[AWD]

A contact at local Ford dealership tells me that Eco-Sport shall be displayed in Showrooms ~ 7-8th March & onwards. Deliveries according to him shall start in April. He also said a thing which I did not like, he maintained that Ecosport will only be launched in Petrol 1st & then followed by a Diesel later.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by rajesh.sml

Just now got a call from Bhagat Ford that they are expecting a delay in the Launch of the Vehicle, hence they will be refunding the pre-booking amount...

Wild guess - Is Ford planning to handle vehicle allocation themselves?? Could be very well the reason for the refunding. I am sure Ford knew about dealers taking money & they issued (official?) statements that they have NOT started pre-bookings and also have instructed the dealers NOT to take any bookings.

I guess they want to prevent any kind of foul play by the dealers and hence now dealers are refunding the money citing this excuse!

Originally Posted by vineetg84

...So one shouldn`t blindly buy the ecosport with the ecoboost engine till the figures of ARAI are announced officially...

ARAI FE will be done long before the launch. Any new vehicle launched should have the claim attached to it in display brochures.

Originally Posted by AWD

A contact at local Ford dealership tells me that Eco-Sport shall be displayed in Showrooms ~ 7-8th March & onwards. Deliveries according to him shall start in April. He also said a thing which I did not like, he maintained that Ecosport will only be launched in Petrol 1st & then followed by a Diesel later.

Looks like most of the info is coinciding with the dates - launch in 3rd week of Mar & deliveries in 3rd week of April. So guess we could more of less confirm the times.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by ACM

Don't see it getting addressed any time soon. Besides if one thinks about it and visualizes a sedan or a hatch parked behing the EcoSport one would realize that it is actually the Rear Bumper that one would keep in mind while parking behind it rather than the wheel overhang
.....

So maybe the law is quite ok. The only case where it did not seem to work was when parking against a wall at the rear or in front on another SUV or Truck or Bus.

The problem is not the initial law, or its intent, but its stability. Given the arbitrary and onesided way in which the GoI interprets (and reinterprets) laws to suit itself. And changes it whimsically (using its sovereign powers) to suit itself.
At some stage some bureaucrat will work out that Ford has 'evaded' excise and will take 'corrective' (and punitive) action!

Regards
Sutripta

[diffsoft]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

The problem is not the initial law, or its intent, but its stability. Given the arbitrary and onesided way in which the GoI interprets (and reinterprets) laws to suit itself. And changes it whimsically (using its sovereign powers) to suit itself.
At some stage some bureaucrat will work out that Ford has 'evaded' excise and will take 'corrective' (and punitive) action!

+1000. Don't tell me about it! Sorry for going OT but the Govt's behavior in aggressively collecting revenue and aggressively delaying refunds; changing the law to suit itself is reprehensible. I don't need to say how many officials "settle" the issue.

[bnzjon]

Originally Posted by MandarMax

I was at Talera ford workshop (in Pune) last Saturday, and while chatting with the SA he told me that as per his information the launch has been delayed to April '13. He said that the training for the sales folks is scheduled towards end of February and for the workshop guys the training is in March. Don't know how reliable the info is, but since most sources are hinting at an April launch, I guess that's when the launch is most likely to happen.

My contribution to the confusion:

This was informed by one of my colleagues brother who works with Ford, marketing division that the launch is postponed towards mid-April and deliveries to start only from May.

Testing of Diesel variant is still underway and Ford wanted to launch both petrol and Diesel versions together (makes sense, isn't it) instead of the earlier plan of launching Ecoboost Petrol version in Feb-Mar and Diesel later.

[sambhav.jain]

Some more details about the launch!!

* Ford India has half a dozen production prototype EcoSports up and ready. These crossovers will closely match the final model that car buyers will eventually be able to buy off showroom floors and marks an important landmark before the beginning of car production. Every car maker goes through this process of producing a limited number of production prototypes just before the actual start of full scale serial production. Ford, being a world class car maker has some highly developed processes.

* Ford India will ready up 5 EcoSports for photoshoots in the second week of March 2013. Typically, photoshoots of this kind commissioned by the automaker all set to launch its latest car/motorcycle happens a few weeks before the official launch. These photographs will eventually be released for PR/Press consumption.

* The first batch of EcoSports produced in India will be less than 200 in number. Of these, most of the first lot will feature red coloured EcoSport as the dominant color. It seems as though Ford India is betting big on the red colour EcoSport given the fact that brighter colours tend to attract the buyer towards what essentially is a hatchback sized crossover on tall wheels. This color selection also has to do with the fact that most of the initial lot of vehicles will head to Ford India dealer shelves. As a car buyer, you don’t want a understated grey EcoSport staring at you from a Ford showroom rather than a bright red EcoSport, do you?

* Every EcoSport in the first lot will be petrol powered with the 1 Liter-triple cylinder EcoBoost turbo petrol engine being the motor of choice.

* Just over half a dozen EcoSports from the initial lot will be earmarked as press cars. It is these cars that will be used for media drives. So, every review you read on the interweb, car magazines and newspapers will come from this initial batch.

* Now, to the biggie. Ford India has tentatively pegged the launch timeframe for the EcoSport in the second or third week of March 2013. This could be revised by a few days but the mid-March date is what Ford is aggressively pushing for.

* The first customer deliveries of the turbo petrol powered EcoSport is scheduled to happen in the fourth week of April. Initially, only the petrol powered EcoSport is expected to be made available with the diesel engined model to follow. Ford India wants to ensure that the EcoSport is available with minimal waiting periods to ensure that the exciting new crossover manages to make a big dent on the best selling Renault Duster’s sales. For the record, the Duster comes with long waiting periods and Ford India seems all set to exploit this inefficiency.

Source :- http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/cars/i...h-plans-67559/

[Red Liner]

Perfect...more time to save the moolah!

[vineetg84]

Originally Posted by sambhav.jain

Some more details about the launch!!

* Ford India has half a dozen production prototype EcoSports up and ready. These crossovers will closely match the final model that car buyers will eventually be able to buy off showroom floors and marks an important landmark before the beginning of car production. Every car maker goes through this process of producing a limited number of production prototypes just before the actual start of full scale serial production. Ford, being a world class car maker has some highly developed processes.

============
* The first customer deliveries of the turbo petrol powered EcoSport is scheduled to happen in the fourth week of April. Initially, only the petrol powered EcoSport is expected to be made available with the diesel engined model to follow. Ford India wants to ensure that the EcoSport is available with minimal waiting periods to ensure that the exciting new crossover manages to make a big dent on the best selling Renault Duster’s sales. For the record, the Duster comes with long waiting periods and Ford India seems all set to exploit this inefficiency.

=======
67559/

In my opinion its a good move by Ford to first have enough ecosport ready in stock than to launch it in haste and have long waiting periods(for.e.g if the launch would have taken place in jan 2013 and ecosport being the hottest product of 2013,would definitely have commanded a pileup of sorts at the showroom and would have had long waiting time periods,as customers we don`t like to wait long for delivery after seeing the vehicle, test driving it and making the payment,we want it in our garage soon.The ford management knows it very well,one small blunder can ruin their profits and their comeback opportunity into the automotive market after the failure of new fiesta.)
In any which ways the deliveries would have commenced by april 2013 onwards(plus it will be beneficial for both customers as well as Ford if during this years budget the excise duty on cars be reduced by 2 %) hence 2nd week of march 2013 is the ideal date chosen by the Ford management.
and i feel both variants (diesel,petrol) will be launched simultaneously.
Ford should surprise us and launch the 1.0 L ecosport with the powershift automatic transmission,that would be a killer,Finger crossed.

[agambhandari]

So many different posts claiming the "insider news" from their "known Ford guys".
It is creating a really fuzzy image for me. All I want is an EcoBoost EcoSport in my Garage at the earliest. It looks tough to get it in FY 2012-13
I would appreciate if the team-bhp Mods(I am talking about GTO) can confirm some news as they have done in the past by correcting the false info. given to me by the dealer.

[Cooltronics]

My father happen to see the "Monster" in flesh & it truly justified it's name and hype. Though he was not able to sit behind the turbo boost engine and feel it, he had the privilege of seeing it inside out.. some reviews.. looked around 2.5 inches taller than Ford Fusion, almost 5'8" in height, ingress outgress became all the more swift and easy as the car sits on 16' wheels.. seats are ubber comfortable with excellent recline angle and thigh support making it quite roomy behind (a after the driver's seat is pushed way back) ..Dashboard is very similar to the new Fiesta and the tall boy design translates into superior driving pleasure.. boot stands a little chopped at 300l when compared with 350l of Fusion.. rear parcel tray is replaced by a curtain behind the rear seat which can be rolled out...the car also has springs/gSm mechanism on rear door (not sure of front doors) which helps in easy opening closing of big doors...
The car looked of a completely different segment and looked to be a game changer.... we are now looking at the earliest opportunity to book and have it in our garage..

[sbala]

Originally Posted by Cooltronics

My father happen to see the "Monster" in flesh & it truly justified it's name and hype. Though he was not able to sit behind the turbo boost engine and feel it, he had the privilege of seeing it inside out.. some reviews.. looked around 2.5 inches taller than Ford Fusion, almost 5'8" in height, ingress outgress became all the more swift and easy as the car sits on 16' wheels.. seats are ubber comfortable with excellent recline angle and thigh support making it quite roomy behind (a after the driver's seat is pushed way back) ..Dashboard is very similar to the new Fiesta and the tall boy design translates into superior driving pleasure.. boot stands a little chopped at 300l when compared with 350l of Fusion.. rear parcel tray is replaced by a curtain behind the rear seat which can be rolled out...the car also has springs/gSm mechanism on rear door (not sure of front doors) which helps in easy opening closing of big doors...
The car looked of a completely different segment and looked to be a game changer.... we are now looking at the earliest opportunity to book and have it in our garage..

Excellent!!! Here comes the first impression. Very glad to hear positive things. I have told myself to wait till 2014 to get my current 6+ year old Fiesta replaced. Looks like my heart gonna beat my brain again ;-). Yeah, that's what happend when I switched to Fiesta from India in 2006.

[kopakabana]

Originally Posted by Cooltronics

seats are ubber comfortable with excellent recline angle and thigh support making it quite roomy behind (a after the driver's seat is pushed way back) ..
The car looked of a completely different segment and looked to be a game changer.... we are now looking at the earliest opportunity to book and have it in our garage..

Thanks a lot Cooltronics. This is what i have been waiting for- a closer look and initial impression of Ecosport. And guess all my expectations may come true. The fact that your father found the seats and the space as good has cooled off some of my concerns. Also, when i saw the curtain kinda arrangement instead of the parcel tray in Brazilian Ecosport, i thought i won't come in Indian version but it's good that Ford has kept it for us. The curtain arrangement will help in better utilization of the boot space.

[naveen.raju]

Interior pic of the AT version.

[naut]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

Interior pic of the AT version.

Positive sign of things changing for the good. The markings for the auto gears are on the right side unlike the fiesta.

Good move Ford! I am sure an updated Fiesta with the same parts bin as the ecosport is on the cards. Ford should definitely benefit from this due lesser cost because of economies of scale (provided they sell! LOL). Hope Ford passes on the benefits to us customers.

One thing that is a little concerning to me is the amount of new technology in this 1.0L ecoboost DCT variant (if ford sells such a variant i.e.). Ecoboost itself needs to prove itself over the long term. Add to that the DCT which is also not tested enough in India (ownership reviews, I have seen only one). It would be good to see how this performs over a longer time duration. Hope there are enough buyers there who are willing to risk their money and share their experiences.

[drpudhi]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

Interior pic of the AT version.

Looks nice.

But now i've got some apprehension regarding the unusually high placed dashboard. Inspite of its tall boy design, won't it cause serious visibility issues.

Hope this is just the angle in this photograph and all is well.