[Srikji]

Has Team-BHP thought about starting a YouTube channel and putting video reviews, it will benefit a larger set of people looking to buy cars without solely relying on paid or sub-par reviews (some video reviews are indeed good but Team-BHP reviews will be in a class of its own)?

[amoghchaphalkar]

Originally Posted by GTO

Am amazed they have replied back to you in 30 minutes, but my call & WhatsApp message to the Ford team dated 2nd August are yet not replied to. ONE WEEK UP.

I tweeted this to Ford and called them out for their childish behaviour. They clealry did not take that well and replied quickly to my tweet as well. Team BHP is tagged in the conversation. Do take a look.

[condor]

Originally Posted by VKumar

.. " given the test drive fleets are not meant for media reviews. "

I would ask this person to repeat himself. Test Drive cars are not meant for media reviews ? Anything special that these test drive cars have that media like Team-BHP should not stumble upon ? Or are these cars from a "holy" fleet ?

Originally Posted by GTO

Clearly, this person holding the high seat is getting the wrong information from his team lower down.

Looks like Ford has got itself another round of negative publicity.

But hats-off to the TBHP-ians who have offered their own cars to help out the community and prospective buyers.

[shashank.nk]

Wow! Even before I could open the thread, we already have 2 cars to review. Its been what a little over 3 hours since the thread went live ? Truly shows the power of the community

I hope in future, other manufacturers will think twice, thrice before trying to pull off something like this. Heck, even Skoda offers us TD cars. In 2011 it was Maruti with the Swift (brake issue on Vdi being why?) and now Ford.

Didn't stop us then, won't stop us now.Will they ever learn. Sigh

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by GTO

Think about that Ford! 1 hour and a gracious owner is offering us his brand new EcoSport. Something you couldn't do in 3 months, despite having access to 10,000 cars!

Great news! For this particular review, airbrush out ALL the Ford logos and replace with different TBHP logos

It's a vehicle sourced from within TBHP. Why should we provide mindspace for the Ford logo?

[gkveda]

On a lighter side (Internal discussion inside Board room and Reason for not giving the car for review)

CEO(Ford): Why are we not giving the car for review with TBHP? Any specific reason?

Executive 1: They made a lot of noise on a small part missing in our Endy. But now...

Executive 2: They made a huge hue and cry on Tyre bulge on our ECO. But now...

Executive 3: There are lakhs of people who purchase our car because of their reviews. If they read the review of our current car, then, our sales will decrease.

CEO: (Baffled) What ? Why are you playing sentence completion game? What is the issue? Have we not designed ECO Sports based on all the feedback we received earlier ?

All executives together: Definitely. We have considered all the noise created by Team BHP and have made the whole chassis missing, No air in the Tires and missed many other major parts. Now, They cannot make any noise now about small parts missing because the whole parts are missing.

CEO: Good Job. All of you will get 5% increase. But this is a linear approach. Anyone else has any other Non linear innovative approach?

Executive 4: Sir, I have it. We can miss the entire car to them for review.

CEO: This is the best innovative solution to stop their noise. You are promoted.

But, reality: Team BHP is making noise on the entire car missing too and we are purchasing the car to review and will still make noise

Future discussion
CEO: What is the next step now ?

Executive: We will stop manufacturing the Cars and get into some non-motor based business or household items business like Mixie, Grinder, washing machine and fridge. We can use the same motor without chassis and tires. Let us see how they will review and make noise

Final Verdict to ford: We will review non motor based products in Shifting Gears section. Better FORD India knows about this.

[GRAND23]

I have seen one Ford Ecosport "S" Variant in our office parking lot.
I will see today if I can catch him. I will explain him about the situation and let you know about this.

[KiloAlpha]

This is just sheer cussedness on the part of Ford. I reckon the Endy product manager is now heading media relations. He/she clearly did not like the thread about missing chassis components in the Endy, so has decided to get back at Team-BHP.

On a side note: Team-BHP portrays itself as "completely unbiased". The people who run this forum have, very publicly and repeatedly, expressed great admiration for Consumer Reports USA. Is this an indication to walk the talk? IMHO, taking cars for reviews from their makers (which is counted as a marketing cost by car companies) is a conflict of interest. Time for this community to put its money where its mouth is and stop bothering with press fleet cars.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by amoghchaphalkar

I tweeted this to Ford and called them out for their childish behaviour. They clealry did not take that well and replied quickly to my tweet as well.

Am not a Twitter person, but this was sent to me, so sharing it here for everyone's convenience:


Of course Ford will think it's biased! Like I said earlier, we're more neutral than you could ever "aspire" to be, Ford.

My response to Ford:

1. Why was this dealer test-drive vehicle not offered to us even ONCE in 3 months? Not even so much as mentioned? Why is it offered only after we have publicly asked BHPians for a car? You very well knew that our review is held up because we needed more time with the S variant.

2. Your reason "absence of EcoBoost vehicle" is a blatant lie! We are well aware as it was already informed to us in July itself. Please refer to our WhatsApp message with your senior team member where the discussion had moved onto a DIESEL and we have explicitly asked for the same. I am not one to share private conversations, but this one was necessary to show they have their facts wrong:


3. What is the reason that my call & WhatsApp message (dated 2nd August) to your senior team member are as yet unanswered?

4. Why has no date been given to us on the availability, despite us explicitly asking for the same? Why was the conversation simply ended with a "the vehicle isn't available".

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.

[Chetan_Rao]

Video reviews (highlight reel anyone?) may be a swell idea to complement the written review, but wouldn't necessarily be a sound replacement.

Most popular, high-viewership video reviews are more style than substance. I remember watching one for the new Swift recently that had ZERO substance or actual details about the car and its pros/cons, only a nostalgic flashback to the first-gen model.

To replicate T-BHP's level of attention to detail, our video review would probably run into a couple hours and feel like a documentary (which it honestly should, as it's about facts not VFX), but I seriously doubt the instant-gratification crowd will have the patience to sit through one end-to-end.

Good idea, nevertheless, and no harm in trying. BHPian Karan561 has some great video reviews for anyone interested. His new Fortuner review was top-notch.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by chaudh2s

I feel the reason could be the Endeavour Chassis thread. I personally felt, many Bhpians acted like a mob (with no face) to defame Ford. It's not that other manufacturers are not resorting to cost cutting, but the way Ford was singled out and waylaid, many Ford owners felt bad(me included), but we couldn't do anything to stop the carnage (mob cannot be controlled).

Well ford is yet to get back on the questions posted on the chassis thread, yes I do have a 3.2 Endy with same issue and I am not at all happy about it! As a manufacturer they are just about ok, has treated me well in some situations and quite badly at certain others.

So my take as a customer is - they are 'ok', no great shakes that they did not deserve the comments in that thread.

Great car, average manufacturer and service.

Anyways we are diverting from the topic, I am a moderator and I know how difficult it is to get these test drive requests accepted. Very few are obliging to unbiased online forums like us, instead most of them are more than happy to butter upto certain other mediums which can be easily influenced, and lack the depth or the right intent. I take it as a normal business call, perfectly understandable and honestly nobody even cares too much about such things except us; since we are often times more passionate about the vehicle than the manufacturer. But for a large manufacturer like Ford to say they do not have vehicle to spare for few days, is outrageous.

Being in corporate it is easy to understand how things work with such large firms, most often an ego would have got rubbed off badly that they are forgetting the greater cause of the organisation that they work for.

If I were an executive in Ford I would have left the car at the TBHP office door step by now with a bunch of flowers and a sorry note. It is as easy as that.

[SnS_12]

A friend has been facing issues with his six month old EcoSport Trend Plus AT Petrol model and has been continuously following up with Ford for a comprehensive report and assurance that all the problems have been identified and rectified. But, in vain

Quoting my friends message below:


So its a 6month old car which has had the following issues:

1. Twice Battery drained
2. Faulty Fuel indicator warning
3. Water leakage into the cabin from the AC for which they changed the evaporator coil

The car has been to the showroom and back almost every second week during the last 3 months.

During the latest issue I have asked for a comprehensive report and thorough check. They took almost 15 days to get the inspection and part replacement done.

Unquote:

He has also tweeted his concers to Ford as below:

https://mobile.twitter.com/phoenix_s...422150656?s=08

[GTO]

A THIRD EcoSport S has become available to us for TWO DAYS. The owner wishes to remain anonymous, but a sincere thank you !

We will pick the car based on the location nearest to us & dates that are mutually convenient.

[RSimonS]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Well ford is yet to get back on the questions posted on the chassis thread, yes i do have a 3.2 Endy with same issue and i am not at all happy about it!

Being in corporate it is easy to understand how things work with such large firms, most often an ego would have got rubbed off badly that they are forgetting the greater cause of the organisation that they work for.

If i were an executive in Ford i would have left the car at the TBHP office door step by now with a bunch of flowers and a sorry note. It is as easy as that.

This thread is a bigger PR disaster for Ford than the chassis thread. It is becoming more or less evident that 'Ford does not care much' about things in the outside world. Unfortunate, to say the least.

[RedHerring]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

If i were an executive in Ford i would have left the car at the TBHP office door step by now with a bunch of flowers and a sorry note. It is as easy as that.

All corporations are made of people and people do make mistakes. However, it is upto the collective wisdom of the organization to rectify that. Ford is making a big mistake by not owning up to their mistake.
People are forgiving. A genuine acceptance that they screwed up earlier and an offer to amend it would place them in far better light than to let this thread continue its (well-deserved) Ford bashing.

But I guess the good people at Ford think a little differently than me!