Hyundai i20 Active vs Ford EcoSport: Spec Comparison Review

With the launch of the new Hyundai i20 Active, the Korean takes the crossover war to come head-on with the Ford EcoSport — the segment champion by far. We do a quick specification comparison between the two attractively designed crossovers, to find out if the new kid on the block can give a run for its money to the veteran.

Exterior Design

To make the most of the Excise Duty benefit offered to cars under the 4-meter mark, most car makers try to squeeze their car designs within 4,000mm. The Ford EcoSport is one such smartly designed car, which gracefully maintains the stance of a butch compact-SUV and yet has an overall length of just 3,999mm. Full marks to the designers for giving the EcoSport good proportions despite its compact size.

On the other hand, the Hyundai i20 Active is based on Hyundai’s current top-selling i20 hatchback. So it has the same proportions, flair and desirability as its successful sibling. To top it, the i20 Active also comes equipped with chunky front bumper, body cladding, roof rails, a pseudo bull bar and skid plates.

Although the Ford EcoSport has a closer to SUV design with its taller roofline, when compared the Hyundai i20 Active looks more stylish and appealing. The Hyundai i20 Active gets a raised ground clearance of 190mm, which despite being 10mm less than the Ford EcoSport is enough to take on most bad roads and speed bumps.

Interior and Space

The Hyundai i20 Active carriers over the same dashboard, instrument console and top notch quality seen on the hatchback, which is clearly the best in its class. Even in terms of cabin space, cubbyholes and roominess, the i20 Active steams ahead of the Ford EcoSport, thanks to the Korean’s longer wheelbase and better colour combination. The all-black interior of the EcoSport with over-abundant buttons on the centre console has started to look dated now. And despite being wider, it still cannot fit three adults on the back seat with ease.

The Hyundai Active SX gets an exhaustive list of equipment while the slightly more expensive Ford EcoSport Titanium variant comes with fewer features, in comparison. Both get two airbags up front, Anti-lock Braking System and steering mounted controls. Also common are keyless entry, Bluetooth telephony and push button start. 

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The Hyundai i20 Active gets reverse camera while the EcoSport just gets parking sensors. Besides the above mentioned, the Hyundai is packed to the brim with equipment, which includes rear AC vents, cooled glove box, auto headlights, a tilt and telescopically adjustable steering wheel and even cornering lights.

Engine and Fuel Efficiency

Both the cars are closely matched in this segment, as they come with a proven range of petrol and diesel motors. The petrol Hyundai i20 Active comes powered with a 83PS, 1.2-litre Kappa with a higher ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 17.19 kmpl, than the Ford’s claimed 15.8kmpl.

The Ford comes with a larger and more powerful 112PS, 1.5L Ti-VCT petrol motor which also churns out 140Nm of torque which is 25Nm more than the Hyundai. Both motors are mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, while Ford also has the option of a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

In the diesel variants, Ford’s 1.5-litre mill makes as much power as Hyundai’s 1.4-litre motor but the latter produces slightly higher 220Nm of torque compared to Ford’s 204Nm. Moreover, the Hyundai’s engine has a reputation of been smoother and quieter than the EcoSport. The Hyundai i20 Active comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox as opposed to the 5-speed ‘box on the EcoSport.

Price

The petrol variants of the Hyundai i20 Active 1.2 Kappa ranges between Rs 6.38 lakh and Rs 7.09 lakh, as opposed to Ford EcoSport 1.5-litre Ti-VCT petrol begins at Rs 6.75 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 9.13 lakh, while the automatic variant is priced at Rs 9.73 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

While the diesel Hyundai i20 Active 1.4 is priced between Rs 7.63 lakh and Rs 8.89 lakh, compared to the Ford EcoSport which begins at Rs 7.88 lakh for the base and the top-of-the-line is priced at Rs 10.20 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).