The EcoSport is Ford’s answer to killing off the Fiesta sedan and hatchback. Though not actually meant for off-road excursions the 2021 EcoSport Active is a derivative meant to appeal to former Fiesta owners. The Active is front-wheel-drive so that is one of its limitations to exploring off-road. These are leaked EcoSport Active images and so you weren’t supposed to see these. 

The debut date for the EcoSport Active is November 6

The official debut date for the EcoSport Active is November 6. Somehow Autonocion snagged these, so kudos to the Spanish language site. Because these aren’t directly from Ford we don’t have any press info but we can see a number of features to whet your appetite. 

First off, the body cladding is the first tipoff that this has the “Active” options. The huge wheel arches hide some of the extra lift that the Active gets as do the panels along with the rockers. Both the front and rear get fake skid plates. Heavily tinted glass is an option we see.

Ford didn’t go far beyond standard trims for the Active interior

Ford didn’t go too far beyond standard EcoSport trims for the Active interior but there is an embroidered  “A” for Active letters on the front seats. There is also a manual transmission which may or may not be available in the US. In fact, the Active version of the EcoSport may not be available here at all. It remains to be seen if it makes the cut here. 

Our guess is that it is absolutely coming to the US because “nobody wants cars and hatchbacks anymore” as witnessed by Ford dropping all sedans. Anything even hinting at being a car Ford wants to banish. So the cladding and such makes for a terrific disguise that falls in line with Ford’s worldview at this juncture.

The European models will only come with a 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder featuring a whopping 125 hp. The EcoSport slated for the US will have an optional 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 166 hp. It is also available with either front- or all-wheel-drive. Transmissions include a six-speed shiftable automatic. 

EcoSport Active trim levels include the S, SE, and SES trims

Trim levels include the S trim, SE gives you Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system, and an eight-inch touchscreen among other options. The SES trim gives you the more powerful four-cylinder engine and options like the 4WD which is standard with this trim. Some would suggest sticking with front-wheel-drive to eliminate the extra weight of 4WD.

Other makers that compete in this segment include the Mazda CX-30, Hyundai Kona, Kia Soul, and Nissan Juke. The quality and driving characteristics tend to be a bit more refined with these competitors. Sound levels and nicer levels of materials also tend to be the case with these Japanese and South Korean rivals.