[Akshay89]

Hi Guys
I am looking forward to buy the new ecosport & am a petrol head but considering that the top end petrol model comes only mated to AT, Which would be a better car to drive the 1.5 diesel or the new 1.5 petrol purely in terms of thrill of driving (performance)??
I am considering only the top end variant.
Experts Pls suggest

[Johnnny]

Originally Posted by Akshay89

Hi Guys

I am looking forward to buy the new ecosport & am a petrol head but considering that the top end petrol model comes only mated to AT, Which would be a better car to drive the 1.5 diesel or the new 1.5 petrol purely in terms of thrill of driving (performance)??

I am considering only the top end variant.

Experts Pls suggest

Definitely it would be 1.5L Diesel!

[kaushikz]

Originally Posted by Vish_Janu

So if I want to extend it till 4th year, I would have to pay 9k for 3rd year + 13.9k for 4th = 22.9k, correct?

No. Its 13.9k for buying a 4 year Warranty. But you pay 9k if you want for only 3 years.

[aryayush]

Go for the diesel, of course.

Originally Posted by ravib

Please note that to connect Android Auto we have to connect the Phone with USB cable to one of the illuminated USB ports. I believe it should be same for Apple Car Play as well. So navigation cannot be done in wireless mode. However good thing is the phone gets charged because normally the phone battery drains out faster when GPS is ON.

This is a very good thing. If it required Bluetooth to work, it would become a nightmare for users of Bluetooth headsets. Since Bluetooth automatically connects to devices, there is no way for you to specify that it prioritise your Bluetooth headset over the car's system when you're in the vehicle, so you'd constantly have issues with it connecting to the wrong device when you were driving or in the rear seat. With a wired approach, you specifically connect your phone when you're in the driver's seat and your Bluetooth headset always remains first priority when it's connected. It makes perfect sense.

Originally Posted by ravib

I was told that the contacts in phone needs to be stored in ALL CAPS for the system to recognize names to make phone calls via voice commands. Could not check it/verify this time.

This simply cannot be true. Someone has applied their own brain here and come to an incorrect conclusion.

One thing I noticed about the doors is that although they remain just as heavy as before, the hinge seems to have been upgraded, because they felt much easier to open than in the previous version. It might just be my assumption though.

[mazda4life]

I was at JSP ford service centre to get my ecosport serviced and was casually talking to the manager there, apparently the JSP Ford dealer in JP nagar , bangalore has already booked around 52 cars in 1. 5 days and looks like they are expecting good crowd on Sunday

[shashant]

Had a look at new Ecosport yesterday. Didn't drive it and they didn't offer a test drive

Features and drive have already been discussed on this forum, one aspect that I would like to highlight is the interior feel.

This is below par and with all black hard plastics, thick A pillar, Black leather seats, thing are looking very claustrophobic.

At least combination of black and beige (or other light color) would have given it an airy feel.

[Thermodynamics]

Nexon or EcoSport ?
My elder brother booked a Nexon, hopefully will be delivered in a week. We checked the new EcoSport, it is impressive. Here are our observations.

EcoSport Titanium+ Diesel
PROS: Cruise control, 6 Air bags, Hill assist, Rain sensing wipers, Frugal engine, Brand reliability.
CONS: Pricey, demands a premium for its edge over the competition.

Nexon XZ+ is 10.5 Lakhs on road Gurgaon. EcoSport Titanium + is brilliant but costs 12.4 Lakhs.

We decided to stick to Nexon for the following arguments. He is an urban commuter and cruise control is not a necessity. It doesn't rain that much around Gurgaon/Manesar, rain sensing wipers are overkill. He is a seasoned driver with a decade of experience, so Hill assist for a small car is ain't a necessity. No arguments for the value the 6 Airbags add, provided the budget allows, which isn't in our case, we have to be content with two Airbags and buckle up.

EcoSport has a Frugal engine but Nexon is more powerful, torquey. Plus you get better rear seat comfort and superior audio system at a 2 Lakhs lesser budget.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by bijubalan

There are 2 things now running in my mind which is
1)Should I override this score just for safety features and push Ecosport to the top.

Both of these tilting the scale heavily towards Ecosport. But, yet to decide. If

Good evaluation and rating/scoring methodology. Looks like you work in analytics

I would not override anything. Hexa is a long wheelbase car which is very sturdily built also quite wide. Missing ESP/TCS and side curtain airbags is an issue for sure. The overall Hexa XMA package is very compelling, for not much more money than the Ecosport Titanium+

You must be considering the petrol version of the Ecosport since you have jotted down Automatic Performance as the criteria, since the Ecosport does not come with a DIesel Automatic. I am afraid you will find the performance quite gutless compared to Hexa. 150NM of torque delivered at high RPM is nowhere close to 400 NM at a lower RPM in the Hexa.

I have to disappoint you on the Hexa Automatic 4X4. Please read the recent discussion on the Hexa thread. Tata have clarified they have no plans to bring in a Hexa automatic with 4X4. So, if you need 4X4 you have to unfortunately live with the terrible manual gearbox and cannot get the sophisticated punch power glide auto box. It is a pity, since the automatic box can handle 4X4 duties, but TATA just does not want to invest in engineering, testing and homologation.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post4287904

[vishnurp99]

Had a look at new Ecosport yesterday.

Observations given below -
1. Front looks really good. Best among the compact SUVs. Better than both Captur and Creta.
2. The front seats are really comfortable.
3. Interiors look good. Felt the sound quality was not in the same league of Nexon or even Captur. The touchscreen and the dash looks really good though.
4. The back seat with handrest is really comfortable for 2 people. However my Figo Ist gen is more comfortable for 3 people. Captur gives you a sense of much more space and has better seats.
5. There is lot of interest for the petrol automatic.
6. With Nexon around it may be difficult for ecosport to do well. Lack of space is the Achilles heel.

[bijubalan]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Good evaluation and rating/scoring methodology. Looks like you work in analytics


You must be considering the petrol version of the Ecosport since you have jotted down Automatic Performance as the criteria, since the Ecosport does not come with a DIesel Automatic. I am afraid you will find the performance quite gutless compared to Hexa. 150NM of torque delivered at high RPM is nowhere close to 400 NM at a lower RPM in the Hexa.

Thanks for the compliments. Even though not into core analytics, I am into Structural Analysis.

I thought of clarifying what I meant by "automatic performance" in the original post but forgot. By the time I realised, the edit window was over. I did not mean the 0-100 timings or anything related. I was evaluating the effectiveness of the engine gear box combo, how quickly it senses requirement of down shift and how effortlessly it does that, how much is each upshift in sync with me, like I would have done in a manual, Provision for something like sports mode in hexa with a different tuning, paddle shifters etc These are important for me to have as close driving pleasure as a manual would provide.
I personally love manuals at the moment. I still value the convenience what automatics bring in and the only non negotiable requirement for the next car from my better half is to have auto transmission .
With Hexa atleast auto is a must for me as well for the beautiful mating Tata has done of the Varicor 400 with the punch powerglide auto transmission.

It is sad if Tata does not give Automatic 4×4. I was so so hopeful seeing the Hexa owners manual which mentions XMA 4x4.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by Vish_Janu

So if I want to extend it till 4th year, I would have to pay 9k for 3rd year + 13.9k for 4th = 22.9k, correct?



Ravi, you sure that is a woofer and not just a center speaker? I know somebody else mentioned that earlier as well, but my doubts stem from the fact that Ford hasn't even mentioned the word woofer anywhere in the brochure, I would assume they would have at least highlighted that in the spec sheet comparison.

Were you able to hear some music on the T+ version as well?

You are making me to rethink what i saw/felt and confuse me. Just kidding.
With FM radio, it was not great audio to make out if it is a woofer or just a speaker. But what i recollect from memory, in Titanium+, i definitely heard music behind the touchscreen. I may have to reconfirm though since you asked.
However, if it is not a woofer or a speaker, then it would have been identical setup in all variants similar to what they did with empty tweeters in front doors in outgoing version. Isn't it? Since we can see difference in the setup behind touch screen, definitely there must be at least a speaker behind touch screen, if not a woofer. Next time, need to carry a USB with good set of songs to test the audio system. But i am happy either way to get a speaker or woofer in T+.

BTW, it seems to me Ford had missed few things to mention in the brochure than what is actually in the car. It would have even looked better on paper for those who just read the specs and don't have time to go to showroom to see the car in person.

-Ravi

[harmanjeet14]

Both the titanium variants have a speaker or a woofer behind the touchscreen.My guess is its a small speaker because even at the highest volume I could feel only little vibrations coming out of the grille.

[damager21]

Originally Posted by kaushikz

It's strange you didn't find 4th year extended warranty, my dealer offered it to me, for about 13k. Am buyin' it, IMO the guy you are speaking with is not aware.

I referred to the standard price sheet in which only 3 years are mentioned. Will check with my dealer

Originally Posted by bijubalan

Now shortlisting the top 2 it is Hexa XMA and Ecosport Ti+. The other cars considered are also great, only thing as per my priority they din't score. For you something else might tick.

I would ideally rate Ecosport a 5 on ride and handling instead of a 3. If I was in your place and if size of Hexa was not a problem, I would have gone for XTA for it ticks all the box. OTR will be higher than your budget but its the most VFM and loaded SUV you can get.

Originally Posted by Vish_Janu

Ravi, you sure that is a woofer and not just a center speaker? I know somebody else mentioned that earlier as well, but my doubts stem from the fact that Ford hasn't even mentioned the word woofer anywhere in the brochure, I would assume they would have at least highlighted that in the spec sheet comparison.

Two SAs in different dealerships have confirmed that it's a woofer. Lets not forget that Ecosport brochure has no mention of Tyre monitoring system but we all know that it exists.

[M00M]

What would the mileage of the petrol AT be in city and on highway ? I have a friend considering only AT and currently has the Dzire AT which gives him good mileage but he wants a safer suv ish car for his parents now.

[tharian]

Dragon 1.5 test drive

It was a short test drive just to know how the new engine feels.
I had buyers remorse with my Aspire Sports diesel
when I saw the price of the base version petrol Ecosport which was just below how much I paid for my Aspire diesel 6 months ago.
I liked the redesigned front more than anything on the new car and the base version had a full black grill which made it look good. The dash was quite bare and basic and reminded me of my 2010 Figo EXI in feel and looks. But I was surprised with the features the base version carried. The space inside at the front is just like a Aspire, and the feeling of sitting low in the old Ecosport at front is done away with. This one feels good sitting in the driver seat.

The touch screen is quite good. Quick response to touch, clear and bright. But looks like a tab attached to the dash. The speedo console looks basic and the temperature gauage makes a comeback but it all looks old school. The digital readout reminds me of a old video game graphic.

The main reason I went was to drive the Dragon engine. One word - it does not feel like a 3 cylinder in any area. A non enthusiast will never ever know how many cylinders are firing under the hood. Almost nil vibrations while driving or idling and a very nice thrum when the revs start climbing and a muted thrum while blipping the throttle when crawling or reversing. I was impressed.
The driveability as expected from a 3 cylinder is good. There is enough torque to use second or thrid gear in slow traffic. I was able to check the pick up in second and third and they are good enough and the speed increase is very gradual and not earth shattering. Again, no vibrations of any kind. I wasn't able to check the mid since it was a short drive with moderate traffic. But from the few kms I drove, I have a feeling the mid range poke should be decent too. It somehow feels similar to the outgoing 1.5 with better torque. Perfect for city. I am not sure I felt it was 123bhp when I floored it couple of times.

I was on a tight budget when I bought my Aspire Sports diesel and in comparison a diesel Trend Ecosport would cost almost a lakh more than what I paid. I would be very confused which one to choose if I had waited.
In that way, I feel Ford has a winner here for the overall package. The Dragon engine is not a lethargic engine in any way and the fact that it is not harsh or noisy is a big plus.