Team-BHP > The Indian Car Scene


Closed Thread
  Search this Thread
103,172 views
Old 6th July 2015, 19:31   #46
BHPian
 
pannags's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 761
Thanked: 2,055 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by supertinu View Post
I am really baffled with this design update from Ford. Cosmetically one of the main things that made Ecosport standout as a SUV despite its small size was the rear door mounted tyre. With that gone in my opinion it loses some of its SUV credentials or that whole look factor. Also practically with the wheel gone I hope its not in the boot which anyways can barely take one due to limited volume and space. Not giving a 5th wheel is also not a good idea given our road conditions and occasional punctures that do happen.
I don't think Ford omitted the 5th wheel, just that they found it better to take it off the rear - a decision I just cannot comprehend.

I totally agree that the this is one of the most prominent elements that gave the Ecosport its SUVish identity. Without the rear mounted wheel, the Ecosport is squarely handed an identity crisis of sorts.

Are we looking at an Ecosport Classic with freebies and discounts thrown in
pannags is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 6th July 2015, 19:45   #47
Team-BHP Support
 
suhaas307's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 8,830
Thanked: 12,246 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

Those look like the 17" wheels offered on the International-spec EcoSport. I must say, they look stunning!

Wondering if Ford will bother adding DRLs to the headlights this time. A sunroof would be another nice addition.

The spare-tyre delete makes the rear end look rather ugly though.
suhaas307 is offline  
Old 6th July 2015, 20:52   #48
BHPian
 
treadmark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 548
Thanked: 337 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by coolboy007 View Post
Ford would be better off not removing the rear mounted wheel as it has gelled well with the design and why fiddle with some thing which is liked by the masses and spoil a good looking car.
Quote:
Originally Posted by supertinu View Post
Cosmetically one of the main things that made Ecosport standout as a SUV despite its small size was the rear door mounted tyre. With that gone in my opinion it loses some of its SUV credentials or that whole look factor.
Before we jump into conclusions, why can't this be one for export markets like European countries where the homologation requirements doesn't call for spare wheel?

Moreover we got to see the launch of Ecosport in India close to a year after the launch in Brazil and few months from the launch in China, didn't we?
As we haven't heard / seen anything from Brazil yet it is safe to assume that this isn't a facelift.

I may be wrong here, but as far as I've noticed all manufacturers would go for a minor change in headlamp, tail lamp, front and rear bumpers at the least on a face lift.

Cheers!
treadmark is offline   (3) Thanks
Old 7th July 2015, 09:28   #49
BHPian
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 592
Thanked: 828 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by keeprevving View Post
I don't think Ford has omitted the 5th wheel. It will be there in the boot or under the body. No ways can they do such a blunder. If they have, then God save them!
I don't think they can retrofit the wheel in its traditional place. That will need a redesigned floor pan, and maybe new dies for that piece. If they junk the spare wheel on the tailgate, the only alternatives are

(i) Run flat tyres
(ii) Puncture repair kits and a pump fitted in some slot somewhere (maybe both)

Its possible the floorpan had a provision for fitting the spare wheel, if needed. Existing EcoSport owners can probably answer that.
Contrapunto is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 7th July 2015, 09:54   #50
BHPian
 
varunanb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Chennai
Posts: 232
Thanked: 257 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

The ecosport now looks stunning without the spare at the tail gate. Im not against mounting the spare on the tailgate, but somehow it did not suit Ecosport.

Hope this gets launched as it is in pictures above.
varunanb is offline  
Old 7th July 2015, 10:24   #51
BHPian
 
ManMachine's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: chennai
Posts: 125
Thanked: 19 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

According to NDTV Auto these are expected changes

1) The car gets bespoke 17-inch wheels, black roof and mirror caps, privacy glass and a rear diffuser.

2) 4" Colour Display.

3 )Reduced gearbox torque truncation in lower gears.

4) Powertrains have also been upgraded to EU6.1 norms.

5) Ford's engineers have also retuned the rear twist beam as well as the spring & damper rates while the ride height has been reduced by 10mm. The 2015 EcoSport also comes with optimized Electronic Stability Control and power steering systems as well as sat-nav and a rearview camera.

I got these data from NDTV Auto
ManMachine is offline   (2) Thanks
Old 14th July 2015, 14:51   #52
Distinguished - BHPian
 
RavenAvi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Flying Around
Posts: 6,663
Thanked: 47,504 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

While the updated Ford EcoSport has gone on sale in the UK with prices starting from 14,245 pounds (around 14.17 lakhs), the India-specific Ford EcoSport facelift due to be launched next year is reportedly getting the updated and re-tuned Ford 1.5L TDCi engine, which has been unveiled in the all-new Ford Figo Aspire sedan.

Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India-2016fordecosportrearpressimageukspecification.jpg

The new Ford Fiesta sedan will also get this bumped-up 1.5L diesel mill in the near future as well.

Quote:
The diesel variants of Figo Aspire would be powered by Ford's tried and trusted 1.5-litre TDCi motor, albeit with power output of 100 PS (98.6 bhp). Just so you know, both EcoSport and Fiesta use the very same engine but with 90PS of top power and now we have learnt that both these vehicles would get the updated engine with more power like the Figo Aspire.

A couple of months back, the Ford EcoSport facelift was unveiled in international markets with an updated diesel motor. The American automajor upped the power of the 1.5-litre, four-cylinder TDCi engine from 90PS to 95PS. However, the India-spec Ford EcoSport wouldn’t get this engine but would be powered by the Figo Aspire’s engine.

As for Fiesta, it too comes with the same engine, but with lesser power. Now, Fiesta is also expected to get the updated engine with more power. The 1.5-litre diesel engine now delivers 98.6bhp of top power and 215Nm of peak torque.

Besides the bump in power, the fuel efficiency of EcoSport and Fiesta is also expected to get a boost after being powered by the retuned TDCi engine.
IAB

Motor Octane

Last edited by RavenAvi : 14th July 2015 at 14:52.
RavenAvi is offline   (4) Thanks
Old 15th July 2015, 08:52   #53
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: mumbai
Posts: 2,135
Thanked: 2,997 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

Spare wheel seems deleted, rather than moved below the floor or into the boot. Two reasons for that:
There is no space below the boot. That space is occupied by the fuel tank I guess, since the car is hatchback sized, they couldn't place the fuel tank below the passenger compartment

The spare 16/17 inch wheel cannot be placed in the current boot, without completely filling it up, and leaving zero boot space for luggage.

As people have speculated, this omission would be balanced by a runflat setup, and looks mainly for EU, where there is no requirement for a 5th wheel/spare.

The new alloy design IMO looks a bit odd, it resembles the wheel covers sold in India in the late 90s
apachelongbow is offline  
Old 15th July 2015, 12:04   #54
Team-BHP Support
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 17,678
Thanked: 76,282 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

The India-spec EcoSport is likely to retain the spare wheel on the tail gate.

Link to Team-BHP News Article
Aditya is online now   (3) Thanks
Old 15th July 2015, 14:24   #55
Mtv
BHPian
 
Mtv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Kolkata
Posts: 189
Thanked: 442 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aditya View Post
The India-spec EcoSport is likely to retain the spare wheel on the tail gate.

Link to Team-BHP News Article
Ford definitely has to retain the tailgate mounted spare in India, else the Ecosport wouldn't be a "Badi gaadi" anymore.
Mtv is offline  
Old 15th July 2015, 23:08   #56
RSR
Senior - BHPian
 
RSR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Chennai
Posts: 1,803
Thanked: 6,579 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

I guess this was expected. As mentioned by others before, Indian regulation requires manufacturers to provide a spare (as long as the vehicle is not using run-flat tyres).

Ford would have found it very difficult to accommodate the spare in conventional locations (in a spare wheel well or under the floor at the rear). The only possible option would have been bolting it to the rear seat (as done on some cars with factory-fitted LPG kits) and this would take up quite some boot space.

So they let the spare stay mounted on the tail gate, as this isn't really a negative in India from a design point of view (unlike in Europe).

I think it would look better without the spare if the number plate is moved up and the rear bumper gets a thorough re-design.

Last edited by RSR : 15th July 2015 at 23:11.
RSR is offline  
Old 16th July 2015, 08:51   #57
Senior - BHPian
 
deetjohn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Kochi
Posts: 4,530
Thanked: 10,580 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

A bump up in the power output, small nice updates like new alloy wheels, new colours, kit (adding the start stop/ keyless entry back into Titanium) and a fair reduction in prices is required for the EcoSport to pull back the numbers. A slighty better ride and little more weight for the steering will be superb additions.

And I don't think its going to doom and gloom for the EcoSport once Creta is launched. The Ford got its merits and can stand up to the Creta provided Ford can price the EcoSport for its worth. They have jacked the price to skim the demand and that needs correction. After all, its a small car with a huge benefit on excise savings. Ford should pass it on to the customers.

And the Creta is going to have a terrible waiting period. So, I really sense some opportunity here.
deetjohn is offline   (3) Thanks
Old 16th July 2015, 09:11   #58
BHPian
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 592
Thanked: 828 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by deetjohn View Post
And I don't think its going to doom and gloom for the EcoSport once Creta is launched. The Ford got its merits and can stand up to the Creta provided Ford can price the EcoSport for its worth. They have jacked the price to skim the demand and that needs correction. After all, its a small car with a huge benefit on excise savings. Ford should pass it on to the customers.

And the Creta is going to have a terrible waiting period. So, I really sense some opportunity here.
There definitely are opportunities, if (a BIF if), Ford has the focus, and the killer instinct to fight back and pull it off.

IMO, a price cut looks good for the customers but is a bad product strategy. It immediately depresses resale values and makes existing customers feel cheated.

A better option would be to build into the (existing) price, items that currently customers need to buy extra (engine guard, body painted wheel cover, DRL etc.), things that customer John Doe can touch and feel and see with his own eyes and be convinced that he is getting good value.

Lack of a petrol AT, or even a top-spec diesel auto with all the safety features is a key gap in the Creta portfolio. Ford should advertise around it with full force, and sweeten the deal for customers going for these models with maybe a free service plan

Of course, a 1L EcoBoost AT would be a killer product, even at a significant premium. There is a point-of-view that it will not sell, but I think it will. The market has matured a lot in the past 2 years since the EcoSport was launched.

However, Ford should not wait too long for the facelift to land.. the counter punch has to land immediately after the punch, for the fight to sustain.

@deetjohn, I don't think there will be a long waiting period for the Creta (no matter what the greedy dealers say right now), at least for the mainstream variants. Hyundai has shown itself to be a good student of the marketplace. I don't expect them to make such an obvious mistake in production planning and supply chain strategy.

Last edited by Contrapunto : 16th July 2015 at 09:15. Reason: Minor adds
Contrapunto is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 31st July 2015, 20:32   #59
Distinguished - BHPian
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: --
Posts: 23,267
Thanked: 67,326 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

2016 Ford EcoSport Will Add a PowerShift Automatic Gear box Option - could be offered in India.

It's not just China though, as India still has over a billion potential customers and growing
Quote:
Now reports have come of the 2016 EcoSport will feature its first automatic cog-swapper, coming in the form of a 1.6-liter engine coupled to a six-speed Powershift gearbox
Quote:
believe it's the same twin-clutch unit offered on the smaller Fiesta and the Focus hatchback. The gearbox was developed by Getrag and is also used by Renault on the Clio and Captur models
Quote:
But we think the same power train could also be offered in India. Over there, the new car to beat is the recently launched Hyundai Creta. Of the 15,000 orders placed already, 4,500 were for the high-end automatic version.

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/20...ion-98313.html
volkman10 is offline  
Old 31st July 2015, 22:52   #60
Team-BHP Support
 
Vid6639's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 17,716
Thanked: 43,236 Times
Re: Scoop: 2015 Ford EcoSport facelift spotted testing in India

Quote:
Originally Posted by volkman10 View Post
2016 Ford EcoSport Will Add a PowerShift Automatic Gear box Option - could be offered in India.

It's not just China though, as India still has over a billion potential customers and growing

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/20...ion-98313.html
What am I missing here? India already gets the 6 speed powershift dual clutch box with the 1.5L Ti-VCT engine. I think the reported did not know that.

What we need is the Powershift box mated to the 1.0 Ecoboost engine like the Fiesta in Thailand.
Vid6639 is offline   (4) Thanks
Closed Thread

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks