- EcoSport 1.5 TDCi Ambiente 5MT R298 800
- EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente 6AT R306 700
- EcoSport 1.0 EcoBoost Trend 6MT R329 000
- EcoSport 1.0 EcoBoost Trend 6AT R344 100
- EcoSport 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium 6MT R367 900
- EcoSport 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium 6AT R381 700
