IN A CROWDED WORLD, FORD ECOSPORT CREATES ECOSPOTS – PARKING SPACES SUITED FOR THE MOST COMPACT SUV IN NORTH AMERICA

We circle the block, calculating whether our vehicle will squeeze into a curbside gap. Can I fit in there? I think I can fit in there. A car horn from behind begins honking.

No. You can almost never fit in there. As population centers get denser, finding a convenient parallel parking space has become, at times, a grueling challenge.

According to a 2017 report from INRIX, a leader in connected car services and transportation analytics, drivers in New York City spend an average of 107 hours every year searching for a parking spot. In Los Angeles and San Francisco, they burn 85 hours and 83 hours, respectively. Nationwide, every driver spends an average of 17 hours a year searching for a parking spot.

The search, for some drivers, is over. Many of those spots, those frustratingly too-small spots, have a new name. Meet the EcoSpot, parking spaces for only the most-compact SUV in North America.

Competing in a segment that prides itself on efficient use of space, the Ford EcoSport stands out. It measures only 161.3 inches in length, but thanks to innovative features like flip-and-fold second-row seats and a moveable cargo floor board that adjusts easily to any of three positions, EcoSport delivers parking convenience without sacrificing the precious cargo room that SUV drivers demand. Here’s how EcoSport measures up to some of its chief competitors:

• EcoSport has more cargo area than a Mini Countryman, but is 8.5 inches shorter
• EcoSport has more cargo area than a Buick Encore, but is more than 7 inches shorter
• EcoSport has more cargo area than a Mazda CX-3, but is 7 inches shorter
• EcoSport has more cargo area than a Chevy Trax, but is nearly 6 inches shorter

And in a world where parking is scarce – but EcoSpots are abundant – every inch counts.