New Ford Ecosport 2018

[Alainle67]

We will be trading in our Ford Fiesta (alto transmission) soon and are looking at the new Ford Ecosport. Does anyone know if this vehicle can be towed four on the ground?

[derh20]

Alainle67 / You might want to look at the C-Max as it is flat towable and looks similar to the Ecosport. It is a hybrid.

[carringb]

wannavolunteerFT wrote:
theoldwizard,

not to hijack op's thread, but what is issue with Fiesta transmission? I am considering one as it is one of the vehicles available in hatchback that can be towed four down.

The first 4 years of the transmission had some major teething issues. All of them were prone to developing clutch chatter based on driver's habits (basically, treating it like an automatic, and letting the car creep while on the brakes or using the throttle to hold hill roll-back). This was made worse by the first clutch compound being too low-temperature and prone to early wear. There was another problem with the first 3 years where the input shaft seal would leak oil, contaminating the clutches and making them chronically slip and burn up. I'm sure some unavoidable habits, like commuting on steep hills, contribute as well since it's basically a computer controlled manual transmission.

The 2016's+ seem ok. But verdict is still out if they're problem-free long-term.

Reliability aside, I actually like the transmission. When its working right, it delivers good power, and is far more responsive than the 6F15 torque-converter automatic.

[wannavolunteerF]

theoldwizard,

not to hijack op's thread, but what is issue with Fiesta transmission? I am considering one as it is one of the vehicles available in hatchback that can be towed four down.

[Acres8876]

From the Owner's Manual of the 2018 Ford Ecosport as found on the Ford Website:

Recreational Towing
Note: Put your climate control system in recirculated air mode to prevent exhaust fumes from entering the vehicle. See Manual Climate Control.
Follow these guidelines if you have a need for recreational (RV) towing. An example of recreational towing would be towing your vehicle behind a motorhome. We designed these guidelines to prevent damage to your transmission.
Front-wheel drive vehicles CANNOT be flat-towed (all wheels on the ground) as vehicle or transmission damage may occur. You must place the front wheels on a two-wheel tow dolly. If you are using a tow dolly, follow the instructions specified by the equipment provider.
Four-wheel drive vehicles CANNOT be flat-towed (all wheels on the ground), as vehicle or transmission damage may occur. It is recommended to tow your vehicle with all four (4) wheels off the ground such as when using a car-hauling trailer. Otherwise, you cannot recreational tow your vehicle.

[lryrob9301]

According to the Ford Ecosport Owners Manual page 97 there is a warning to NOT tow the vehicle with the drive wheels on the ground, and if it must be done to not exceed 12 MPH or for longer than 12 miles.

There is no mention of recreational towing at all.

[Alainle67]

Just wondering if anybody has an update on the new Ford Ecosport if it can be flat towed? We asked Ford nobody but no good info yet

[afrescopXx]

The Ecosport is absolutely a 2018 model. Go to Ford website to see the details and all the pictures.

[carringb]

It looks like the dual clutch is going away, and the base motor will be the 1.0 turbo with the torque converter automatic. At the moment, the FWD version of this transmission (same combo in the current focus sedan) is not flat towable. I have seen no details about the AWD version.

[theoldwizard1]

I don't think the EcoSport will be out as a 2018MY vehicle, unless you have better info than I do.

I sure hope it does NOT have the same automatic transmission that is optional on the Fiesta !