What we have here is the European version of the Titanium S, but we lucky Brits will have a more powerful version when we start to receive vehicles in June 2016. So for now, what we have is Ford’s mini SUV which is already improved – and it’s going to get better.

Frankly, it needed to be upgraded. Okay, so it’s an SUV and it’s never going to handle like a sports car, but the previous version was really pretty poor, to the extent that Ford went back to the drawing board and have upgraded a lot of components.

Steering and suspension, two of the main culprits, have been revised. One of the outcomes of that is that the ride height has been lowered by 10mm to improve handling. You could argue that if someone bought an SUV they might be looking for decent ground clearance and some vague ability on rough tracks, but, like many manufacturers, Ford has taken the SUV idea and then promptly started to engineer out the benefits of one.

They then took that idea one step further and have made the Titanium S version, the most sporty version yet. The SUV we drove had the 123bhp Ecoboost engine but the ones we will get in the UK will have the 138bhp version from the Fiesta Red/Black Edition.

Actually the 123bhp motor is already a good one. It has that lovely triple-cylinder sound and goes pretty well, certainly quick enough for day-to-day driving. That works well with the steering which has a much better feel, quickening up as speeds rise and also increasing its weighting.

The handling is improved but you’re still in no doubt where this vehicle started. Some road bumps and ridges can come through into the cabin in a shuddering wave, and the ride is often a jiggle. The SUV rides flatter in the corners, and there’s more control once you’re winding it through twisty country roads, but you won’t mistake this for anything other than an SUV with a sporty upgrade.

The cabin is a symphony in black plastic, which isn’t improved by the amount of wind noise and road thumps coming in. There’s a reasonable amount of space although the boot is definitely on the small side.

Overall the Ecosport is improved but it’s still a series of compromises that don’t always sit easily with each other. We’ll have to see what the more powerful engine does to the package next year, and also see where the pricing ends up. One on the watch list for now.

Ford Ecosport 1.0T 140 Titanium S

Price: £17,500 (est);

Engine: 3 cyls, 999cc, turbocharged, petrol;

Power: 138bhp at 6000rpm;

Torque: 155lb ft at 2000rpm;

Gearbox: 5-spd manual;

Kerb weight: na;

Top speed: 117mph;

0-62mph: 11.8sec;

Economy: 50.4mpg (combined);

CO2/tax band: 125g/km, 20%

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