[bikefreak]

It's too small to be categorised as an SUV.
I would call it a raised hatchback !!

[theMAG]

Looks to be a decent effort from Ford, although the quirkiness of the 2011 Fiesta seems apparent here as well. Hope they dont shoot themselves in the foot twice with its pricing.

[_raVan_]

Isnt there a single interior pic of the car? It looks good from the exterior, though I feel they will change the nose and headlights of the car in the production version.

Personally, it doesnt matter that its a 1L engine if it has adequate power to ton ratio and good NVH levels.

[opendro]

A very good choice for those who cannot afford a BMW X1 or Skoda Yeti. I always fancy of a powerful sub 4.2m hatch, which India just does not have. Hyundai i30, Fiat Bravo, Ford EcoSport would make a good line up of 4.2m hatch. Asking for too much :-)

[Edit:] Add European Fiesta hatch to the list

[xingamazon]

Originally Posted by _raVan_

Isnt there a single interior pic of the car? It looks good from the exterior, though I feel they will change the nose and headlights of the car in the production version.

Personally, it doesnt matter that its a 1L engine if it has adequate power to ton ratio and good NVH levels.

Well thats pretty much guessable. Expect the product to have almost 60-80% interiors common with the Fiesta / Figo cousins. I am sure Ford will look for part sharing between them. So in case if you need a peek into the interiors look into Fiesta.

I am sure the Brazil model will have a different(read superior) interiors to match requirements of thier country.

[m_upreti]

Originally Posted by parrys

• Ford unveiled the EcoSport today, just a day before the 2012 Auto Expo.• The car has a purposeful stance which looks good when seen from the front and side.
• The trapezoid grill, which Ford says is part of their design DNA (as also seen on the 2011 Fiesta) becomes a noticeable feature of the EcoSport.
• In terms of size, it’s a compact SUV.

Looks bloated and out of proportion (strictly a personal view) and underpowered even if it is a mini suv.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by octane_100

While we are on the topic of Ecoboost engine, it in fact would make sense for Ford to replace their entire line up with this engine at different tune levels. Say, the Fiesta Classic and Figo can get a 98-100 bhp variant and the Fiesta and EcoSport get the 120 bhp versions. By doing this:
a) Ford can save a lot of over heads by rationalizing their operations related to petrol engine manufacturing
b) make a hot hatch of Figo while enjoying the excise and FE benefits thus increasing the sales
c) have a lot more volumes of the same engine to play with there by reducing the per unit cost and hence saner pricing of the respective petrol models
d) more importantly happy customers :-)

IMO, lower displacement may not equate to lower cost or even equal cost in this case. The 1L engine seems pretty sophisticated, if you look at the Video on one of the previous pages. There is additional equipment for turbocharging of course, plus, direct injection, twin variable camshafts, special exhaust manifolds, split cooling, new camshaft actuators, oil immersion chamber for drive belts etc. My guess is the engine is probably much more expensive to produce than the 1.2 L one in the Figo.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

IMO, lower displacement may not equate to lower cost or even equal cost in this case. The 1L engine seems pretty sophisticated.

It is very sophisticated. However the economy mentioned was not because of a small engine, but was based on production volumes if it is used in the entire Ford India passenger car lineup. The Figo petrol sales will go up if the FE is significantly better and it is no longer a sluggish performer, while the current classic petrol will also benefit from the increased FE while still maintaining the same power that makes the current 1.6 a fun car to drive.

[raajks]

Here is a video compilation from carscoop which includes a short Ford Story

Ford EcopSport Part 1 - YouTube

[octane_100]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

IMO, My guess is the engine is probably much more expensive to produce than the 1.2 L one in the Figo.

On a unit basis, definitely yes. The 1 litre engine most likely would be more expensive than the 1.2L engine. BUT:

Is it more expensive than the 1.6 and the 1.5?? If not, with the same prices, margins on these models would go up.
Consider the huge savings in inventory, reduced components, reduced variables to deal with and more units of the same stuff to spread your cost on.

Obviously these are all guesses in the absence of data. But if Ford puts its mind on this, may be they can give us better products

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by revved_up

I think it is the ideal car for hatch back owners (like me) who want to upgrade to a SUV but are hesitating since they might end up using the car alot in city.

Could be the ideal car for someone like me, who wants a hatchback, but needs to drive through the potholes of post-monsoon Chennai streets. Low clearance is silly, except on a race track!

Originally Posted by bikefreak

It's too small to be categorised as an SUV.
I would call it a raised hatchback !!

Just what I wanted!

Originally Posted by bala80

Rear profile is probably the best with the spare mounted on the tailgate.

forgive the lolcat internet cliche: "DO NOT WANT."

It unnecessarily adds a few inches to the length and makes parking that little bit harder. It also places a spare tyre that you hope not to even use, open to weather and sun. I'm sure that someone to whom every cubic inch of inside space matters is going to be buying a bigger vehicle than this. As a style statement, it is like carefully wearing sunglasses --- on the top of the head.

[MaserQ]

'Eco' seems to be the buzz at Ford these days. Stylish CUV that does not have the slab-like feel of a proper SUV. Eco 1.0 litre petrol sounds great on paper. It better be fuel efficient as hell, else a 1000 cc 3 cylinder petrol EcoSport will have no takers.

The 'Eco' engine will eventually find its way into the Figo as well, hence Ford are keen on drumming up some noise. A diesel Ecosport is a given. The 1.5 TDCi will find its way into the CUV in production trim, which hopefully will stay true to the Auto Expo version on display.

[Ym-enjn]

Wow, that is a well balanced SUV. Overall very nicely designed. Unlike other mini suvs this one has a good back also. I just hope they give this with 4H and 4L and price it reasonably. If they are planning to put it above Fiesta that is above 12 lakhs it will only help XUV to sell more.

This one has to come around or below 10L

[V-16]

Hmmm. The Video certainly tells us a few things.

1) Compact Suv with offroad capability....Its going to be a 4WD, my guess an AWD.
2) Its a compact SUV on a B Car Platform.......Skoda Yeti sized
3) Fuel efficient...the engine is proof of that

I was watching a TV news channel last night which said the car is going to be priced at within 10 Lakhs. An interview with a key person of Ford India revealed that they were serious about making the EcoSport an affordable vehicle, so i predict prices to start around lakhs.

Keeping the above in view, i feel the Ecosport will be a runaway success provided the price factor is maintained and provided its power to weight ratio is awesome. The 120 bhp engine should will not be a scorcher but should offer a decent power and torque combination.

I dont agree with the diesel argument that if there is no diesel the brand will not do well. i have several examples of the contrary. One is Ford itself. The Ikon 1.6 sold higher numbers than the Diesel Ikon. Second the Skoda Superb. The Petrol Superb is a higher seller than the Diesel Superb. Having driven both the petrol is a delight to drive offering ulterior levels of smooth power delivery with decent fuel economy. Toyota petrols outsell the diesels eg Corolla. Honda does not make a diesel version, as yet in India. I think that Ford could make this their almost bread and butter brand if they price it right, direct it for the younger buyer (which it is directed at obviously), direct it at the lady driver (you will be surprised how many lady drivers want to own a near SUV vehicle without its bulk). This is obviously directed to the yuppie buyer with a certain air of flamboyance to him/her. Definitely not for the taxi segment so diesel will not be a sour puss here. The 1 litre engine is expected to be frugal. Come on Ford, do your bit!!

[Sergei]

Hi all, I have a suggestion to make:

I think we should refrain from discussing the price of the car/cuv. Let us not give ford our impressions of what the price should be. Let them do their market research and find out.

Some people say an on road price of below 10 L will be great. I'm sure that price will put this car out of contention for a lot of people, myself included.

What if ford has a figure of 6-8 in mind but on reading these threads (I'm sure they do) get greedy and price it higher?

I'm not saying we shouldn't say things like "ford should price this car sensibly", but let us not discuss figures.

Just my 2 cents.

Mods, please delete this if you think it is inappropriate.