SALES of small SUVs - cars that look like rugged little off-roaders, but aren't - are expected to nearly double in the next five years.
So every car maker with an eye to future growth needs one, and fast.
Say hello to the Ford EcoSport. Designed in Brazil and built in India, it's really a Fiesta underneath the tall and mildly macho new bodywork. That promises a great deal, once you push the engine start button. We'll see.
Before we get there, let's wander round the outside of the EcoSport, perhaps wondering if it will prove either Eco or Sport and noticing the large radiator grille at the front and, rare on a car today, a spare wheel mounted on the back door and hidden beneath a body coloured cover.
Moving it out of the interior frees up room for a decent boot (bigger than most competitors) but does mean the door must be side-hinged, so you have to leave lots of room behind at the supermarket car park or you'll never load the shopping.
The door must weigh a lot too, although Ford cleverly fits a telescopic strut that will actually open it all the way itself after a gentle start from the EcoSport owner.
Now open the driver's door (via a little rubber button, car key firmly left in pocket or handbag) and slide aboard. You'll notice a nicely elevated driving position, one of the reasons people love an SUV, along with the sense of occasion bestowed by mere ownership. More upmarket, somehow, than a mere hatch, don't you think?
If you've jumped into an EcoSport from a current Fiesta (and Ford must hope lots do) you'll spot pretty much the same dashboard ahead of you, with its array of mobile phone-like buttons and tiny screen for lesser tasks like radio and phonebook displays.
Then you'll notice that there's a general lack of feel good soft surfaces, replaced by lots of hard plastic that does nothing to make the EcoSport feel even modestly upmarket.
Just as well, then, that the car comes pretty well equipped for the money. There are only two trim levels, the Titanium as driven here and, for £1,000 more, the Titanium X which adds full leather trim, bigger alloy wheels, cruise control and auto functions for lights, wipers and dimming rear view mirror.
Standard on the lower spec EcoSport are 16ins alloys, electric windows all round, trip computer, keyless entry and automatic air conditioning. Bluetooth (surely a modern day must have) is another £250 and you'll need rear parking sensors (remember that spare wheel slung out the back) for £210 too.
Three engines are offered; the 1.0 three-cylinder petrol unit tested today, a 1.5 litre petrol with the option of automatic gears and a 1.5 litre diesel. Prices top out at £17,495 and every car is front-wheel drive; no 4x4 is offered.
What is on offer is plenty of room for driver and four passengers (five at a pinch) with lots of headroom front and rear and even a back seat that can be reclined a little for a more relaxing journey.
You'll be most relaxed if the road ahead is smooth. The EcoSport feels tough as can be but it never really settles down on a typically pockmarked British road surface. Not awful, but not a patch on the Fiesta that spawned it.
Doesn't feel like a Fiesta in bends either, but does its best to overcome the inevitable rock and roll that building a car tall brings with it. Not Sport-like, it must be said.
The car fares better in the first part of its name, with a reasonably Eco 43mpg recorded in a week's typical use. T
he little 1.0 litre engine is a gem in the Fiesta and does a decent job in the heavier EcoSport too, accompanied by a lovely background burble.
And it helps give Ford a bit of street cred in a part of the car market where everyone wants a piece of the action.