Thread Starter
#1
Car: Ecosport 1.5 Lt TDCI, Trend variant
Cost: On road cost 9.14 L (Including 2 years extended warranty, Zero dep. Insurance from dealer, Scuff plates and 3M Under body coating)
Dealer: Rock city Ford, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu
Booking Date: 15.07.2013
Delivery date: 14.08.2013
When I first saw the pictures of Ford unveiling Ecosport in Auto expo 2012 I was really disappointed. I was like what is this? A sub 4 mtr tall hatch on steroid. Huh, I will never buy this type of car in near future. Then I almost decided on Ertiga. I was hell bent on buying the Ertiga. Many arguments took place with my wife. My wife was totally against Ertiga. She used to tell “eh we don’t want a big people mover. We are only three. Just go for a proper sedan or premium hatch”. But my mind and heart were fixed at Ertiga. To know about people’s response and feedback on Ertiga I joined TAI![[:)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Smile.gif "Smile [:)]")
and I was extensively following all the ertiga related threads and made so many queries to the actual owners as well as TAI experts. And one fine day I decided to take a TD of Ertiga. Friends you will not believe, only one TD and it simply erased all the feelings I had about Ertiga in my heart and mind. I came to my wife and told her “this car is not for me”. She was damn happy.
Reason why I ditched Ertiga:
Actually I liked everything in Ertiga except one which is very very important to me i.e. driving position. When I was driving the Ertiga it felt like I was driving a big Van and immediately decided “No I can’t drive a Van daily”. No offence to Ertiga owners.
How I Decided on Ecosport:
In the mean time Ford launched the Ecosport on 26th June’2013. On 27th June I went to my local Ford dealer to have a look at the car. Dealer had a White color 1.5D Titanium Ecosport. When I first looked at the car I just fell on my knees. God I want this car right now. I could not believe that, this same car was unveiled at the 2012 auto expo. Then I sat in the driver’s sit. Wow what a nice driving position and it felt like a solid and heavy car. Then I asked the dealer about the on road cost of the car and my mind started doing all the financial calculations. So without TD, without any second thought I decided “I am going to buy this car”. Then I came home and next day took my wife to dealer. I told her “see I am going to buy this car”. She told me “are you crazy? What will happen to our present car Manza?” I simply told “I don’t know. But I am going to buy this car”. She told “ok, do whatever you want” and I know this is the most dangerous statement from our better halves. So I decided to pamper her to the extreme level and I succeeded. Finally got green signal from my wife. Immediately rushed to dealer and booked the Car by paying Rs.50k.
After continuous follow up and regular visit to the dealer, finally the D-day came on 14.08.2013. Went to dealer along with my family and took delivery of my cute devil “Argento” at 12 noon. My daughter was really happy after seeing “Argento”.
Initial experience with my cute devil “Argento”
So far I have driven around 400 KM and below are the points I want to share:
Look, Build quality, fit and finish:
A real attention grabber. No doubt about this. Build quality is good. The car feels solid and sturdy. The doors are real heavy and it feels good. People who are checking my car say the doors are like vault. Interior plastic quality and fit and finish are average. You can’t compare this with Hyundai. That is in different league. You can see some rough edges of plastic panels inside the cabin. But I must say this is far better than TATA and Mahindra.
The fit and finish of outer side plastic cladding is below average. Ford must do something to make it neat and smooth.
Engine, Gear box and Braking
The 1.5 Lt. TDCI engine is smooth and silent. At cruising speed this engine is super silent. Better than my earlier car Manza’s safire engine. Torque delivery of this engine is linear. There is no sudden surge / turbo kick from this engine. If you like sudden turbo kick, this engine is not for you. It is not like our famous national engine 1.3 Lt MJD/DDIS/Quadrjet whatever you call. I know this engine has a huge fan base in India. But I am not comfortable with this national engine.
The linear and predictable power delivery of 1.5 Lt TDCI engine makes this engine easy to drive and control. A really good diesel motor for city as well as for highway. No doubt about this. This same engine is also available in new Fiesta. But behaviour of both the cars is different. In fiesta you can feel the turbo kick. But in ecosport it is linear and smooth. May be gearing is different in both the cars.
The ecosport gear box is smooth and slick. All the gears slot nicely except third. While shifting from 2nd to 3rd you need some attention. Otherwise it is a nice gearbox. Far better than the Ertiga and I20 and million times better than my earlier car Manza. But it can’t compete with VW/Skoda gearbox. Those are in different league.
Braking is one area where I want Ford to focus. Ecosport braking is good and sharp. But it seems to be hard compared to Manza’s braking. And there is no progressiveness in the braking. Manza’s braking has a nice progressive feel.
Driving position & Steering:
Driving position is damn good and spot on. You can see the surrounding of the car from the drivers sit without any problem.
Steering is nice to hold and operate. Really smooth for city use. No complaint. And it weighs up nicely as speed increases. Yes it is not like the new fiesta which is direct and gives awesome feedback. Fiesta steering is like point and shoot. But I am not saying that Ecosport steering is bad. It is really good for city as well as highway. You will not lose confidence while doing highway speed. I have extensively driven my friends I20. Ecosport steering is far better than I20.
If I compare my earlier car Manza’s steering with ES, it will be like comparing apple with orange. Manza needs constant attention after 80 kmph and its steering becomes super light at 100kmph. Whereas ecosports steering weighs up nicely with speed.
Ride and handling:
Now this is one area which surprises me whenever I drive my ecosport. Most of the people complain about stiff suspension of ecosport. Initially I was also sceptical about the ride quality of this car. But I must say Ecosport ride quality is superb at highway speed (better than my earlier car Manza). Yesterday I made a short trip to Thanjavur Temple and ride on the highway was simply awesome. No complaint from back sitters also (my wife and my mom). In city area if you are in hurry you can feel some bumps. Otherwise it is ok for city speed. Handling is really good. You will not feel that you are driving a high CG compact SUV. But remember don’t make any mistake to take sharp turns at high speed. This car does not like high speed sharp turns. Yesterday when I tried to take a turn at 50 – 55 kmph which I used to take at @ 50 in my Manza, made the car little nervous. So beware, don’t treat this car like low slung sedan / hatch. Just stay in this car’s limit and you will be awarded with a smooth and comfortable ride.
Seating & space:
This car is strictly 4 seater. No doubt about this. If somebody says that 3 persons can seat at back seat I will not believe. Because even my 7 year old daughter needs to squeeze herself between my mom and wife at the back seat. And my mom and wife are average built. So if anyone is planning to use this car for 5 adults please rethink.
Front seats are really good and have good supports but smaller than Manza’s seat. Rear seat reclining is good and leg room is surprisingly good for this compact car.
YES I miss my Manza’s space.
Headlamp
This is one area where I miss Manza’s headlamps. Upgrading the headlamps is must. Ecosport headlights are sufficient only if you are driving alone on the highway. If other vehicles come from opposite or rear it becomes really difficult to see the front of the car.
Milage:
So far I have driven around 330 km, roughly I did some calculation and it seems I am getting 20+ kmpl with 100% AC on. Superb figure for a car like this.
AC
Ac is really good. Better than my Manza. Now my wife is complaining that it cools too much
I know without pictures a review is incomplete. But due to my busy schedule i could not able to take pictures.
. Hope tomorrow i will get some nice snaps.
Friends, here is my Ecosport 5000 km update
Cost: On road cost 9.14 L (Including 2 years extended warranty, Zero dep. Insurance from dealer, Scuff plates and 3M Under body coating)
Dealer: Rock city Ford, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu
Booking Date: 15.07.2013
Delivery date: 14.08.2013
When I first saw the pictures of Ford unveiling Ecosport in Auto expo 2012 I was really disappointed. I was like what is this? A sub 4 mtr tall hatch on steroid. Huh, I will never buy this type of car in near future. Then I almost decided on Ertiga. I was hell bent on buying the Ertiga. Many arguments took place with my wife. My wife was totally against Ertiga. She used to tell “eh we don’t want a big people mover. We are only three. Just go for a proper sedan or premium hatch”. But my mind and heart were fixed at Ertiga. To know about people’s response and feedback on Ertiga I joined TAI
and I was extensively following all the ertiga related threads and made so many queries to the actual owners as well as TAI experts. And one fine day I decided to take a TD of Ertiga. Friends you will not believe, only one TD and it simply erased all the feelings I had about Ertiga in my heart and mind. I came to my wife and told her “this car is not for me”. She was damn happy. Reason why I ditched Ertiga:
Actually I liked everything in Ertiga except one which is very very important to me i.e. driving position. When I was driving the Ertiga it felt like I was driving a big Van and immediately decided “No I can’t drive a Van daily”. No offence to Ertiga owners.
How I Decided on Ecosport:
In the mean time Ford launched the Ecosport on 26th June’2013. On 27th June I went to my local Ford dealer to have a look at the car. Dealer had a White color 1.5D Titanium Ecosport. When I first looked at the car I just fell on my knees. God I want this car right now. I could not believe that, this same car was unveiled at the 2012 auto expo. Then I sat in the driver’s sit. Wow what a nice driving position and it felt like a solid and heavy car. Then I asked the dealer about the on road cost of the car and my mind started doing all the financial calculations. So without TD, without any second thought I decided “I am going to buy this car”. Then I came home and next day took my wife to dealer. I told her “see I am going to buy this car”. She told me “are you crazy? What will happen to our present car Manza?” I simply told “I don’t know. But I am going to buy this car”. She told “ok, do whatever you want” and I know this is the most dangerous statement from our better halves. So I decided to pamper her to the extreme level and I succeeded. Finally got green signal from my wife. Immediately rushed to dealer and booked the Car by paying Rs.50k.
After continuous follow up and regular visit to the dealer, finally the D-day came on 14.08.2013. Went to dealer along with my family and took delivery of my cute devil “Argento” at 12 noon. My daughter was really happy after seeing “Argento”.
Initial experience with my cute devil “Argento”
So far I have driven around 400 KM and below are the points I want to share:
Look, Build quality, fit and finish:
A real attention grabber. No doubt about this. Build quality is good. The car feels solid and sturdy. The doors are real heavy and it feels good. People who are checking my car say the doors are like vault. Interior plastic quality and fit and finish are average. You can’t compare this with Hyundai. That is in different league. You can see some rough edges of plastic panels inside the cabin. But I must say this is far better than TATA and Mahindra.
The fit and finish of outer side plastic cladding is below average. Ford must do something to make it neat and smooth.
Engine, Gear box and Braking
The 1.5 Lt. TDCI engine is smooth and silent. At cruising speed this engine is super silent. Better than my earlier car Manza’s safire engine. Torque delivery of this engine is linear. There is no sudden surge / turbo kick from this engine. If you like sudden turbo kick, this engine is not for you. It is not like our famous national engine 1.3 Lt MJD/DDIS/Quadrjet whatever you call. I know this engine has a huge fan base in India. But I am not comfortable with this national engine.
The linear and predictable power delivery of 1.5 Lt TDCI engine makes this engine easy to drive and control. A really good diesel motor for city as well as for highway. No doubt about this. This same engine is also available in new Fiesta. But behaviour of both the cars is different. In fiesta you can feel the turbo kick. But in ecosport it is linear and smooth. May be gearing is different in both the cars.
The ecosport gear box is smooth and slick. All the gears slot nicely except third. While shifting from 2nd to 3rd you need some attention. Otherwise it is a nice gearbox. Far better than the Ertiga and I20 and million times better than my earlier car Manza. But it can’t compete with VW/Skoda gearbox. Those are in different league.
Braking is one area where I want Ford to focus. Ecosport braking is good and sharp. But it seems to be hard compared to Manza’s braking. And there is no progressiveness in the braking. Manza’s braking has a nice progressive feel.
Driving position & Steering:
Driving position is damn good and spot on. You can see the surrounding of the car from the drivers sit without any problem.
Steering is nice to hold and operate. Really smooth for city use. No complaint. And it weighs up nicely as speed increases. Yes it is not like the new fiesta which is direct and gives awesome feedback. Fiesta steering is like point and shoot. But I am not saying that Ecosport steering is bad. It is really good for city as well as highway. You will not lose confidence while doing highway speed. I have extensively driven my friends I20. Ecosport steering is far better than I20.
If I compare my earlier car Manza’s steering with ES, it will be like comparing apple with orange. Manza needs constant attention after 80 kmph and its steering becomes super light at 100kmph. Whereas ecosports steering weighs up nicely with speed.
Ride and handling:
Now this is one area which surprises me whenever I drive my ecosport. Most of the people complain about stiff suspension of ecosport. Initially I was also sceptical about the ride quality of this car. But I must say Ecosport ride quality is superb at highway speed (better than my earlier car Manza). Yesterday I made a short trip to Thanjavur Temple and ride on the highway was simply awesome. No complaint from back sitters also (my wife and my mom). In city area if you are in hurry you can feel some bumps. Otherwise it is ok for city speed. Handling is really good. You will not feel that you are driving a high CG compact SUV. But remember don’t make any mistake to take sharp turns at high speed. This car does not like high speed sharp turns. Yesterday when I tried to take a turn at 50 – 55 kmph which I used to take at @ 50 in my Manza, made the car little nervous. So beware, don’t treat this car like low slung sedan / hatch. Just stay in this car’s limit and you will be awarded with a smooth and comfortable ride.
Seating & space:
This car is strictly 4 seater. No doubt about this. If somebody says that 3 persons can seat at back seat I will not believe. Because even my 7 year old daughter needs to squeeze herself between my mom and wife at the back seat. And my mom and wife are average built. So if anyone is planning to use this car for 5 adults please rethink.
Front seats are really good and have good supports but smaller than Manza’s seat. Rear seat reclining is good and leg room is surprisingly good for this compact car.
YES I miss my Manza’s space.
Headlamp
This is one area where I miss Manza’s headlamps. Upgrading the headlamps is must. Ecosport headlights are sufficient only if you are driving alone on the highway. If other vehicles come from opposite or rear it becomes really difficult to see the front of the car.
Milage:
So far I have driven around 330 km, roughly I did some calculation and it seems I am getting 20+ kmpl with 100% AC on. Superb figure for a car like this.
AC
Ac is really good. Better than my Manza. Now my wife is complaining that it cools too much
I know without pictures a review is incomplete. But due to my busy schedule i could not able to take pictures.
. Hope tomorrow i will get some nice snaps.Friends, here is my Ecosport 5000 km update
Last edited:
![[:D]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Big%20Smile.gif "Big Smile [:D]")
. Congrats once again for your new ride. ![[clap]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Clap.gif "Clap [clap]")
![[roll]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Roll.gif "Roll Eyes [roll]")
