[naveen.raju]

Found this short review of the ES on the net. Nothing new but a video review is always refreshing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqZYdH-kzZ0

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by Arch-Angel

How many chennai-ites visited EA between 12th-14th of April? Heard ford had put up ecosport in EA.

My friend was there and checked out the car. As per him the interiors are not upto the mark and overall he did not find the car good enough. He owns a Jazz.

Originally Posted by bageherath

Mody Ford in Hyd is giving back the per-booked amount. They are expecting over booking and a possible lottery allotment.

LOL, not only does Ford seem to have lost the plot big time, they don't seem to be learning from the new-Fiesta fiasco. They are wasting time and money (heard the daily rent for display at the Cochin mall itself is ~3lakhs or so) doing road-shows all over India, while they should have been striking while the iron is hot by launching the car. The guys at Renault should be the happiest with this approach of Ford as it helps them push out more Dusters. Anyone having the moolah to buy this car would also have access to the Net to know about the car - so what are they trying to achieve with the roadshows is beyond me. Guys, sell the damn car while there are takers for it & before others enter the fray with their offerings.

[prakash_ajp]

I see a lot of people complaining about Ford losing the plot etc. I agree, the excitement of people tend to fizzle out when something like this happen. But what we have to keep in mind is this: Even though enthusiasts have been eagerly waiting for the car and talking about it since it was show-cased in auto expo (right?), a non-enthusiast is likely to be totally oblivious to the arrival of eco-sport. Whether the car is announced before or after a certain competition (let's say Duster) may not matter much.

Even if Eco Sport was already available, I am quite sure if people like Duster better, they'll just go for it. If Eco Sport is not good enough, then they might have made some numbers before Duster arrived and if Eco Sport is good enough, they will sell in good numbers anyway.

I understand it's frustrating to wait for a car model forever, but I am sure Ford have their reasons. I would say, they are (or should be) more worried about pricing than timing.

[pgsagar]

Ecosport has come in for lot of criticism for lack of rear leg-room. I think Ford should move the rear seats further back by 4 inches. It will eat into boot space but rear leg-room is more important than boot-space. Rear seat is used several times more than boot-space. In my opinion, human comfort is more important than ability to carry more luggage in boot.

[spinfreak]

A little birdie says : EcoSport launch delayed to mid July. All unofficial dealer pre bookings will stand null & voided. (Possibly get transferred) Direct booking with Ford India will begin & the company will start car allocation to customers through dealers after launch.

Can someone somehow verify this? Lots of people's money will be stuck with dealers otherwise.

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by spinfreak

A little birdie says : EcoSport launch delayed to mid July. All unofficial dealer pre bookings will stand null & voided. (Possibly get transferred) Direct booking with Ford India will begin & the company will start car allocation to customers through dealers after launch.

Can someone somehow verify this? Lots of people's money will be stuck with dealers otherwise.

Is this little birdie any more reliable than the other little birdies who predicted all kinds of launch dates so far? If not i wouldn't really react to this news even if i'd unofficial bookings (which i anyway don't understand why people bet on).
Whats the source?

[spinfreak]

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

Is this little birdie any more reliable than the other little birdies who predicted all kinds of launch dates so far? If not i wouldn't really react to this news even if i'd unofficial bookings (which i anyway don't understand why people bet on).
Whats the source?

Senior Dealer Sales staff who has recently received official information and training. Don't know who to trust though

[vasanthn21]

Ford is really testing customers' patience.
They should have handled "info-leak" to media a little more carefully.

[vnabhi]

Checked out the EcoSport at Inorbit Mall in Hyd today. Was lucky to reach before the inaugral speech was over by a high-ranking, Sikh Ford official.

The car looked very good externally. Even the interiors were pretty decent. I was surprised by the criticism on this thread. The black leather seats looked very decent. Even the rear knee room was decent, though seating 3 would be difficult. I adjusted the driving seat to my comfort (I am 5'11") and then sat on the rear. There was still a gap of around 2 inches with the front seat. So the space is more than Figo but not as much as people might expect from an SUV.

Boot space was more than a Figo, but a lot less than a Duster or a Classic Fiesta. But the seats were 60:40 folding, which is nice.

The only thing I could not peek at was the engine bay. Ford officials were tight-lipped about why they were not opening the hood, and were giving evasive responses. They even could not show me where the hood opening lever was located, nor could I spot it in the dark cabin.

What impressed me the most were :-

1. Terrific external looks from all angles.
2. 16 " 205 profile wheels (all alloys, but on lousy MRFs)
3. The build quality of the boot door and the interior scoop to accommodate more luggage.
4. Reclining rear seats, that can easily be reclined by pulling on a hook at the side.
5. A 12 V charger on the right rear seat, near the hook that reclines the seat.
6. Steering adjusts for rake and reach too.
7. 60:40 rear folding seats.

What I did not like was:-

1. Some panel gaps below the steering on the bottom of dash. Ford guys say this is not a production version.
2. Quality of plastic on the hood atop the speedo console was having a hollow sound when tapped.
3. 3 cannot sit at the rear comfortably.
4. Boot space less than sedans like Ikon, Fiesta, etc.

Nobody from Ford was aware of the pricing and when it would be launched. Ford better launch it fast.

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

The only thing I could not peek at was the engine bay. Ford officials were tight-lipped about why they were not opening the hood, and were giving evasive responses. They even could not show me where the hood opening lever was located, nor could I spot it in the dark cabin.

The earlier cars of Ford (Fiesta/Figo) had the bonnet lever on the passenger side which is not expected but bought it back to the driver side in the new fiesta. ES might have it on the passenger side if you couldnt find it. Anyhow, the rear seat is the biggest problem in the ES. 3 people wont fit easily and it's quite similar to the swift rear space (as compared by few guys when they had displayed in Cochin). The bit above the center console feels hollow in old gen Fiesta too. I had noticed that. But they should improve the quality in the production model.

[crazydave]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

Ecosport has come in for lot of criticism for lack of rear leg-room. I think Ford should move the rear seats further back by 4 inches. It will eat into boot space but rear leg-room is more important than boot-space. Rear seat is used several times more than boot-space. In my opinion, human comfort is more important than ability to carry more luggage in boot.

Sound idea but everyone is complaining about the boot space already. If they eat into the boot space any more, it will be like a 800's boot!

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by crazydave

Sound idea but everyone is complaining about the boot space already. If they eat into the boot space any more, it will be like a 800's boot!

Right, It is a sub 4m car and that is the limitation. It is a double edged sword, it lacks space but I expect Ford to delight us with fantastic pricing.

You can't magically create space!!

[sharninder]

Originally Posted by agambhandari

Right, It is a sub 4m car and that is the limitation. It is a double edged sword, it lacks space but I expect Ford to delight us with fantastic pricing.

You can't magically create space!!

Agree. Only Honda can do that with the wafer thin doors and sheet metal. All those comparing the ES to the Amaze should really go look at how flimsy the Amaze is compared to the ES and they will know where the space comes from.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by sharninder

Agree. Only Honda can do that with the wafer thin doors and sheet metal. All those comparing the ES to the Amaze should really go look at how flimsy the Amaze is compared to the ES and they will know where the space comes from.

Well said. I do not understand this craze for space at the expense of everything else. Although I'm fan of Honda cars, but not econo-sedans like Amaze. I'll rather stretch my budget and buy a City than Amaze.

[ajnagpur]

Originally Posted by agambhandari

Right, It is a sub 4m car and that is the limitation. It is a double edged sword, it lacks space but I expect Ford to delight us with fantastic pricing.

You can't magically create space!!

+1 to you on this.
I wonder why people are saying boot is small.
its bigger than almost all the hatch backs & thats it. The goal is achieved IMO.

its a sub 4M car with space little more than hatch backs & boot space also more. So sounds like a perfect recipe for people like me who are hatch back/small car owners and are looking for upgrading to a small SUV which gives little more boot space, 200mm ground clearance & a nice view from the driver seat.

The one who wants BIG SUV can go for their choice! nobody is stopping you.