I have removed the hood insulator of our EcoSport, 7 years after its purchase (at 115 000 km). I noticed that the foam started to lose its rigidity and began sagging towards the engine components. If not removed or fixed, its weight and considering the hood vibrations when driving, could cause damage to the wires and hoses in the engine bay. The foam serves as a noise dampener as it absorbs some engine noise, but primarily, it prevents the hood from resonating too much and becoming a soundboard. I think it serves more as a noise deadener rather than a heat insulator since the only component it could be protecting from heat would be the windshield sprinkler system, and perhaps the hood’s paint.
I was informed by fellow EcoSport owners that their Ambiente variants do not have a noise dampener installed. This means that there should be no issues if this part were removed and not replaced. There is however, a slight increase in engine noise as heard from the cabin, but still not loud enough to cause discomfort or issues. This EcoSport hood insulation foam can be purchased in local stores for 1800 pesos (about 35 USD in 2023) and it comes with supplied plastic clips for easy installation. I have yet to determine if I would be bothered with the increased noise as I prefer hearing the engine a bit more, particularly, since our EcoSport is a manual transmission.
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ECOSPORT DIY SERIES
Isa na namang kaalaman sa ating minamahal na EcoSport
© Anthony Urbano (Manila, Philippines)
ECOSPORT DIY SERIES 
Yes, I too had an Ecosport which had this insulating layer sagging at one side. tried using adhesive to hold it up. To no avail. This after 8 years. Finally sold it as it was a diesel and couldn’t stand the noise. For a gasoline vehicle, the insulation makes a small difference. But for a diesel vehicle, it would matter.
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