M/S tires can make a big difference and from my experience with the EcoSport, it drastically improves driving in winter conditions.
I love your comment about a rear mount spare tire. I hope Ford listens. Let me know if you know of a conversion kit.I came across this cool video of the EcoSport doing a bit of off-roading and it's interesting to see how it did. Has anyone taken their EcoSport on a trail like this? Also how does the all-wheel drive handle things like mud and snow?