[Thad E Ginathom]

You don't see people complaining about the lack of cabin space in 2-seater sports cars.

No harm in maximising the available space, but I feel Ford designers would have been onto that idea from the start. People who want a bigger car will buy a bigger car.

[Fusion2006]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

You don't see people complaining about the lack of cabin space in 2-seater sports cars.

No harm in maximising the available space, but I feel Ford designers would have been onto that idea from the start. People who want a bigger car will buy a bigger car.

Well said!

The question then is, who exactly is the EcoSport targeted at, and are there enough of them around to buy enough of the car for it to be recognized as a success! Recent history suggests that the price takes priority in India over all else, even for the likely target audience who would want to buy the car otherwise.

Presumably the marketing guys at Ford have spent a lot more time debating the above topic then we ever could!

[srishiva]

I am skeptical about its impact. Why would a hatch sized vehicle sell that good just because it looks like a SUV being taller?
If someone wanted a hatch or a small sedan and had the intention to drive in areas where a sedan or hatch wouldn't be able to then they would buy something like this.

Just because Ford is excited, I don't think that would translate to sales I dont agree that the Indian consumer looks just at the price, he looks at the value for the price (and mileage )

[rahulsampath]

Hey everyone,this is my first post in this community.

I had an opportunity to work in Ford India for the last 15 days. And the good news is that the production is about to start. They have already recruited around 300 new workers and today a shipment containing new equipments reached the plant. When I was roaming around I saw an area allotted for B515 (Ecosport's codename) closure construction and some of the equipments were already setup.

I've seen the test mule many times,and even though its a sub 4 meter SUV it seems much bigger and had a really good road presence. Despite the interior being based on Fiesta the consoles and panel felt top notch. But to be honest,I felt the engine sound to be that of a normal road car,it lacks that mean SUV-ish grunt and it felt quite uninspiring.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I think it could be good image (that horrible word "lifestyle") car for the youngster, probably male, who wants to project a macho image, and who does not need to drive a family around. Ford may price it too high for these people --- but they probably want to sell in higher volumes than the ridiculous Fiat 500.

I think it sould be a good practical car for the surburban driver who lives where the roads are not so good and does not need anything larger. Even the rural driver. Ford may price it too high for these.

All good points have been made about pricing. What is not good points is trying to turn the car into something it is not. It is like saying, hey, the BMW Mini will never sell because it isn't a 3-series.

At the time it was announced, I fell in the latter category. Middle-aged family man, only driver, both of us too old for the family to grow; most driving one-in-car, sometimes two-in-car, seldom more; regularly use roads that were little better than farm tracks, despite only being 12km from a metro centre. Can't afford a Yeti; would never go for anything bigger.

As it happens, my need to change cars came all of a sudden (and our local roads got repaired) , and I hope not to have to do so again for five to ten years, so interest in the ecosport is now just academic.

Still I'd love a small car, with SUV toughness and ground clearance. I know I've been a bit eccentric all my life, but I'm not that much of a freak to think that if I want something, there are not a whole heap of other people that also want it, thus there should be a market for that thing.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by rahulsampath

Hey everyone,this is my first post in this community.

Welcome onboard TBHP Rahul.

Originally Posted by rahulsampath

I had an opportunity to work in Ford India for the last 15 days. And the good news is that the production is about to start. They have already recruited around 300 new workers and today a shipment containing new equipments reached the plant. When I was roaming around I saw an area allotted for B515 (Ecosport's codename) closure construction and some of the equipments were already setup.

Thanks for that insider information

Originally Posted by rahulsampath

I've seen the test mule many times,and even though its a sub 4 meter SUV it seems much bigger and had a really good road presence. Despite the interior being based on Fiesta the consoles and panel felt top notch. But to be honest,I felt the engine sound to be that of a normal road car,it lacks that mean SUV-ish grunt and it felt quite uninspiring.

I am not clear here what do you mean by mean SUV-ish grunt. If it was the Ecoboost engine under the hood of the car you saw, then how can that tiny 1.0L engine produce the grunt of a 3.0L engine. Rather I am delighted to know that it sounded like a normal road car, I mean no typical 3-pot clatter.

[rahulsampath]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

I am not clear here what do you mean by mean SUV-ish grunt. If it was the Ecoboost engine under the hood of the car you saw, then how can that tiny 1.0L engine produce the grunt of a 3.0L engine. Rather I am delighted to know that it sounded like a normal road car, I mean no typical 3-pot clatter.

Sorry for not making it much clearer.It was just a personal opinion,a four wheeler with a huge stance always instill an aggressive (macho,raw whatever we like to call it) feeling. But upon hearing a smooth,tamed exhaust note from such a car, I felt disappointed.

PS : Still its sounds much better than any other 3 cylinder engines I have come across.

[sridhar-v]

I have been driving the original fiesta on stilts - the Fusion since 2007. Every time I drive my friend's SX4 & then get back to driving the Fusion I get reminded of how much superior it is compared to the Maruti. Smoother engine, better build quality & superior handling.

Ford are really good at tuning the ride & handling of their cars.And the outright performance of the 1.6 engine is mind blowing - with a miserly fuel consumption to match. The only problem with the 1.6 petrol is the slightly poor low end torque. The Ecoboost engine will take care of this problem.

So am eagerly awaiting the launch. Website mentions Autobox so the main requirement of mine is met.

I get the feeling that Ford have been deliberately giving confusing statements regarding the length & launch date. Hope to see a Diwali launch.

[AutoIndian]

I somehow simply cannot stop admiring the Ecosport & find one or the other reason to visit the Ecosport (Ford India) homepage. Everytime I visit the site find some interesting facts/figures. Under the Green section of Features, found this interesting bit, where it asks you to guess the fuel costs savings in a year with the Ecoboost, comparing it with a typical SUV competitor, 1.6 litre petrol engine driving 20,000kms a year and paying Rs 65.64 per litre.



I guessed a saving of @ Rs 13,500/- & dragged the pointer at that position on the scale. Surprisingly the background turned red & the pointer pulled itself all the way till Rs 19,600/- until the background turned green. (quite innovative way).



You can give it a try at this link --> Ford India Private Limited - EcoSport | Fuel economy & performance

I did a rough maths on a spreadsheet. Assuming the Ecoboost gives a mileage of 20kmpl, the mileage of the 1.6L that Ford has assumed here comes out to 15.4kmpl (which is quite optimistic). So the Ecoboost is quite pocket-friendly (at least on paper as of now). If only the Ecoboost powered Ecosport is priced at least 50K less compared to its 1.5TDCi diesel sibling to make it a value proposition.

[lawdgawd]

@ Rahulsampath, is there any word on when the vehicle would actually come to the market?

Ford's focus on Ecoboost engine makes me think it might be a petrol-only SUV in the first few months at least.

[rjalihal]

At first glance I though the vehicle was hideous. But as I read about it, it turns out that this is big car in a small package. I mean, a 1.0 litre, 3 cylinder vehicle pumping out 118 bhp!! That is one mad boost of an engine. I guess this will be another success for Ford provided they price it right. It is interesting to note that this is actually a design from Ford Brazil.

Cheers!
Rohan

[anumod]

in India is Ecosport available with a 5 speed transmission. That is not a good sign I was expecting a 6 speed (Ford India Private Limited - EcoSport | Fuel economy & performance)

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by anumod

in India is Ecosport available with a 5 speed transmission. That is not a good sign I was expecting a 6 speed (Ford India Private Limited - EcoSport | Fuel economy & performance)

If you go by the info currently available on the Ford India website, Ford is likely to launch the Ecosport with the 1.0L Ecoboost & 1.5L TDCi engines with a 5 speed MT.



They will also be introducing the 6 speed AT (dual clutch) at a later stage (of course with the Ecoboost engine).

[anumod]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

If you go by the info currently available on the Ford India website, Ford is likely to launch the Ecosport with the 1.0L Ecoboost & 1.5L TDCi engines with a 5 speed MT.

The Focus launched in UK with same 1.0 Litre ecoboost engine has 6 Speed manual transmission and that is what I was Mentioning here. "Ford quotes 11.3secs for the sprint from standstill to 62mph in the 123bhp version we drove, which is coupled to a no-nonsense six-speed manual gearbox" -- A snippet from the link Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost (2012) CAR review | Road Testing Reviews | Car Magazine Online

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by anumod

in India is Ecosport available with a 5 speed transmission. That is not a good sign I was expecting a 6 speed (Ford India Private Limited - EcoSport | Fuel economy & performance)

Originally Posted by anumod

The Focus launched in UK with same 1.0 Litre ecoboost engine has 6 Speed manual transmission and that is what I was Mentioning here. "Ford quotes 11.3secs for the sprint from standstill to 62mph in the 123bhp version we drove, which is coupled to a no-nonsense six-speed manual gearbox" -- A snippet from the link Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost (2012) CAR review | Road Testing Reviews | Car Magazine Online

I don't think the 6-speed 'box would make that much of a difference. If anything, it would probably require you to change gears more often as the added ratio will shorten the other gears. 5-gears should be adequate, IMO.

The 6th cog is generally the gear one engages while on highway runs. It's the overdrive gear.

Indian traffic conditions may not warrant a 6th. This is after all a city-dweller's SUV and the EcoSport will be driven predominantly within city-limits. A 5th as overdrive should do just fine, I suppose.

That said, the 6-speed dual-shift 'box in the Fiesta would work well with the 1-liter EcoBoost mill.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.