FORD hasn’t put a foot wrong for years, but the EcoSport - a small pseudo SUV - isn’t its finest hour.

There’s precious little that’s sporty about the EcoSport, apart from its name.

Being a world car, the EcoSport was designed in Brazil with an eye on international markets. European versions are built in India.

The basics were there for a good effort: the EcoSport shares its platform with the Fiesta, by common consent the standard-bearer for driving enjoyment in the supermini sector.

So what went wrong? The SUV makeover has jacked the body up as if it is suspended on stilts and, despite fiddling with the spring/damper settings for UK buyers, the EcoSport doesn’t cope with potholes and washboard road surfaces like the Fiesta.

Despite the off-road looks Ford doesn’t sell an EcoSport with four-wheel drive so, bearing this in mind, when the snow fell (briefly) I kept to B-roads and didn’t try anything too difficult.

Things didn’t go well. Progress was, er, ‘challenging’. The front wheels scrambled for grip, usually spinning for a couple of seconds when moving off, and the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree as the electronics did their best to prevent a slide.

No doubt many of the EcoSport’s rivals - the Vauxhall Mokka, the Renault Captur and the Juke - would have struggled too, but the Ford felt singularly uneasy, as if it was one daft mistake away from an accident.

Discretion being the better part of valour, I gave up after half an hour of mounting frustration and returned home.

On the way back I had time to sample the excellence of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine; the off-beat three-cylinder thrum just audible at 60mph. The EcoBoost powerplant is at the cutting edge of small petrol engine technology. It’s CO2 figure (125g/km) is nothing to boast about compared to a diesel but the 53mpg combined fuel consumption is outstanding (and achievable).

The EcoSport a fine cruiser on smooth roads but it’s no better off-road than a Fiesta.

Inside, if you’re a Ford fan the interior will look very familiar. The fascia has the same layout as the Fiesta with lots of buttons, a small LCD atop the dash for the radio, easy-to-adjust heater knobs and a chunky steering wheel.

But there’s evidence of a lazy conversion from left hand drive. Presumably Ford didn’t swap the handbrake from the left side of the centre console to the right for reasons of cost. Fine, but you trap your fingers painfully against the seatbelt buckle if the passenger seat is too far forward - a problem that is only evident on RHD models.

The side-opening boot door opens the wrong way and I can’t remember the last time I tested a car with its spare wheel stuck on the back.

The interior materials are a step down from the Fiesta, too. There’s no soft-feel plastic - just lots of brittle moulds - and the flat seats have no lateral grip.

On the up side there is a plenty of room; the EcoSport feels larger than its donor vehicle and removing the spare has liberated more space in the boot.

The Titanium model on test came with 16-inch alloy wheels, hill start assist (handy if you get fed up trapping your fingers using the handbrake), a CD/radio with USB and auxiliary inputs, electric windows all round, a trip computer, central locking and an alarm. Oh, there’s also a cooled glovebox but that was of limited value in January.

Buyers like mini SUVs for their commanding driving position, the chunky looks and the sensible layout. The EcoSport ticks all the right boxes in this regard. Indeed, it can wade through deeper water than a Land Rover Defender. Just don’t try following the Landie off road.

​ ​ VERDICT: ​ The EcoSport will find a place in the market. Ford’s muscle will make sure it sells in decent numbers and I have no doubt many buyers will be happy with their purchase.

But… I was hoping for a bit more than merely ‘okay’. Somewhere in the conversion process the Fiesta’s driving enjoyment has been lost.

The EcoSport offers a viable alternative to a Juke, but nothing more.

VERDICT: ​ The EcoSport will find a place in the market. Ford’s muscle will make sure it sells in decent numbers and I have no doubt many buyers will be happy with their purchase.

But… I was hoping for a bit more than merely ‘okay’. Somewhere in the conversion process the Fiesta’s driving enjoyment has been lost.

The EcoSport offers a viable alternative to a Juke, but nothing more.