Ford Ecosport | 1.5P | 10,000 Kms | Review: When Love and Hate Collide

[Rajiv0909]

I would like to thank the readers for the encouragement and contribution so far. This section, is an attempt to share some sourcing strategies I used for accessorizing my Ecosport.

However before I share specifics I have a question, how would you respond to this ? In my view, the most practical difference between the AT titanium and MT Ambient variant is the AT gearbox, rest is all aliexpress.com

I am conscious that many of you wouldn’t agree with this. Let me also admit that safety can’t be bought from aliexpress.com , at best a policy from policybazaar.com however that’s no substitute. Exceptions kept aside, from the 3.7L (and the associated cascading effect of the loan) I was able to save, I decided to use 0.7L towards buying features. Features/accessories that I wanted in my car as against the ones that come default with a particular variant, so I had the list (rolling) set out :

1. Exterior enhancements :
o Roof rails
o Body treatments + Colored door handles + ORVMs
o Alloys + Bigger/Better Tires
o Chrome front Grille

2. Interior enhancements:
o Rear seat Headrests
o All Black or Black + Tan interiors with bright silver/chrome garnish
o Remote start

3. Lighting enhancements:
o Fog lamps + DRLs
o Automatic headlamps
o HIDs

4. Safety Features:
o Tire Pressure monitors
o Front and rear Cameras
o Blind zone alarms

5. Most of the above items controlled thru a Carputer – that's certainly better then SYNC , can be customized, is future ready and at the least does basic stuff like navigation, music and car diagnostics well

In subsequent posts, I would try and cover 1 category per post to ensure reader convenience

 

[Rajiv0909]

1. Exterior enhancements :
o Roof rails
o Body treatments + Colored door handles + ORVMs
These were easy, rather I didn’t have patience to find the right deal for above set.

Roofrails - I certainly wanted OEM (read sturdy) roofrails so that if ever I chose to utilize the roof for a rack or to carry my bike I can. Also, I was unsure if aftermarket ones would damage the chasis by the way of drilling. Hence, went ahead with the dealer quoted price of 13K for it

Body treatments – Since I had chosen the flashy Blue color for my car, I felt a coat would be needed to maintain it, especially as the car would be parked in the sun for most of the days in the week. Dealer’s quote was reasonable ~8K for 3M under+overbody+ engine protection with re-coating twice in the year. I took the plunge

Body colored doors+ ORVMs – Again due to the color, I thought it would be difficult to find a match if I try after market sources. While paying 3K was too much for it, since there wasn't much choice had to go with the dealer quote

Engine protector - not sure if that's a feature miss in ambient or it was missing in my car however It is a must have for offroads. I tried all possible source but couldnt manage to get one. Finally, Madhu from TAI was kind enough to offer his spare protector. I can't thank him enough for his help


24 from 70K budget was spent already

o Alloys + Bigger/Better Tires
Aftermarket choices were limited (in September 2013) and expensive (25 – 35K for a set of 5 alloys). There was a wide variety of tires available and almost all of them were expensive (35- 45K). This combination was certainly not in my budget. From the alternatives that came up, one viable alternative was to look for stock alloys + tires that customers exchange for aftermarket ones. A few challenges i encountered while pursuing these deals:
1. Authenticity of the deal: olxs and quikrs were filled with fake ads.
2. Quality of equipment: For alloys, one could still use judgment however for tires one cannot. In many cases it is difficult to assess the life of a tire basis its looks.
3. Price : These deals were without a benchmark, for as high as 50K for a set of 5 OEM alloys

I wasn’t in a hurry; started exploring the biggest aftermarket sources: Mumbai and New Delhi (thanks to friends who gave a helping hand). Finally the deal was struck in Nov 2013 for 20K for a set of 4 OEM alloys with Bridgestone 215/60/16 tires. Since the source was in Delhi, I had to pay 3K to get the tires down to Pune.

That’s 47K from 70K gone. I was lucky enough to sell the used 15” tires (4x) for 10K which added 10K back to the budget

o Chrome front Grille
I tried a few options here:

1. OEM , dealer solution. I was informed that the front grille in ambient doesn’t support chrome inserts and if I were to change the grille, then plug the inserts it would cost close to 14K (for upper and lower grills). That was lot of money to be spent for some chrome

2. Found a seller on olx who was willing to let go of the front titanium variant grille for 5K, including shipping it would have costed 6.5K. By the time I could make up my mind, the deal was closed

3. Aftermarket from rediff shopping for 2.5K. The day it arrived, I wanted to return it. The quality was pathetic. It was a glue based solution and knew it would peel off sooner or later. It did in a week's time and were shipped back to the seller

4. It was lost patience when one day, I decided to spray paint it. Used a can of chrome spray 150rs, some tape and newspaper to ensure that only relevant area is sprayed. A clear lacquer coat later finally for longer life

While, not an ideal solution; It isn’t bad either.

 

[dravid]

congrats rajiv0909, I truly liked your narration and color of your car. Why you didn't installed the DRL's in the headlight stock location, I have seen couple of owners doing so, BTW this doesn't look bad.

 

[Rajiv0909]

congrats rajiv0909, I truly liked your narration and color of your car. Why you didn't installed the DRL's in the headlight stock location, I have seen couple of owners doing so, BTW this doesn't look bad.

Hi dravid, that was certainly my 1st option however had to let go for following reasons :

1. Complex installation
2. Cost: Since ambient doesn't come with fog lamps, which if bought from the dealer cost 6.5K and this set costed me 3.5 (including lamps)

 

[AnoopSG]

The chrome grill looks fantastic - can't believe it was a DIY job. Well done buddy.

Could you please post a more close up shot of the front grill ?

Also is 215/60/16 the correct (read allowable) upsize from the OEM spec ? 20K for a set of 4 alloys with tyres is a damn good deal.

 

[Rajiv0909]

The chrome grill looks fantastic - can't believe it was a DIY job. Well done buddy.

Could you please post a more close up shot of the front grill ?

Also is 215/60/16 the correct (read allowable) upsize from the OEM spec ? 20K for a set of 4 alloys with tyres is a damn good deal.

Hi Anoop, thanks. i will post close up shots over the weekend

205/60/16 is the default/correct size - this one is 10 mm wider than the default size

 

[Sooraj dearkee]

Super cool!! Grill is classy. Will the paint l go f over a period f time?

 

[AnoopSG]

Hi Anoop, thanks. i will post close up shots over the weekend

205/60/16 is the default/correct size - this one is 10 mm wider than the default size

I am seriously thinking of upgrading my tyres, if the OEM tyres are MRF - upsizing will also be a consideration in that case.

Did you take the front grille out for painting ? Also can you share the details of the paint and lacquer used for the job.

Meanwhile, eagerly looking forward for the details on interior mods

 

[redindian83]

hi, interior looks super cool. have you changed the lower dashboard colour, or is it due to camera, any way it looks much better than my trend interior color.

 

[Rajiv0909]

got distracted with an off topic DIY. Broke my iphone screen - in absence of financially viable options decided to fix it on my own. below is a teaser of what i went thru

hi,, interior looks super cool,.. have you changed the lower dashboard colour, or is it due to camera, any way it looks much better than my trend interior color.

yes the lower dashboard has been coated with a matching black, so is the case with center console and side trims (barring the leather inserts)

The AC vents and center of the board has been painted with bright silver to match the alloys

See below image for more details

hi,, interior looks super cool,.. have you changed the lower dashboard colour, or is it due to camera, any way it looks much better than my trend interior color.

Super cool!! Grill is classy. Will the paint l go f over a period f time?

Hi Sooraj, it may fade off however with coats of lacquer have ensured that the wear and tear is in line with any other paint on the car

I am seriously thinking of upgrading my tyres, if the OEM tyres are MRF - upsizing will also be a consideration in that case.

Did you take the front grille out for painting ? Also can you share the details of the paint and lacquer used for the job.

Meanwhile, eagerly looking forward for the details on interior mods

Ecosport looks much better with wider tires, didnt notice any change in performance or mileage with this upsize so would definitely recommend. MRF is actually better for offroad situations

sorry i couldn't take pictures, i was distracted with something (details above). Plan to cover interiors this weekend

 

[Prads]

I don't believe it would impact any warranty as it interfaces with ecosport on 2 counts : 1. To charge itself thru the charging point and 2 pick instructions from obdii to trigger custom actions

While it is WIP, I will share broad construct by weekend

Custom MMI interface (DIY) with BMW style dial interface (WIP)

Hello Rajiv love the display mounted in the car,am sure many would like to know more about this,have you integrated rear & front cam to the display?
Would appreciate it if you could share your experience ,costs & tasks you went about to achieve this. Thanks !

 

[Sooraj dearkee]

Thanks Rajiv..
I installed the drl two days back. I think you can try that also

 

[AnoopSG]

Thanks Rajiv..
I installed the drl two days back. I think you can try that also

@Sooraj

Could you please share the details of the DRL (and possibly pictures of the same), including the cost. A local accessories shop here quoted 9K for DRL installation.

Also please do detail on how the set up was installed.

@Rajiv,

Thanks for your advice on tyres - looking at the prices quoted for the tyres by local dealers (buy back of 3.5K for MRF and 9K for new Yoko-both prices per piece), I am thinking of sticking with the stock tyres to begin with - but you never know, that might change once I get the car and start on the mod jobs

Sorry to hear about your iPhone - but don't worry. You are not the only one - I too broke my HTC sensation's screen last week - and you know what, no shop (that I went to) in Trivandrum can repair it. So me too stuck with a broken display - but it works fine, so planning to keep it till as long as it lasts.

Please do share the interior mods details in between if possible - That's one of the things I have been looking forward to since your last post

 

[Playing_cars]

Hi
Can someone advice on front fog lamps (AM) i have booked trend diesel and looking for front fog lamps, rear parking sensors & Seat covers all AM and spare wheel cover from dealer, need advice for AM spares in Noida.

 

[AnoopSG]

Hi
Can someone advice on front fog lamps (AM) i have booked trend diesel and looking for front fog lamps, rear parking sensors & Seat covers all AM and spare wheel cover from dealer, need advice for AM spares in Noida.

You can buy it from ebay or ali express - both these sites offer fog lamps for ES with DRLs and they are cheaper than the original accessories (not a 100% sure though).

And you should be able to convince the dealers to fix them for you, else they can be fitted by any accessories shop in your city - it seems a simple job.