[svsantosh]

If at all TBhp manages to get anything out of Ford India from now on, it will resemble "The Interview" set. All Props and employees stage managed with a spit and shine and all eyes on us.

PS - Watch out for a painted origami K member!

[vvijay]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Maybe the engine is going to be redone, with BS-VI just over a year away.

IMHO, EcoSport's both current petrol and diesel engines are BS VI compliant in other markets and doesn't require a major overhaul. While the petrol is the most recent Dragon engine (which Ford has claimed it is already 2020-ready), the 1.5 diesel is already sold in EU as Eu-VI compliant (with minimal changes to EGR and exhaust after-treatment hardware).

Cheers,
Vijay

[PYSO]

Very poor show by Ford, for obvious reasons.

But an equally poor show by Team bhp - By this unrestrained ranting style (especially the opening post by GTO), Team bhp has lowered its own perception of being unbiased. Anybody reading it would feel that GTO has a strong bias against Ford (probably formed due to this specific bad experience with Ford - but it is very visible nevertheless). A lot more restrained and dignified style would have been better, I think. This one looks like started with a strong intent to hurt Ford - and that damages the perception of neutrality.

I hope I am not rapped by the mods for this. Just my opinion.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by PYSO

Anybody reading it would feel that GTO has a strong bias against Ford

I think you missed my earlier points on this thread. I actually love their cars!

Originally Posted by GTO

Guys, will respond to other posts later, but a sincere request.

I love some of Ford's cars (the EcoSport, Endeavour, Mustang) and this incident wouldn't stop me from buying any of them. I urge you to think the same way. The same way, I wouldn't let an idiotic salesman stop me from buying a car I really like.

The guys building the cars are entirely different from the people promoting it. Now, if only the latter were as competent as the former.

And on the bias. Trust me, Team-BHP's ethics code is built after years of hard work & determination. We aren't going to compromise on that due to 1 or 2 personalities that we don't see eye to eye with.

Originally Posted by GTO

Whatever the actual reason for us not getting a car, Ford needn't sweat. We'll always be more neutral than you could ever 'aspire' to be (pun intended), Ford. I'll be the first to state that the EcoSport & Endeavour are my top choices in their respective segments, as proven by my several posts on the forum. Needless to say, we will review the EcoSport as objectively as we do all cars, no matter what source we get the demo vehicle from. It's our duty to Team-BHP's readers.

[PYSO]

Originally Posted by GTO

I think you missed my earlier points on this thread. I actually love their cars!



And on the bias. Trust me, Team-BHP's ethics code is built after years of hard work & determination. We aren't going to compromise on that due to 1 or 2 personalities that we don't see eye to eye with.

Sorry. Let me explain - I wasn't saying you (or Team bhp) are biased.

Nevertheless it can lead to the perception of being biased. Just my 2 cents.

[Chetan_Rao]

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, of course, but there's one detail that blows the whole perception of bias out of the water.

T-BHP waited THREE months to obtain a review car before posting this thread publicly. I'm not sure a biased individual or forum would wait that long if the actual intent was to score cheap social media brownie points, not air a genuine grievance.

Can't please everyone all the time, but the content and quality of the forum stands on its own and needs no supporting justification.

This forum may be GTO's baby, but it stands for more than his individual (or anyone else's) perceptions and biases.

[a4anurag]

Agree with what Chetan has said.

3 months, numerous emails/calls to get the car allotted so the review can happen in the way it should but no, Ford tried to act smart by not providing a car for review. In simpler terms, their loss!

Now, Team-BHP has cars available in a few hours of this thread opening up. Fantastic and gratitude to those individuals who have offered their steeds for the review.

IIRC Maruti Suzuki too had shown such a behaviour when a review car was asked for. Right? 2nd generation Maruti Swift was reviewed using the car of a Team-BHP Fan. Quoting below:

Heartfelt gratitude to a staunch supporter of Team-BHP, for lending us his 2 week old diesel Swift for an entire day! Also to a friend who lent us her petrol ZXi.

Sad to see such a behaviour from Ford, not sure what made them take the step of denying a car for the review.

[prakash_ajp]

Originally Posted by PYSO

Very poor show by Ford, for obvious reasons.

But an equally poor show by Team bhp - By this unrestrained ranting style (especially the opening post by GTO), Team bhp has lowered its own perception of being unbiased. Anybody reading it would feel that GTO has a strong bias against Ford (probably formed due to this specific bad experience with Ford - but it is very visible nevertheless). A lot more restrained and dignified style would have been better, I think. This one looks like started with a strong intent to hurt Ford - and that damages the perception of neutrality.

I hope I am not rapped by the mods for this. Just my opinion.

There's nothing wrong in pointing out that Ford is being unprofessional here. At times a strong wording is required to drive the message. We can only judge whether or not team-bhp is biased after we see the review. But I am certain it'll be just like our any other reviews.

[R-Six]

Guys, it looks like most of us overlooked the most obvious reason for Team-BHP not getting a car for the review. It is probably because one of the decision makers tried cracking the coveted "team-bhp registration" and was miffed by the fact that our mods did not approve their membership request!



Apologies for the sarcasm, but apart from that I couldn't come up with any other reason for them to not give a car for review.

Anyway, we all are glad that we could get hold off a car within an hour of posting this thread.

[SCORPION]

Originally Posted by GTO

If an official review has ever helped you, you will realise the value of our having access to new cars. Most readers of Team-BHP will agree that nothing matches our official reviews for detail or unbiased observations.

Definitely. I always read the reviews word by word and it is indeed always superb and more exhaustive than any magazine can even imagine. But when I buy a car, it is always my decision. I go armed with all the knowledge from reviews - from TBhp, magazines and all other available sources. However, the final decision is taken after checking out the car myself and after an exhaustive test drive. In most cases I already know if I am going to buy the car or not.

I understand that you are a Ford owner, but please keep your opinion neutral. On the other hand, if it is, I apologise.

You got me wrong there, GTO. Me being a Ford owner has got nothing to do with my remarks. Being a Ford owner does not mean I cannot say what I feel is right or wrong just because the car in question is a Ford. That is just a coincidence and apologies accepted.

To me, this thread was the most logical way to source one and it has been successful. Team-BHP now has FIVE cars to choose from.

I really dont agree to that. A PM to owners after finding out who owns an Ecosport S would have sufficed. But, anyway, I am no one to judge your decision. Just voicing my views.

In India? Please share an example. I know there are some examples internationally, but the focus here is on the Indian Car Scene.

Yes, in India, umpteen number of times. Autocar India, Overdrive, Topgear, Car etc, all of them have at some point of time, faced the same issue and they make a statement like i mentioned in case they are doing a review. I cannot share a specific example because my memory is limited.

Noted. However, we prefer to let the discussion continue.

Noted.

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I guess people are taking offence with the wording of the thread title more than anything. Instead of "Ford doesnt have..." title, if it was "Any volunteers to lend an Ecopotty, sorry Ecosport" things would have been fine?

Why is it that people find it difficult to accept that there may be some members who do not agree necessarily to what is being discussed in a thread? Let me assure you that people who don't agree with the subject and comments of this thread are not really bothered whether it is Ford or some other brand. I for one, made my comments in the interest of our forum and the entire TBhp community.

[johannskaria]

I'm reminded of a CNBC article that I came across about Consumer Reports USA the other day
Here are few excerpts from the article :-

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has no reluctance in lashing out at journalists. Or Wall Street analysts. Or employees.

But when Consumer Reports opened its mouth about Tesla's Model 3 sedan, Musk listened. He quickly went to work to resolve the issues the 82-year-old group raised with the latest Tesla model. The response was notable for its swiftness, and it spoke volumes about Consumer Reports' influence.

Since it was founded in 1936, the group's thorough evaluations of cars and other products have been an indispensable guide for generations of consumers.

That reputation persists despite a growing number of rival automotive reviewers, testers and publications in the world, and a declining subscriber base. Much of its reputation hinges on it doing things no other reviewer does. It is a nonprofit organization that secretly buys cars like ordinary customers and has a history of eschewing any form of advertising or other entanglements that could appear to compromise its impartiality. Many of its staff members have backgrounds in engineering and have worked for automakers or suppliers.

Even in an increasingly competitive media landscape filled with review sites, blogs and other outlets — some of which are formidable competitors — Consumer Reports still manages to ruffle feathers.

On May 21 the group said it could not recommend the Tesla Model 3. Musk didn't publicly disparage the group. Instead, he took the feedback and said on Twitter that the issue could be remedied with a remote update to the firmware on every Model 3 on the road.

The organization's goal is to cover about 90 percent of the U.S. car market, and it does evaluate vehicles in just about every major category.

Part of how it achieves such trust among consumers is through its transparent and rigorous testing process and a strict commitment to eliminating potential conflicts of interest.

Auto industry executives view the group with a mixture of respect, fear and frustration.

The group plays an important role in the auto market and it does it well, said Johan de Nysschen, a longtime auto industry executive who ran Audi, Infiniti, and most recently, Cadillac. He said he has heard from executives he has worked with in the past that somewhere around 60 percent of all luxury vehicle buyers consult the publication before finalizing their own purchases.

"Firstly, just by virtue of the impact that they have, one views them with respect," de Nysschen said. "But I also would say, Consumer Reports is not quite the sole custodian of the body of automotive knowledge that they like to think they are, and that sometimes can create some irritation with automakers."

CNBC article

[thoma]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

All other media said what Ford wanted them to say within the limited window that Ford allowed them to say it. Team-Bhp, thankfully, doesn't play along like that!

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Has anyone considered that the EcoSport is due for a major revamp, and Ford does not want the world to know.

Call it a hunch that I'm having, that Ford doesn't want to find out something like the missing K-truss from the Ecosport? Or are they plain pissed off in we finding it out on the Endeavour?

Originally Posted by GTO

5. Understood that your dealer test-drive vehicles are meant for customers / prospects. Just for future reference, lakhs of your prospects read our reviews too. More people would read the EcoSport S review in a day than your TD vehicle could cater to in a year.

This is the only thing that baffles me much. Are the honchos at Ford that silly to view Team-BHP as a petty website or blog site to play childish at? This is a community, a true representation of your customer base, and future too. If you are mum on the missing K-truss we will ask more, because we feel it is our right. Please don't underestimate the Indian market. Gone are the days when the market is manufacturer centric. Be bit more serious in India or use the GM way.

Enough of my rant, I'm sorry if this hurt you Ford, but you are also hurting your customers, kindly take note. Wanted to let out my frustration being a fan and an owner and I think I have the right. Whatever be, blocking a review is gross, from any manufacturer be it Ford or Maruti. Period.

[prakash_ajp]

Originally Posted by SCORPION

Definitely. I always read the reviews word by word and it is indeed always superb and more exhaustive than any magazine can even imagine. But when I buy a car, it is always my decision. I go armed with all the knowledge from reviews - from TBhp, magazines and all other available sources. However, the final decision is taken after checking out the car myself and after an exhaustive test drive. In most cases I already know if I am going to buy the car or not.

"In most cases I already know if I am going to buy the car or not." - you meant you know it before going for the test drives, right? If so, are you not contradicting yourself there?

No review will or should make you buy a particular car. On the other hand if it helps you understand the cars better and brings you closer to the final decision, then it has done its job. That's exactly what GTO was talking about.

[justchells]

Hi GTO,

I’m a proud owner of the Ford EcoSport S - Ecoboost variant. It will be 1 month old tomorrow and has completed 875 kms in city driving conditions. As far as possible, I’ve been keeping the RPMs under 3k as per the running in guidelines posted in this forum. I’m yet to take this baby out on the highways.

I would be delighted if you consider my car for your in depth unbiased review. Have been a consumer of this forum for long, would like to contribute in some way. Have been thinking about posting an initial ownership review myself, but it won't be anything like an official Team-BHP review!

[arunphilip]

WTH, Ford? You've tended to have the pulse on social media (e.g. positively addressing genuine and serious complaints), and you go and pull this stunt with TBHP?

While I was hyped about the 2013 EcoSport for some time prior to its launch, what sealed the deal was the official review on TBHP - it laid out all the details, the good stuff and the niggles, along with gorgeous photos, and that made my buying decision easy. And the time between booking and delivery was again spent slavishly reading the thread (erm, GTO, I might have constituted a good chunk of the 1.2 cr views). I'm pretty sure I'm not the only such customer.

As an owner, I've again tried to stay neutral in the reporting of the car - there's a lot to love in it, but it has stuff to watch out for, and I've tried to call a spade a spade. And when I read the media previews for the new EcoSport, I was excited to see how Ford have addressed major and minor feedback points to make the 2018 EcoSport an even more well-rounded package.

And now you deny TBHP a review vehicle? Sigh. Ford, listen up - many of the EcoSport loyalists are sitting on 4/5-year old cars, and this is a time when the upgrade itch starts to manifest itself. You could make us repeat customers, or you could send us looking at competing options (unlike 2013, we do have more choices today).