[MAS]

Bought the Autocar's 13th year anniversary edition yesterday. The review by Autocar is quite positive and is fairly detailed. The reviewer says that the Eco Sport behaved as good as the New Fiesta, and that is something amazing that Ford has achieved with a car sitting 200 mm above the ground.

The pros & cons as mentioned by the reviewer are

+ excellent handling
+ positive steering feedback at all speeds with absolutely no slack (similar to the New Fiesta... Wow)
+ very composed on high speed sweeping curves (I have been to Brazil many times and I know what he is taking about)
+ wind noise is well controlled
+ seating position is good
+ great visibility from driver's seat
+ absolutely no body roll
+ leather seats have sporty feel to it (hope this makes to India too)
+ parking sensors with display in the screen above the cental console


- ride gets unsettled when driving on rough surfaces
- interiors are slightly better when compared to the Fiesta
- small boot (362 litres)
- back space is less than the Duster. I seriously doubt this as the rear seat looks to have better space in the pictures. The rear seats also seem to have been pushed back resulting in a smaller boot.
- rear doors are smaller than the front doors making ingress not an easy process.

I will be in Brazil on 30th of this month. Well try to squeeze a visit + test drive of the Eco Sport during my week long stay.

[sumeshmani]

Originally Posted by MAS

I will be in Brazil on 30th of this month. Well try to squeeze a visit + test drive of the Eco Sport during my week long stay.

Please do spend a lot of time judging the seating comfort of the rear bench.
I am keen to know if 3 average sized passengers can sit for long durations.

Can't wait to read about your encounter with the Eco-Sport.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MAS

- back space is less than the Duster. I seriously doubt this as the rear seat looks to have better space in the pictures. The rear seats also seem to have been pushed back resulting in a smaller boot.
- rear doors are smaller than the front doors making ingress not an easy process.

Originally Posted by sumeshmani

Please do spend a lot of time judging the seating comfort of the rear bench.
I am keen to know if 3 average sized passengers can sit for long durations.

This is exactly the reason, why I kind of moved away from Ecosport. To me the legroom in the rear would be compromised. It would not that bad,
as I make it out to be. But it is not something which rear benchers would enjoy for long drives for sure. This I found to be much much better in Duster.

[swiftnfurious]

Guys, lets all pass a to-test checklist to @MAS for his TD. I personally would want to know about

1. the rear space - How is the space with the driver seat pushed all the way back!

2. Can 3 people be seated comfortably?

3. Ride quality over bad roads.

Originally Posted by MAS

...I will be in Brazil on 30th of this month. Well try to squeeze a visit + test drive of the Eco Sport during my week long stay.

Could I suggest you taking an extensive TD of Renault Duster before you leave so that you can compare Ecosport to Duster? By the time you come back, probably you can get your hands on the Quanto too, which will make it sweeter to compare!

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by MAS

I will be in Brazil on 30th of this month. Well try to squeeze a visit + test drive of the Eco Sport during my week long stay.

That is a wonderful opportunity for you (& all of us in turn) to get the first hand feel of the Ecosport. Try your hands on the 1.6, as this will be the closest to the Ecoboost that we are getting

Originally Posted by sumeshmani

Please do spend a lot of time judging the seating comfort of the rear bench. I am keen to know if 3 average sized passengers can sit for long durations. Can't wait to read about your encounter with the Eco-Sport.

For me too this could be the make or break criteria when I opt for Ecosport. Also can you get the exact length of the Brazilian Ecosport? I believe it is slightly longer than 4m (excluding the spare wheel). Due to this the boot capacity if said to be 362 litres against the 346 for the Indian Ecosport. But will this difference length have an affect on the rear seat legroom/space is a matter or prime concern for many.

Originally Posted by ampere

This is exactly the reason, why I kind of moved away from Ecosport. To me the legroom in the rear would be compromised. It would not that bad, as I make it out to be. But it is not something which rear benchers would enjoy for long drives for sure. This I found to be much much better in Duster.

Apparently it looks so. However I have a feeling that the Ecosport rear seats would be more comfortable than the Duster, as they have the 3 point reclining postion. In my case 99% of the time the rear bench would be occupied by the women folk (who are just over 5 feet), so leg room is not a major concern, but yes the comfort does matter.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Could I suggest you taking an extensive TD of Renault Duster before you leave so that you can compare Ecosport to Duster? By the time you come back, probably you can get your hands on the Quanto too, which will make it sweeter to compare!

Very valid point. A first hand comparison of the Ecosport with the Duster is what many of us are looking forward to, these two being the most probables for many people like me. Besides what swiftnfurious mentioned above, also do the comparison on the following points:

1. The driver seating position & road view (bonnet visible etc)
2. Dead pedal & other ergonomics
3. NVH levels (especially at triple digit speeds)
4. Rear seat centre hump (transmission tunnel)
5. Rear windows rolling down 100% or not
6. Reversing the car (is it easy or painful?)

[ampere]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Apparently it looks so. However I have a feeling that the Ecosport rear seats would be more comfortable than the Duster, as they have the 3 point reclining postion. In my case 99% of the time the rear bench would be occupied by the women folk (who are just over 5 feet), so leg room is not a major concern, but yes the comfort does matter.

I realized during one of my 700+ km day drive, that even though folks in the rear were on five to five and half feet tall, yet they struggled during the later half of the drive.
(This was in a Fusion).

Based on this I estimated that Ecosport at best can be Fusion and no better. Hence my conclusions. Leg room plays a major role in deciding the fatigue factor for long drives.
Agreed recline would be good, but still leg room would make a difference.

I found Duster to be much better in that department. I do agree that with compromise on boot, rear seat can be made better. But if there is only 3.9 to 4m of space to play with,
there would be a limit to which it can be optimized to,

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by MAS

- interiors are slightly better when compared to the Fiesta

Hi!

Is this a negative or positive point?

[patil]

Well one wild guess, recently Ford has reduced the prices of its Classic i.e., the old Fiesta and I feel that the Ecosport will be positioned between the Classic and the Fiesta i.e., the new Fiesta. So if my guess is true then we can expect killer pricing for the Ecosport. Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope my guess comes true.

[irphan007]

I have driven my Jetta around 70k Kms in three years and I am fed up with Bangalore roads (Humps and potholes ) and so I was waiting for Duster desperately but it disappoint me with interior and pricing

Now I am again waiting for Ecosports, please updated expected launch date in Bangalore or let me know if dealers in Bangalore has started taking the booking...

[niranjanrvce]

For those interested, the tiny 1.0 in the Ecosport can apparently go all the way upto 202bhp without much fuss. Amazing for a 3 cylinder liliput engine:

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/for...ine-2012-09-04

[sandeepmohan]

Ford need to get the quality of interior materials right in the Eco Sport. If they intend on using the same material quality as the Fiesta, the car will be ruined.

In my search for a car, I did check out the Fiesta and it had the best drivers seating ever in that segment of cars. That is about the only good thing. The interiors were a let down in plastic quality and it felt like you were sitting in small car out at the back. Not only on space but even on the materials used. It was horrible. Not very roomy too considering the competition the Fiesta has to deal with. The Eco Sport seems to be similar spaced and not more.

[sridhar-v]

Originally Posted by ampere

I realized during one of my 700+ km day drive, that even though folks in the rear were on five to five and half feet tall, yet they struggled during the later half of the drive.
(This was in a Fusion).

Based on this I estimated that Ecosport at best can be Fusion and no better. Hence my conclusions. Leg room plays a major role in deciding the fatigue factor for long drives.
Agreed recline would be good, but still leg room would make a difference.

I found Duster to be much better in that department. I do agree that with compromise on boot, rear seat can be made better. But if there is only 3.9 to 4m of space to play with,
there would be a limit to which it can be optimized to,

I also find the rear seat of the Fusion to be tiring for long drives. Actually it is not legroom per se but how you are able to place the soles of your feet that determine long distance comfort. If you can place the soles, flat on the floor, in the line of your hip joint & shoulder you will feel very relaxed over a long drive. The front seat rails of the Fusion prevent one from placing the soles in this position & you have to bring your soles closer to tuck it by the side of the rails. My hip & thighs start paining after some time. ( Also a sign that age is catching up!!).

I had checked out this in the new fiesta & found the rails to be better positioned in this regard. And 4m does not matter. The Jazz is one of the most ergonomically comfortable cars I have seen. Ditto for the City (old & new.) Sx4 rear seat & front passenger well are also very comfortable. My Santro rear seat is more comfortable that the Fusion in this regard though the ride at the rear is nothing to write home about.

Let us hope the Ecosport is better than the new Fiesta.

[prady16]

MPL Ford in Chennai has not yet started taking bookings. Anybody here managed to Pre-book an ecosport in chennai?

[AltoHoncho]

Came to know courtesy TG updates that the Ford 1 ltr ecosport engine recently was the fastest in Nurburgring beating the V12 likes of Aventador, Enzo and Zonda. Apart from the BHP/ton figures, what else could be the reason of this glory !!
Even if someone supercharge/turbocharge it in multiples then also the basic figure is just a 1ltr engine with 110-120 bhp and 150-200 Nm torque as compared to a 600+ bhp and nearing 600-1000 torque from a V12.

The news categorically says that there were no major engine mods, simple ECU remaps to make it 200 bhp machine. Here's the source:
http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/for...ine-2012-09-04

[ampere]

Originally Posted by sridhar-v

I also find the rear seat of the Fusion to be tiring for long drives. Actually it is not legroom per se but how you are able to place the soles of your feet that determine long distance comfort. If you can place the soles, flat on the floor, in the line of your hip joint & shoulder you will feel very relaxed over a long drive.

Cant comment much there because, I was never on a Fusion back seat on a long drive. Always on the driver's seat !

The front seat rails of the Fusion prevent one from placing the soles in this position & you have to bring your soles closer to tuck it by the side of the rails. My hip & thighs start paining after some time. ( Also a sign that age is catching up!!).

I was actually never fatigued with the Fusion. In fact I liked the high driver's seating very much. Seating options were quite good with height adjust, steering adjust and recline options. The high seating particularly helped a lot. Never found a reason to complain on this front.

I had checked out this in the new fiesta & found the rails to be better positioned in this regard. And 4m does not matter. The Jazz is one of the most ergonomically comfortable cars I have seen. Ditto for the City (old & new.) Sx4 rear seat & front passenger well are also very comfortable. My Santro rear seat is more comfortable that the Fusion in this regard though the ride at the rear is nothing to write home about.

Just drove the new Fiesta once. Hence cant comment about its long distance comfort. But I guess one is used to high seating, rest of the erginomics take second priority.
But still I found it to be very nice.

Jazz driving posting is very nice. I tried it once. But dont know much about back seat comfort, as I never traveled in it.


Coming back to Ecosport, I am very hopeful that driving postition would be very good.
But not so sure about the rear comfort. It may get reclining seats like Jazz, But some aspects of legroom and high seating will play an important role.