I checked with them today on this and they told exactly the same, they purchase the cars from company and sell. The ones which they dont have in stock, they order at the company. Car is parked at their stockyard and planning to do a pdi before i make the final payment.
Ford EcoSport Facelift 2018 Launched in India (Coverage Pg: 34)
- Thread Starter AppU
- Start date
I do not understand the point of your debate from your first post on this a few posts back.
No one is comparing them with any SUV in traditional sense. Neither do any of the previous posts talk about their off-roading capabilities.
They are just being compared with each other or is that also incorrect?
I do not understand the point of your debate from your first post on this a few posts back.
No one is comparing them with any SUV in traditional sense. Neither do any of the previous posts talk about their off-roading capabilities.
They are just being compared with each other or is that also incorrect?
No one is comparing them with any SUV in traditional sense. Neither do any of the previous posts talk about their off-roading capabilities.
They are just being compared with each other or is that also incorrect?
I do not understand the point of your debate from your first post on this a few posts back.
No one is comparing them with any SUV in traditional sense. Neither do any of the previous posts talk about their off-roading capabilities.
They are just being compared with each other or is that also incorrect?
Last edited by a moderator:
Usualy if we are taking a new Ford car by exchanging an old one they will force us to take insurance from them, if we are not exchanging with Ford we are free to take insurance from any of the 3rd party companies we like, Ford guys will force us to take theirs, we just need to keep a firm stand that we want to take from outside .
Ford Ecosport 1.5l Petrol Titanium Manual Review
EXTERIOR
The new front is what catches most peoples attention, its more hunkered down and sloping design than the outgoing model, some may like this while some will find the 13-17 front better, regardless I am sure nobody will say the new Ecosport has a bad face, its a smart looking front with well detailed headlamp cluster and nice chrome grill encapsulated in black glossy plastics, the difference here is the black glossy plastics feel really hard and solid unlike some competitors where the black glossy plastics feel flimsy and without much depth, the new fog lamp design as per Ford adds to aerodynamics as well because an O shape in the front anyhow will create a vacuum at high speeds and this new sleek integrated fog design gives Ecosports front a more or less smooth surface for air to deflect towards the smooth rising wheel arches.
The Ford logo which used to be on top of the grill has moved to the center of the new grill, but I wish it was a bigger logo, as the mass of the new grill easily swallows the Ford logo into oblivion unlike in Endeavor where that Bold chrome surrounded Blue Oval sits proud and imposing.
There are neat air deflector's below the front bumper that's made of hard but flexible rubberized plastic, the lower part of the bumper has plastic cladding split along sides by the body coloured sheet metal which is a nice touch and gives its front some character
The new hood/bonnet has had fair share of changes as well, the wind screen washer jet points have been re positioned to a much better spot where its hidden well and out of view, the shut lines are not as perfect as in Volkswagen and Hyundai cars, but in the same league as Honda cars. There is very good wheel arch cladding and sound deadening materials have been used generously inside wheel arches. The Radio Antenna though is an eye sore and sticks out like a disobedient hair amidst neat and tidily combed hair.The roof rails look and feel SOLID and well finished and again gives Ecosport utilitarian character despite its sporty aura.
The side profile seems largely unchanged and dosent seem to have much changes except in the door handles where the door unlock request buttons have now changed to request sensors behind the door handle, the side view mirror still has that neat puddle lamps that illuminate the path while exiting car, I find it pretty useful feature.
At the rear there is even lesser changes, here also the boot door opening mechanism remains but the operational switch to open boot has moved under the chrome plated region in tail light section, it takes getting used to as the button in pre facelift models were visible and easier to access.
The paint quality seems to be superb, no blisters or rough spots along major body panels, even the door hinge positions and boot hinge positions have been well pained and finished.
INTERIOR
Open the doors and it feels heavy and solid, and ingress is easy, still not as easy as Brezza which has less slanting A pillar, its a walk inside, the foot base is not too deep compared to scuff base like in some sedans, this is helpful as a deep foot base means one has to lift legs up while exiting car or it makes egress difficult, not the case with Ecosport as foot base is not deep
The 1st thing to note is the new dash and steering wheel and instrument cluster, this new interior makes Ecosports front way more modern and up to date when compared with the outgoing model, for some it might even be a deal breaker for pre facelift Ecosport as the new interior is that much improved, the steering wheel has good quality leather wrapped and is of very good diameter, not too large nor too small, the buttons in steering wheel also feels really good and premium to operate, the steering has reach and rake which is nice.
The front seats definitely is improved over the 13-17 model ones, the squab has grown bigger and the human torso of low to medium built fits well inside the new seats, for heavily built people its still not as good as say Honda City seats, the bolstering wings too seem to be wider and gives good support to back. The seats have 6 way manual adjustment, I felt its slightly better than competitors when it comes to finding ideal driving position by adjusting the back rest angle, seat height and reach all in 2 directions, the Titanium has cloth seats having white stitching, the seat foam has a very nice balance of firmness and softness, definitely long drive friendly seats and felt slightly better than the seats of Nexon and Brezza from my point of view.
The arm rest definitely could have been designed better as its not that useful for short drivers, at least an adjustable one would have done the job, the centre portion that houses the gear lever and hand brake also has useful storage for holding mobile phones, snacks and coins and some regions are damped as well a very nice touch, the front door pockets too are large enough and can hold large bottles with ease, the door arm rest too is a nice touch and feels good to use
The door has all the wanted controls for mirrors, individual door locks and mirror adjust in front doors, also the switches feel well damped and has a sense of robustness to it, even in center console the switches for volume ,AC, radio all feel well damped and solid to use, the steering wheel too has all the needed controls for using changing radio channels, accepting and cancelling calls, menu presets, volume +/- and menu select, the steering too is leather wrapped and feels really good to hold and gives the impression of holding a much expensive car in our hands, very close to the steering of new gen VW Polo,Vento , Rapid etc.
The lack of Rear view camera on Titanium variants is a big downer, but otherwise the SYNC 3 is easily the best touch screen system out there, its FAST, smooth and responsive and has large fonts and bright back lighting, its easy to read and super intuitive to use, I would go far and say its as good as VWs,BMWs,Audis, premium touch screen system that they use in Octavia,3 series, A4, A class, etc, the SYNC 3 screen although might not be to every ones liking as its a floating screen but now I understand why Mercedes, Audi, BMW etc use this type of system even in their premium cars, its simple, its easy to see and less distraction while driving because one dosent need to look where menus are in this setup as its already high up and always remains in view of driver and passengers, there are 2 USB ports and the sound quality of the speakers are good, true its not as good as the ones in Nexon . Still it wont offend even the above average audiophiles as there is good mid range punch and sounds dosent crackle much even at loud volumes, all it needs is a proper sub woofer for better BASS, the Titanium and higher variants get tweeters inside door/unlock lock speaker housing, The handbrake lever too is well stitched and feels good to use, firm and reassuring. The steering also has stalks for wiper with speed adjusters and toggle switch to control front/back wipers, the Indicator stalks are on right side of steering, they also have the lane change function ie 3 illumination on a single tap to indicate lane change, The steering reach and rake adjust control is a lever under the steering and needs some effort to operate, but they work well and can be used to get commanding driving position, all stalks are well damped and feel great to use, The headlamp controls are on the right hand side of driver near the Right AC vents, its a rotary switch , this control region also has the head lamp levelers as a toggle to control switch, the head lamps are projector head lamps, the dim itself has now improved quiet a lot from the previous gen Ecosports due to much better reflector design, the projectors are yellow beams and they illuminate front pretty well, throw is decent not exemplary like in ones like Octavia and Skoda Rapid etc, probably due to the light being higher up from ground compared to sedans. The HVAC controls are a straight lift from the Ford Figo/Aspire, the buttons are well damped and the knurled knobs etc feel good to use, but I felt the buttons for recirculation, wind screen warmer etc are too small for a bigger car like Ecosport. The AC is a chiller and cools cabin effectively within 5 minutes, the new vent design is not as good as 13-17 Ecosports as a lot of air from centre vents cool the drivers and front passengers arms unnecessarily , but since its in the middle the rear passengers get a good dose of air blown to them, I didn’t feel the lack of rear AC vents a big miss here , but definitely if there was one, it would have been that much better as now the rear of the driver arm rest housing stays plain on top of centre shaft.
The MID is plane and bland and contrary to a lot of peoples wish, I dont find it that much of an issue, its just there to give info and it does its job fine, although it looks a lot retro compared to the newer HVAC and SYNC region. There are sun glass holders and sun blinds with vanity mirrors , the top roof also seem well finished in Ecosport, at the back there is difficulty for people who are above 5.10 feet tall, the seat base is long and has become wider, so there is more comfort for under thigh regions, the seat base is not as contoured as in seats of Honda City or Ciaz, so its still not as comfortable as a sedan, still I felt as good or better than Nexon.
The rear seats have lost their recline function , the seat recline was an unique feature that would have added more appeal to the Ecosport , the rear seats get a handy arm rest with cup holders, they are practical and useful as well , the rear doors too get the arm rests which is a neat touch and they are well stitched and are useful, the door pockets too get bottle holders, there are power charging outlets near the wheel arch region of back seat bases, these can be used for charging USB powered devices , The rear doors have just one switch ie the power window switch and they too feel robust and built to last. The back of front seats have been scooped out for better leg space, its a temporary solution but not one that would keep 6 footers happy. The rear seat cushioning too felt firm and moderately soft around edges, this means great for long journeys, there are adjustable head rests for 2 passengers in Ecosports back seat, its an indirect notification that this is a 4 seater not a 5 seater. The head room is good for front and back passengers, the roof line is tall enough and dosent intrude into headroom
The Boot
The boot door opens sideways which is not at all ideal for Indian conditions, the switch is hidden inside the right tail lamps , the boot door also is heavy due to spare wheel hanging on this door, the boot floor is generally flat and doesn’t have a huge lip so sliding in and out objects is easy, the seats dont flat fold completely in Titanium trims and lower, but in Titanium+ the seats fold flat and they also give an adjustable boot floor parcel. This is a good feature as the flat folded space gives around 1050 l boot space, without flipping seats its around 353 liters, not much bigger than what the Jazz offers in a practical case. The seats can be released easily with press of a button on the top ends of seats, do keep the seat belts under their holders before flipping seats as otherwise they will be a disturbance as they hang free on both sides of boot. The boot has side fitted boot lamps, under the parcel of the boot there are stepney and safety kits and Jacky all kept bolted to chassis, even this portion is painted well and finished well.
EXTERIOR
The new front is what catches most peoples attention, its more hunkered down and sloping design than the outgoing model, some may like this while some will find the 13-17 front better, regardless I am sure nobody will say the new Ecosport has a bad face, its a smart looking front with well detailed headlamp cluster and nice chrome grill encapsulated in black glossy plastics, the difference here is the black glossy plastics feel really hard and solid unlike some competitors where the black glossy plastics feel flimsy and without much depth, the new fog lamp design as per Ford adds to aerodynamics as well because an O shape in the front anyhow will create a vacuum at high speeds and this new sleek integrated fog design gives Ecosports front a more or less smooth surface for air to deflect towards the smooth rising wheel arches.
The Ford logo which used to be on top of the grill has moved to the center of the new grill, but I wish it was a bigger logo, as the mass of the new grill easily swallows the Ford logo into oblivion unlike in Endeavor where that Bold chrome surrounded Blue Oval sits proud and imposing.
There are neat air deflector's below the front bumper that's made of hard but flexible rubberized plastic, the lower part of the bumper has plastic cladding split along sides by the body coloured sheet metal which is a nice touch and gives its front some character
The new hood/bonnet has had fair share of changes as well, the wind screen washer jet points have been re positioned to a much better spot where its hidden well and out of view, the shut lines are not as perfect as in Volkswagen and Hyundai cars, but in the same league as Honda cars. There is very good wheel arch cladding and sound deadening materials have been used generously inside wheel arches. The Radio Antenna though is an eye sore and sticks out like a disobedient hair amidst neat and tidily combed hair.The roof rails look and feel SOLID and well finished and again gives Ecosport utilitarian character despite its sporty aura.
The side profile seems largely unchanged and dosent seem to have much changes except in the door handles where the door unlock request buttons have now changed to request sensors behind the door handle, the side view mirror still has that neat puddle lamps that illuminate the path while exiting car, I find it pretty useful feature.
At the rear there is even lesser changes, here also the boot door opening mechanism remains but the operational switch to open boot has moved under the chrome plated region in tail light section, it takes getting used to as the button in pre facelift models were visible and easier to access.
The paint quality seems to be superb, no blisters or rough spots along major body panels, even the door hinge positions and boot hinge positions have been well pained and finished.
INTERIOR
Open the doors and it feels heavy and solid, and ingress is easy, still not as easy as Brezza which has less slanting A pillar, its a walk inside, the foot base is not too deep compared to scuff base like in some sedans, this is helpful as a deep foot base means one has to lift legs up while exiting car or it makes egress difficult, not the case with Ecosport as foot base is not deep
The 1st thing to note is the new dash and steering wheel and instrument cluster, this new interior makes Ecosports front way more modern and up to date when compared with the outgoing model, for some it might even be a deal breaker for pre facelift Ecosport as the new interior is that much improved, the steering wheel has good quality leather wrapped and is of very good diameter, not too large nor too small, the buttons in steering wheel also feels really good and premium to operate, the steering has reach and rake which is nice.
The front seats definitely is improved over the 13-17 model ones, the squab has grown bigger and the human torso of low to medium built fits well inside the new seats, for heavily built people its still not as good as say Honda City seats, the bolstering wings too seem to be wider and gives good support to back. The seats have 6 way manual adjustment, I felt its slightly better than competitors when it comes to finding ideal driving position by adjusting the back rest angle, seat height and reach all in 2 directions, the Titanium has cloth seats having white stitching, the seat foam has a very nice balance of firmness and softness, definitely long drive friendly seats and felt slightly better than the seats of Nexon and Brezza from my point of view.
The arm rest definitely could have been designed better as its not that useful for short drivers, at least an adjustable one would have done the job, the centre portion that houses the gear lever and hand brake also has useful storage for holding mobile phones, snacks and coins and some regions are damped as well a very nice touch, the front door pockets too are large enough and can hold large bottles with ease, the door arm rest too is a nice touch and feels good to use
The door has all the wanted controls for mirrors, individual door locks and mirror adjust in front doors, also the switches feel well damped and has a sense of robustness to it, even in center console the switches for volume ,AC, radio all feel well damped and solid to use, the steering wheel too has all the needed controls for using changing radio channels, accepting and cancelling calls, menu presets, volume +/- and menu select, the steering too is leather wrapped and feels really good to hold and gives the impression of holding a much expensive car in our hands, very close to the steering of new gen VW Polo,Vento , Rapid etc.
The lack of Rear view camera on Titanium variants is a big downer, but otherwise the SYNC 3 is easily the best touch screen system out there, its FAST, smooth and responsive and has large fonts and bright back lighting, its easy to read and super intuitive to use, I would go far and say its as good as VWs,BMWs,Audis, premium touch screen system that they use in Octavia,3 series, A4, A class, etc, the SYNC 3 screen although might not be to every ones liking as its a floating screen but now I understand why Mercedes, Audi, BMW etc use this type of system even in their premium cars, its simple, its easy to see and less distraction while driving because one dosent need to look where menus are in this setup as its already high up and always remains in view of driver and passengers, there are 2 USB ports and the sound quality of the speakers are good, true its not as good as the ones in Nexon . Still it wont offend even the above average audiophiles as there is good mid range punch and sounds dosent crackle much even at loud volumes, all it needs is a proper sub woofer for better BASS, the Titanium and higher variants get tweeters inside door/unlock lock speaker housing, The handbrake lever too is well stitched and feels good to use, firm and reassuring. The steering also has stalks for wiper with speed adjusters and toggle switch to control front/back wipers, the Indicator stalks are on right side of steering, they also have the lane change function ie 3 illumination on a single tap to indicate lane change, The steering reach and rake adjust control is a lever under the steering and needs some effort to operate, but they work well and can be used to get commanding driving position, all stalks are well damped and feel great to use, The headlamp controls are on the right hand side of driver near the Right AC vents, its a rotary switch , this control region also has the head lamp levelers as a toggle to control switch, the head lamps are projector head lamps, the dim itself has now improved quiet a lot from the previous gen Ecosports due to much better reflector design, the projectors are yellow beams and they illuminate front pretty well, throw is decent not exemplary like in ones like Octavia and Skoda Rapid etc, probably due to the light being higher up from ground compared to sedans. The HVAC controls are a straight lift from the Ford Figo/Aspire, the buttons are well damped and the knurled knobs etc feel good to use, but I felt the buttons for recirculation, wind screen warmer etc are too small for a bigger car like Ecosport. The AC is a chiller and cools cabin effectively within 5 minutes, the new vent design is not as good as 13-17 Ecosports as a lot of air from centre vents cool the drivers and front passengers arms unnecessarily , but since its in the middle the rear passengers get a good dose of air blown to them, I didn’t feel the lack of rear AC vents a big miss here , but definitely if there was one, it would have been that much better as now the rear of the driver arm rest housing stays plain on top of centre shaft.
The MID is plane and bland and contrary to a lot of peoples wish, I dont find it that much of an issue, its just there to give info and it does its job fine, although it looks a lot retro compared to the newer HVAC and SYNC region. There are sun glass holders and sun blinds with vanity mirrors , the top roof also seem well finished in Ecosport, at the back there is difficulty for people who are above 5.10 feet tall, the seat base is long and has become wider, so there is more comfort for under thigh regions, the seat base is not as contoured as in seats of Honda City or Ciaz, so its still not as comfortable as a sedan, still I felt as good or better than Nexon.
The rear seats have lost their recline function , the seat recline was an unique feature that would have added more appeal to the Ecosport , the rear seats get a handy arm rest with cup holders, they are practical and useful as well , the rear doors too get the arm rests which is a neat touch and they are well stitched and are useful, the door pockets too get bottle holders, there are power charging outlets near the wheel arch region of back seat bases, these can be used for charging USB powered devices , The rear doors have just one switch ie the power window switch and they too feel robust and built to last. The back of front seats have been scooped out for better leg space, its a temporary solution but not one that would keep 6 footers happy. The rear seat cushioning too felt firm and moderately soft around edges, this means great for long journeys, there are adjustable head rests for 2 passengers in Ecosports back seat, its an indirect notification that this is a 4 seater not a 5 seater. The head room is good for front and back passengers, the roof line is tall enough and dosent intrude into headroom
The Boot
The boot door opens sideways which is not at all ideal for Indian conditions, the switch is hidden inside the right tail lamps , the boot door also is heavy due to spare wheel hanging on this door, the boot floor is generally flat and doesn’t have a huge lip so sliding in and out objects is easy, the seats dont flat fold completely in Titanium trims and lower, but in Titanium+ the seats fold flat and they also give an adjustable boot floor parcel. This is a good feature as the flat folded space gives around 1050 l boot space, without flipping seats its around 353 liters, not much bigger than what the Jazz offers in a practical case. The seats can be released easily with press of a button on the top ends of seats, do keep the seat belts under their holders before flipping seats as otherwise they will be a disturbance as they hang free on both sides of boot. The boot has side fitted boot lamps, under the parcel of the boot there are stepney and safety kits and Jacky all kept bolted to chassis, even this portion is painted well and finished well.
Last edited by a moderator:
THE PETROL DRIVE
To Start the car one has to depress the clutch and push the POWER button which is illuminated with Green LED, the car Turns ON with a shimmy and shake, typical to any i3 Motor, from the outside the sound is unpleasant , somewhat like a big 800cc Altos sound, even while idling it sounds loud and makes its presence felt, outside refinement is far from perfect, inside though once idle which is around 900-950 rpm the car is super quiet, thanks to all that insulation, there is almost nothing that comes into the cabin, slot the slightly rubbery gearbox into 1st gear and the car moves without hesitation, the clutch engage point is easy to find and the clutch itself is light and has perfect weighting, its still not as smooth as Hyundais clutch, almost similar in action to Honda petrol cars clutch, when in lower gears if the car goes under 1000 rpm there is a characteristic vibration that enters cabin and one that can be felt through steering and pedals, once past 1200 rpm the car feels super smooth and its barely noticeable inside and nobody would ever think this is an i3, the 1st and 2nd gear are short rest of gears are long and are tuned for mileage, but the gearing is so perfect for city driving that it almost feel effortless, My test drive vehicle had 3 on board one 80 kg and myself and an SA who are in the 60-65 kg range and the car still felt strong in the 1200-3500 rpm range which is very unusual for Atmospheric engines , there is a constant torque throughout the rev range that makes it super linear to drive, actually more linear to drive than some i4 petrols, 1st and 2nd can be used for stop go traffic and it can even take off in 2nd gear if wanted, however when it comes to taking inclines the torque of diesel is a miss, one has to use low gears, the lack of torque is felt here , but saving grace is it never feels out of breath, if we need more power just push the revs higher and the engine delivers power in decent amounts, anywhere between 2000-4000 rpm the car has lot of torque to keep drivers satisfied, for sedate drivers this new engine is PLEASURE as this can ample around in higher gears at lazy rpms without much problems, rarely have I seen NA engines have this characteristic. When that enthusiastic driver sleeping inside one wakes up this car is again delivers the promise of 123 HP @ 6000 rpm and 150 NM @ 4500 rpm, the engine definitely has dual nature, post 3500 rpm if we keep on pushing it will rev to 4000 and then if it senses the throttle is buried, it pulls hard to 7000 rpm! I felt the 3500-4000 rpm is the transition period, there is lot of power between 4000-6200 rpm, post 6200 rpm more noise and less progress, the engine sounds tinny and has some vibrations post 6000 rpm, the engine note though is very sporty, but not every ones cup of tea as it might sound offensive to some who are used to smooth Honda/Hyundai petrol cars. The gearbox is also a good one, not smooth but sporty and a tad rubbery to use, but once we get the hang of it, it becomes second nature and we will use it leisurely as it never let me down even within citys stop go traffic, the cars ability to mask speed is excellent, because of the strong bottom end 0-60 kmph comes quick, then we will be in the 3rd gear and this one is long and can be used to push it to 90-100 kmph, 4th and 5th are long gears, but even in 4th one can traverse city as the car stays at the 2200-2500 rpm mark where also the engine has enough torque, I never pushed beyond 120 kmph but the car can easily surpass those speeds with ease, there is wind noise from mirrors creeping inside cabin post 100 kmph, tire noise still is minimum compared with the old Ecosport as well, I have read lot of reviews of the new 1.5l i3 Dragon engine from media drives but I have to admit it, I liked this engine a lot, We have been witnessing a trend where all brands have started ditching NA engines and going the downsized turbo way, this engine is a refreshing change and is among the rare 1.5l-1.6l NA motors that one will love to own, it easily has become my top petrol engine to consider along with Hondas iVTEC engine and Hyundais 1.6 VtVT engine.
RIDE AND HANDLING
First let me clarify this, this is a compact UV, its no sedan nor hatch back, its a new breed so neither does it handle like a sedan nor like an SUV nor an MPV, any day a sedan handles better than a CUV like Ecosport only few sedans and hatch backs like Nissan Sunny,Toyota Etios,Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Xcent, Elite i10, etc handle worse than CUVs.
Sedans/hatches like City, Vento, Rapid, Ciaz, Aspire,Figo,Zest, Polo, all probably handle and ride as good or better than the Ecosport.
The essence of a good handling car is in the steering and this has become a little more light in the current Ecosport, its not a deal breaker though, it still feels good, its got good balance of heft and precision, the previous gen Ecosports steering was more eager to self centre and the new one has eased off a bit, there is more slack at centre position which I felt did make it easier to cruise at high speeds, the rubber band feeling of steering is still there , its still not perfect, my Figo MK I with hydraulic steering is way more focused and entertaining to use, but Ecosport is an UV and in that sense its FIT for the purpose, does its job really well and although there is little communication from tarmac, this is what the high riding cars should be like, if it was a proper SUV or a proper hatch/sedan more FEEL would have been much more welcome, as of now, its downright perfect, in between both worlds while being comfortable to use.
The FUN element of a cars handling comes from its mechanicals like the chassis and the suspension, its caster angles etc, and here the Ecosport is just average , The suspension is softer than outgoing model, one can feel this right from the word go as there is better absorption at low speeds ie at less than 40 kmph, the previous Eco had more bumpiness, now its got smoother but yet there is an underlying firmness to it, post 40 kmph the car has a solid Ride quality, its firm but never intrusive, and it never isolates bumps like in sedans but neither does this bother you as its always controlled, feels like there is push from under the body but no crashing, the lack of IRS (Independent rear suspension) means the car unsettles when a single wheel has to counter a bump or a gutter, a short wheelbase a high ground clearance means such instances will be felt far more inside than in sedans with longer wheelbase and short travel suspensions, the front MacPherson struts with gas filled shocks and rear semi independent twist beams work great when we have to encounter bumps and poth holes on consecutive succession, the suspension works silently for most of the part but when we fall into a gutter at high speeds ie speeds excess of 90 kmph there are vibrations and thud sounds that enter the cabin, some people take care of this by reducing tire pressure from 33 to 30/31. The best way to drive Ecosport is to drive it like driving a small hatch back say a Elite i20,Baleno,etc , just because it has a higher GC dosent mean it will be comfortable to drive over bumps and poth holes with ease, one has to brake and take each bump and poth hole in low speeds to get a comfortable ride, this is true for all compact UVs, not just Ecosport.
The advantage of this long travel suspension is when the roads are flooded and when one has to tackle unscientific speed breakers and one has to deal with very mile off road situations, otherwise always consider Ecposport, nexon, Brezza as a large hatch back and one will feel at home.
Regarding how it handles twisty roads, YES its got that FORD FIESTA DNA inside it hidden somewhere, one can feel that when the car is pushed into corners, there is a reassuring feel for corner entry, but the tires protest easily when the entry speeds are above 70 kmph , the mid corner stability is excellent for a car thats FWD and thats this high above ground, what spoils it here is the excess body roll, there is plenty of body roll , the previous Ecosport too had roll , but the stiffer springs had a little bit more control over it, the new one decisively falls for the roll, but the thing is, it is honest even while its rolling heavily one can change directions in between thats where the sporty setup of Ecosports suspension tuning shines through, there is under steer even at 90 kmph, my Figo and Global Fiesta mask under steer better even at these speeds, the car struggles to gain back composure if one tries to get a 90 degree lock from a 45 degree lock, sedans and hatch backs deal with such situations much better, the previous gen Ecosport too cant deal with such situations with ease, once Ecosport under steers its better to ease of throttle rather than pushing more like in global Fiesta, Linea, Punto, Figo MK I etc where the chassis counters under steer and grips harder and stays planted to the intended line, one has to be really careful while braking in middle of the corner as the uneven weight distribution cause Ecosport to sway to the outside lane rather than pulling itself back , its always better to downshift and then brake to gain control, the car does nose dive under heavy braking , brakes have springy feel but does the job fine, the tires offer good grip, but Michelin and Yokohama provide much better grip than stock MRF ZV2k tires, Opting for wider 16” tires will definitely improve Ecosports handling, ride and comfort, the car has good mechanical potential but stock tires dont do any justice to what this car is capable of.
In the back seat the things have got better compared to 13-17 Ecosport, previously there were lot of bumpiness and stiffness felt at the back seats, now the softer setup means better bump absorption and better balance, still one will feel the roll and high speed crashing if the driver is not careful enough, so the rear seat comfort of Ecosport is still not the best, its still a slightly bumpy ride for people in there.
The new Ecosport is a FUN UV to drive regardless, a well accomplished package, as long as we compare it to its competition, if we jump to sedan/hatch category its advantages fail in comparison, drive it like a hatch back one will enjoy the drive, drive it like an SUV one will hate the Ecosport.
EFFECIENCY
The new Ecosports Dragon i3 engine is supposed to deliver 17 kmpl ARAI mileage, for a 1245 kg UV thats 200 mm above ground thats a good number considering Ecosport Dragon makes 123 HP, and in my test drive the instantaneous mileage shown was 10.8 kmpl for most of the city drive, while I started cruising at 100 kmph it was showing 14.2-14.7 kmpl, its not super efficient but for a petrol and a heavy less aerodynamic body this its pretty impressive, I was hoping sub 10 kmpl mileages inside city and sub 13 kmpl highway as I was pushing it hard and there were 3 on board.
To Start the car one has to depress the clutch and push the POWER button which is illuminated with Green LED, the car Turns ON with a shimmy and shake, typical to any i3 Motor, from the outside the sound is unpleasant , somewhat like a big 800cc Altos sound, even while idling it sounds loud and makes its presence felt, outside refinement is far from perfect, inside though once idle which is around 900-950 rpm the car is super quiet, thanks to all that insulation, there is almost nothing that comes into the cabin, slot the slightly rubbery gearbox into 1st gear and the car moves without hesitation, the clutch engage point is easy to find and the clutch itself is light and has perfect weighting, its still not as smooth as Hyundais clutch, almost similar in action to Honda petrol cars clutch, when in lower gears if the car goes under 1000 rpm there is a characteristic vibration that enters cabin and one that can be felt through steering and pedals, once past 1200 rpm the car feels super smooth and its barely noticeable inside and nobody would ever think this is an i3, the 1st and 2nd gear are short rest of gears are long and are tuned for mileage, but the gearing is so perfect for city driving that it almost feel effortless, My test drive vehicle had 3 on board one 80 kg and myself and an SA who are in the 60-65 kg range and the car still felt strong in the 1200-3500 rpm range which is very unusual for Atmospheric engines , there is a constant torque throughout the rev range that makes it super linear to drive, actually more linear to drive than some i4 petrols, 1st and 2nd can be used for stop go traffic and it can even take off in 2nd gear if wanted, however when it comes to taking inclines the torque of diesel is a miss, one has to use low gears, the lack of torque is felt here , but saving grace is it never feels out of breath, if we need more power just push the revs higher and the engine delivers power in decent amounts, anywhere between 2000-4000 rpm the car has lot of torque to keep drivers satisfied, for sedate drivers this new engine is PLEASURE as this can ample around in higher gears at lazy rpms without much problems, rarely have I seen NA engines have this characteristic. When that enthusiastic driver sleeping inside one wakes up this car is again delivers the promise of 123 HP @ 6000 rpm and 150 NM @ 4500 rpm, the engine definitely has dual nature, post 3500 rpm if we keep on pushing it will rev to 4000 and then if it senses the throttle is buried, it pulls hard to 7000 rpm! I felt the 3500-4000 rpm is the transition period, there is lot of power between 4000-6200 rpm, post 6200 rpm more noise and less progress, the engine sounds tinny and has some vibrations post 6000 rpm, the engine note though is very sporty, but not every ones cup of tea as it might sound offensive to some who are used to smooth Honda/Hyundai petrol cars. The gearbox is also a good one, not smooth but sporty and a tad rubbery to use, but once we get the hang of it, it becomes second nature and we will use it leisurely as it never let me down even within citys stop go traffic, the cars ability to mask speed is excellent, because of the strong bottom end 0-60 kmph comes quick, then we will be in the 3rd gear and this one is long and can be used to push it to 90-100 kmph, 4th and 5th are long gears, but even in 4th one can traverse city as the car stays at the 2200-2500 rpm mark where also the engine has enough torque, I never pushed beyond 120 kmph but the car can easily surpass those speeds with ease, there is wind noise from mirrors creeping inside cabin post 100 kmph, tire noise still is minimum compared with the old Ecosport as well, I have read lot of reviews of the new 1.5l i3 Dragon engine from media drives but I have to admit it, I liked this engine a lot, We have been witnessing a trend where all brands have started ditching NA engines and going the downsized turbo way, this engine is a refreshing change and is among the rare 1.5l-1.6l NA motors that one will love to own, it easily has become my top petrol engine to consider along with Hondas iVTEC engine and Hyundais 1.6 VtVT engine.
RIDE AND HANDLING
First let me clarify this, this is a compact UV, its no sedan nor hatch back, its a new breed so neither does it handle like a sedan nor like an SUV nor an MPV, any day a sedan handles better than a CUV like Ecosport only few sedans and hatch backs like Nissan Sunny,Toyota Etios,Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Xcent, Elite i10, etc handle worse than CUVs.
Sedans/hatches like City, Vento, Rapid, Ciaz, Aspire,Figo,Zest, Polo, all probably handle and ride as good or better than the Ecosport.
The essence of a good handling car is in the steering and this has become a little more light in the current Ecosport, its not a deal breaker though, it still feels good, its got good balance of heft and precision, the previous gen Ecosports steering was more eager to self centre and the new one has eased off a bit, there is more slack at centre position which I felt did make it easier to cruise at high speeds, the rubber band feeling of steering is still there , its still not perfect, my Figo MK I with hydraulic steering is way more focused and entertaining to use, but Ecosport is an UV and in that sense its FIT for the purpose, does its job really well and although there is little communication from tarmac, this is what the high riding cars should be like, if it was a proper SUV or a proper hatch/sedan more FEEL would have been much more welcome, as of now, its downright perfect, in between both worlds while being comfortable to use.
The FUN element of a cars handling comes from its mechanicals like the chassis and the suspension, its caster angles etc, and here the Ecosport is just average , The suspension is softer than outgoing model, one can feel this right from the word go as there is better absorption at low speeds ie at less than 40 kmph, the previous Eco had more bumpiness, now its got smoother but yet there is an underlying firmness to it, post 40 kmph the car has a solid Ride quality, its firm but never intrusive, and it never isolates bumps like in sedans but neither does this bother you as its always controlled, feels like there is push from under the body but no crashing, the lack of IRS (Independent rear suspension) means the car unsettles when a single wheel has to counter a bump or a gutter, a short wheelbase a high ground clearance means such instances will be felt far more inside than in sedans with longer wheelbase and short travel suspensions, the front MacPherson struts with gas filled shocks and rear semi independent twist beams work great when we have to encounter bumps and poth holes on consecutive succession, the suspension works silently for most of the part but when we fall into a gutter at high speeds ie speeds excess of 90 kmph there are vibrations and thud sounds that enter the cabin, some people take care of this by reducing tire pressure from 33 to 30/31. The best way to drive Ecosport is to drive it like driving a small hatch back say a Elite i20,Baleno,etc , just because it has a higher GC dosent mean it will be comfortable to drive over bumps and poth holes with ease, one has to brake and take each bump and poth hole in low speeds to get a comfortable ride, this is true for all compact UVs, not just Ecosport.
The advantage of this long travel suspension is when the roads are flooded and when one has to tackle unscientific speed breakers and one has to deal with very mile off road situations, otherwise always consider Ecposport, nexon, Brezza as a large hatch back and one will feel at home.
Regarding how it handles twisty roads, YES its got that FORD FIESTA DNA inside it hidden somewhere, one can feel that when the car is pushed into corners, there is a reassuring feel for corner entry, but the tires protest easily when the entry speeds are above 70 kmph , the mid corner stability is excellent for a car thats FWD and thats this high above ground, what spoils it here is the excess body roll, there is plenty of body roll , the previous Ecosport too had roll , but the stiffer springs had a little bit more control over it, the new one decisively falls for the roll, but the thing is, it is honest even while its rolling heavily one can change directions in between thats where the sporty setup of Ecosports suspension tuning shines through, there is under steer even at 90 kmph, my Figo and Global Fiesta mask under steer better even at these speeds, the car struggles to gain back composure if one tries to get a 90 degree lock from a 45 degree lock, sedans and hatch backs deal with such situations much better, the previous gen Ecosport too cant deal with such situations with ease, once Ecosport under steers its better to ease of throttle rather than pushing more like in global Fiesta, Linea, Punto, Figo MK I etc where the chassis counters under steer and grips harder and stays planted to the intended line, one has to be really careful while braking in middle of the corner as the uneven weight distribution cause Ecosport to sway to the outside lane rather than pulling itself back , its always better to downshift and then brake to gain control, the car does nose dive under heavy braking , brakes have springy feel but does the job fine, the tires offer good grip, but Michelin and Yokohama provide much better grip than stock MRF ZV2k tires, Opting for wider 16” tires will definitely improve Ecosports handling, ride and comfort, the car has good mechanical potential but stock tires dont do any justice to what this car is capable of.
In the back seat the things have got better compared to 13-17 Ecosport, previously there were lot of bumpiness and stiffness felt at the back seats, now the softer setup means better bump absorption and better balance, still one will feel the roll and high speed crashing if the driver is not careful enough, so the rear seat comfort of Ecosport is still not the best, its still a slightly bumpy ride for people in there.
The new Ecosport is a FUN UV to drive regardless, a well accomplished package, as long as we compare it to its competition, if we jump to sedan/hatch category its advantages fail in comparison, drive it like a hatch back one will enjoy the drive, drive it like an SUV one will hate the Ecosport.
EFFECIENCY
The new Ecosports Dragon i3 engine is supposed to deliver 17 kmpl ARAI mileage, for a 1245 kg UV thats 200 mm above ground thats a good number considering Ecosport Dragon makes 123 HP, and in my test drive the instantaneous mileage shown was 10.8 kmpl for most of the city drive, while I started cruising at 100 kmph it was showing 14.2-14.7 kmpl, its not super efficient but for a petrol and a heavy less aerodynamic body this its pretty impressive, I was hoping sub 10 kmpl mileages inside city and sub 13 kmpl highway as I was pushing it hard and there were 3 on board.
Last edited by a moderator:
How's the effect of 17inch tyres and rims on driving ?
Also any idea regarding AT.
Also any idea regarding AT.
Thanks for a detailed feedback of the new Eco Sport buddy. It would have been great if you could share some pics too. It would have completed the review![[:)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Smile.gif "Smile [:)]")
Regards
Akash
Regards
Akash
I test drove just the Titanium MT variant, I couldnt try the Titanium+ as it was not available as test drive car.
Actually I didnt take any photos, I had no idea that this test drive would end up as a long one and as one that would see dusk , my friend and I went for meeting another friend in his Toyota Fortuner and unfortunately he was not there so confused where to go next, we just headed to Ford showroom to check Ecosport, had no plans for Test drive, but to our surprise we got a petrol car for test drive, usually there are lot of diesel for test drive but not petrols, so just took oppertunity without second thought and spent more time observing and driving it in detail and after the drive it wss almost night and then phone cams did no justice to the Ecosport we drove in Canyon Ridge.
Thanks for a detailed feedback of the new Eco Sport buddy. It would have been great if you could share some pics too. It would have completed the review
Regards
Akash
Regards
Akash
I took a quote from outside and went back to my dealer and told him that I will buy insurance from outside because there was a 20k saving. He told me that for new cars its a mandate from Ford that insurance needs to bought from them.
I told him that I will want to have a word with his senior regarding this. He came back after sometime and confirmed that he will match the price. It will be good for you to take a print of the quote you getting from outside and ask him to match it. If not, you can buy from outside. They will try to arm twist but you will have to hold firm on your decision
I told him that I will want to have a word with his senior regarding this. He came back after sometime and confirmed that he will match the price. It will be good for you to take a print of the quote you getting from outside and ask him to match it. If not, you can buy from outside. They will try to arm twist but you will have to hold firm on your decision
The reviews of the Ford Ecosport tell us that the low end torque is very good. Have not test driven the vehicle but my expectation is that as soon as we release the clutch in first gear, the car lunges forward without any need for throttle like in the normal petrol cars. Can any Ecosport new version owner confirm this understanding?
Almost all petrol engine cars will move forward when clutch is released, the difference comes when the car has more than 2 passengers or when the car has to deal with steep slopes inclines etc, in such situations definitely the torque of diesel makes for easier pull, but the Dragon i3 1.5 petrol is not dull like the old 1.5 i4 TiVCT, if we push it post 3000 rpm it delivers more torque and is ready to rev harder the old 1.5 TiVCT felt strained post 4000 rpm and hesitated to rev to 6000, the new one is better, still not as fast revving as the Honda 1.5l iVTEC but as fast as Hyundais 1.6 VTVT and in the process delivers lot of torque
The new 1.5l Dragon is a big success in my opinion, a superb example of how a Naturally Aspirated engine can be tuned to be capable both in city and on highways while not compromising on efficiency .
The new 1.5l Dragon is a big success in my opinion, a superb example of how a Naturally Aspirated engine can be tuned to be capable both in city and on highways while not compromising on efficiency .
Thats good enough imho
If its good or nearly as good as 1.6 VTVT and 1.5 IVTEC, I think its certainly something
Low torque response is something to get used too as is "turbo lag"(for turbo charged cars), I think a good petrol engine needs a few good revs and hang of the clutch from my experience with 1.5 IVTEC and 2.4 IVTEC
I think anything is better than the 1.5 TiVCT, that wasnt exactly Ford's pride like its diesel counterpart or other petrols
From what I see, Ecosport seems a winner for the price and overall package
My family is pushing me to buy a new car, lets see how it goes
Considering base Compass too not that it is in the same comparison with Ecosport given the price difference etc
Nexon is out of question because I didnt like the clutch and driving position
Brezza is outdated,my brother already has one
WRV has poor engine selection
Renegade will be too rugged for my taste
Not exactly for highway use so have to think
If its good or nearly as good as 1.6 VTVT and 1.5 IVTEC, I think its certainly something
Low torque response is something to get used too as is "turbo lag"(for turbo charged cars), I think a good petrol engine needs a few good revs and hang of the clutch from my experience with 1.5 IVTEC and 2.4 IVTEC
I think anything is better than the 1.5 TiVCT, that wasnt exactly Ford's pride like its diesel counterpart or other petrols
From what I see, Ecosport seems a winner for the price and overall package
My family is pushing me to buy a new car, lets see how it goes
Considering base Compass too not that it is in the same comparison with Ecosport given the price difference etc
Nexon is out of question because I didnt like the clutch and driving position
Brezza is outdated,my brother already has one
WRV has poor engine selection
Renegade will be too rugged for my taste
Not exactly for highway use so have to think
Last edited: