This month the spotlight is on our daytime receptionist, Sarah Hudon. Her role as our receptionist, is vastly important to our dealership. She is the first friendly face you are likely to see when you walk in our showroom, and often the voice you hear when you call into our dealership. She handles many important tasks and roles within the dealership and helps to keep things organized and running efficiently.
Life Is Fun And Easy In The Most Compact SUV In Canada (video)
In A Crowded World, Ford Ecosport Creates Ecospots
According to a 2017 report from INRIX, a leader in connected car services and transportation analytics, 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 Canada.
Competing in a segment that prides itself on efficient use of space, the Ford EcoSport stands out. It measures only 409.702 centemetres / 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.
It’s Not All About Millennials; Gen Z Drivers Help Make Subcompact Utility The Fastest-Growing Auto Segment
The music is different and fashion senses change. But when it comes to driving, the young adults who make up Gen Z – people born after 1995 – share plenty with their parents and grandparents. They love SUVs.
Gen Z makes up more than one-quarter of the U.S. population. Nearly one-third have reached driving age and are already having an impact on the auto industry. Despite their reputation for being a ride-share-loving generation, 92 per cent own or plan to own a vehicle – according to a 2016 study by Kelly Blue Book/Autotrader.
As to what type of vehicle today’s youngest drivers covet, many are already shifting away from once-popular subcompact cars and gravitating toward the still-young subcompact SUV segment. Erich Merkle, Ford U.S. sales analyst, projects that U.S. sales of subcompact SUVs among 18- to 24-year-olds will surpass those of subcompact cars by as early as next year.
“Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials – everybody wants their SUV, and Gen Z is no different,” Merkle said. “As more new small SUVs like Ford EcoSport become available, you’ll see the subcompact SUV segment continue to climb as a popular new car of choice for first-time buyers.”
Just four years ago, 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States purchased 8,121 subcompact cars and only 443 subcompact SUVs. In 2017, that same age group purchased 3,981 subcompact cars and 2,840 subcompact SUVs – a 541 per cent spike for subcompact SUVs.
Ford EcoSport, which reached Canadian showrooms late last year as the newest entry in the field, is now one of nine vehicles competing in the fast-growing subcompact SUV space. Fuel-efficient and with the cargo space young drivers desire, EcoSport comes at a price many Gen Z consumers can consider over the traditional used-car route for their first ride.
Interested in owning an SUV you can actually find a place to park? Then click the TEST DRIVE button below to enjoy first-hand the “Mighty Mouse” of SUV’s – the 2019 Ford EcoSport!
