[ecosport rules]

My unconventional journey towards Ecosport.:-D

I have owned a white color Honda civic automatic since 2009, which was used primarily for city driving. We were yearning for a spare car to drive on highways for a long time, when our eyes fell on Audi Q3 in Lonavala, where it was in a comparo shoot between Q3 and X1 by Overdrive.
We later decided the Q3 was not meant for our highways and more over our budget was below 20 lakhs. So,we started looking for other options.

• XUV 500: Good looks but decided against it due to bad after sales, unreliable electricals, non slick gear box, indifferent staff.
• Skoda Yeti: Though brilliant overall, failed in styling.
• Duster: Felt more like a chauffeur driven car rather than self driven, quality,mechanical clutch and general feel was a big downer.
• Honda CR-V: Was ruled out because of mileage and price.

The only car which checked all our boxes was the ecosport.Here are some aspects of this car that made me consider it:

• Uniquely packaged at the right price.
• Compactness - as most of the time we are only two people travelling .
• Good drivability on highways with manual transmission (as we have the automatic car for the city use).
• Safety with 6 airbags.
• Having most of the features of the Honda civic and much more.
• Test drove both the ecoboost and 1.5 ti-vct in China and I immediately decided to take the ecoboost. (There was no diesel option in china).

Why I chose diesel over the ecoboost :

• Diesel offers excellent mileage for both city and highway use.
• Absence of turbo lag.
• Adequate torque in low rpm.
• Peppy ,rev-happy and a proven engine.
• Better gear box than the one on the ecoboost.
• Cheaper to maintain than ecoboost.
• The diesel motor has enough power for the car even without the turbo charger unlike the ecoboost,which is lifeless without the turbo charger - especially when exiting steep cellars.
• Lesser nose-diving compared to ecoboost.

Colour Choice:
After deciding to go with diesel, then came the color options.
We loved the white in first instance, but fell in love with sporty look of silver. Thought the overall plastic cladding went perfect with this color.

Joy of being the first one to get the delivery of ecosport in india ie on 26 june at 2pm./ dealership experience-MODY FORD:

• I can claim mine was the first Ecosport to be physically delivered across india, on 26th june at 2 pm right after the price announcement.
• Mr. Sanooj, RSM from Ford India and Mr.Madhu, CEO, Mody Group, personally delivered the vehicle.
• It was a very unique and thrilling experience and the enthusiastic staff at Mody Ford dealership contributed to that .

Now that I have driven more than 3000 km, and finished my first service, this is what I like:

• Solid overall construction.
• SUV-like handling with the ease of driving a car.
• Great steering , not anything close to Hyundai's vague steering. In fact, I used to like my Honda Civic's hydraulic steering quite a bit, but after getting used to this super light, precise, fun-to-drive EPS, my Civic's wheel feels very hard.
• Fantastic cabin insulation surpasses many above its class.
• Unique Emergency assist which actually worked during the Goa media drive.
• Audio system is too good for stock one.
• Driver arm rest and Lumbar support are actually useful.
• Usable 200mm ground clearance.
• Seats leather quality and red stitch is quite sporty.
• Comfortable foot rest.
• 60 : 40 split rear seats with reclining function.
• Minimum (almost absent) body roll.
• Very efficient air conditioner.
• The reverse sensors take into account the protrusion of the spare wheel from the car.
• Volume of stereo automatically comes down while reversing the car enabling us to hear the beeps of sensors.
• 12v charging port in rear seat, which I use for my refrigerator cum arm rest.
• Sync works well execpt for the limited number of contacts it can recognize.
• The size of the car is not as small as we imagined (see pictures below in comparison to Fortuner)

What I dint like:

• Thick A pillar practically hides away large vehicles.
• Absence of front parking sensors(have them on my Civic).
• Absence of day-time running LEDs.
• Missing auto fold mirror function(very convenient in traffic).
• Lack of tweeters.
• The bonnet latch keeps hitting the head while working under the hood(needs to open further up and lock to avoid this).
• Difficult to access fuse box (The whole glove box compartment has to be removed).
• Minor Irregular panel gaps and shutlines .
• No lumbar support and arm rest for co passenger seat.
• Sync takes only the first 1000 contacts from phonebook whereas my blackberry has 5000 contacts.
• Not-so-bright head lamps, especially on highway.
• Difficult to maintain and clean alloys,Brazil and Euro-spec alloys are easier to clean(refer to the last picture of my post)
• Power windows don't roll up automatically when the car is locked.
• Absence of engine cover( which would otherwise protect the engine from dust)
• Wish the accessories had four scuff plates instead of two.
• Flimsy and outdated wiper blades .
• Antenna with poor reception.

Accessories and conveniences I added:

• Illuminated led scuff plates look awesome.
• Reverse camera with day night function irvm makes parking a breeze.
• Rear spoiler (not so great so havent installed it yet, was forced to take as it was a part of individual pack).
• Ambient light(lights up along with the scuff plates matches perfectly to dash board illumination).
• Roof cross bars(Adds to the sporty look of the car).
• Rear arm rest cum refrigerator/ warmer(Waeco TB 15)can be neatly anchored with the rear centre seat belt and is practical too.
• Body cover.
• Trunk tray prevents spillages in boot.
• Front and rear bumper appliqués add to the butch and sporty look.
• Front parking sensors are a boon for parking in tight spaces.
• Spare wheel cover (not very much to my liking but had to add it later as it was very difficult to maintain the spare wheel).
• 3d Floor mats(great all weather mats).
• Sporty pedal covers .
• Bright white led cabin and boot lights from Ford, China.
• Bright white led parking lights from Ford, China.
• Engine guard is solidly built, will take care of engine sump hits.
• Cargo net in my boot to hold miscellaneous stuff.
• Blind spot mirrors on ORVMs(I am habituated to them on my other cars).
• Sparco wiper blades(have a robust look)
• Smaller antenna with better reception.
• Screwless number plate frame from Ford,Thailand.

Desired accessories list:

• Day time running LEDs.
• 3M PPFilm for my bonnet to prevent scratching from stone hits.
• Sunroof when Ford provides it as an accessory.
• Fortuner like bonnet mirror which shows clearance of front bumper and front left wheel.

I felt it is better to buy combined packs instead of individual accessories to cutdown costs.


3M Car Care services used:.

• 3M under body coating with 5 year warranty (product body schutz gold).
• 3M Paint protection film for door edges and commonly scratched areas.
• 3M Paint sealant for water beading effect lasting 6 months.
• Mr.Vijay and Mr.Vinod from 3M car care in Ayyappa society did a great job.

Driving experience:

• Great overall driving experience.
• Planted feel on highways even on wet roads especially in Yokohomas.
• Takes pot holes very well.
• Excellent handling and ride even at high speeds.

Additional conveniences which were missing in my Honda civic:

• Sun glass holder.
• Ground clearance.
• Indicates which door is open.
• Keyless entry.
• Interior lights switch off after some time even if you forget.
• Better Road view

About the tyres upgrade:

Upgraded the tyres to yokohama db series es501 , size 205/60R16.
The benefits noted over Good year assurance

• Substantial reduction in fish tailing (quite high in good years)
• Improvement in over all comfort
• Feels planted on high speed cornering
• No change in fuel efficiency
• 20 percent improvement in braking efficiency.

Now coming to the big question KITNA DETA HAI?

• Exclusive highway:20 to 23 KMPL
• Exclusive city:13 to 15 KMPL
• Mixed:16KMPL
• Full tank to full tank (MIXED):17 KMPL

A very Special Thanks to

• Mr.Vidyut and GTO for the awesome review.
• Mr.Madhu and his team from Mody Ford for giving me the privilege to drive out the first ecosport in India.
• Saisrujan(BHPian,proud owner of ecoboost) and my wife Sushma for making this review possible.
• All the BHPians who actively contributed to the Ecosport thread.

[Rehaan]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ariesonu]

Let me be the first to congratulate you on your new baby. She looks awesome and my favorite part about your review is beautifully captioned photos.
Our official TBHP reviewers can take a feather from here.

Wishing you many happy & safe miles.

Raab rakha.

[xuv2390]

Congratulations ecosport rules! Excellent review & pictures. Wish you a million miles.

[saisrujan]

Congratulations and happy motoring.

I'd say it's one thing to write a thread and another to keep it live with updates, observations and recommendations. The entire team will count on you to be the special "early adopter" in sharing whatever you've learnt about the car.

Since you're apparently the only one who has driven the TI-VCT Petrol, you should provide inputs on the performance of that engine. People over in the official review are waiting with bated breath.

[naveen.raju]

Congrats on your Ecosport. The accessories do make the car stand out. Waiting for more interior pics and reports. Keep the thread updated.

Enjoy your ride.

[ranjithrnair]

@"ecosport rules"
[*]Reverse camera with day night function irvm makes parking a breeze.

Could you please post the image of the reverse camera placement

[razor4077]

Congrats on being the first to bag one of the most awaited cars in recent time! Great accessorising too! Those bumper add-ons really look the part. Will follow your thread closely (am sure many will) for updates and your experiences. Regarding the roof top luggage rack - how simple is it to fit/dismantle? Can you post some pics of the car with the roof rack fitted?

PS: Love your signature

[nipcarlover]

Congrats on the EcoSport!

The car looks very nice, with the accessories that you have added. For some reason I don't find silver the best colour for the car, but then to each his own

Have an awesome time with it, and keep updating the thread!

[shashank.nk]

Congrats on your Ecosport! Wish you many happy miles in your new car. Also, thank you for sharing this detailed ownership with us. The accessories you've added (especially the bumper appliques) make your car stand out in comparison. I never considered the appliques,but now you've got me thinking

[ecosport rules]

Originally Posted by razor4077

Congrats on being the first to bag one of the most awaited cars in recent time! Great accessorising too! Those bumper add-ons really look the part. Will follow your thread closely (am sure many will) for updates and your experiences. Regarding the roof top luggage rack - how simple is it to fit/dismantle? Can you post some pics of the car with the roof rack fitted?

PS: Love your signature

Thank you,I already did that any ways ill add more.
The rack fixes on to the cross bars with O shaped brackets.

[Achyuth Vaibhav]

Congrats on the EcoSport, by your avatar I can understand that you like the EcoSport a lot. BTW if you can, please share the cost of the Front and rear applique, Electric IRVM,the cross bars,the fridge with armrest and the spare wheel cover?

Happy mile munching.

Cheers,

Achyuth

[ecosport rules]

Originally Posted by Achyuth Vaibhav

Congrats on the EcoSport, by your avatar I can understand that you like the EcoSport a lot. BTW if you can, please share the cost of the Front and rear applique, Electric IRVM and the cross bars?

Happy mile munching.

Cheers,

Achyuth

Thank Achyuth,

Appliques front and rear cost around 5000 and 4100 respectively.
cross bars are 4150 and individual pack costs around 23000(includes led scuff plates,IRVM,rear spoiler)

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

Desired accessories list:

• Day time running LEDs.
• 3M PPFilm for my bonnet to prevent scratching from stone hits.
• Sunroof when Ford provides it as an accessory.
• Fortuner like bonnet mirror which shows clearance of front bumper and front left wheel.

Congratulations on your buy. Nice writeup, it was a good unbiased and detailed.
Surprised to see so many mods just out of showroom

About the 3M PPF, I did it for my ORVMs. The material starts turning yellow after some time and will look real bad on your white car. I am surprised the 3M guys sold it to you. Stick to polishing and don't do it for the bonnet it will be a spoiler you will regret for sure. After a month or two the door edges will look like you have stuck sellotape.

Cheers!

[anilkumar]

Ecosport Rules Awesome pics and nice review
Can you please let me know where you got 3D mats and sparco wipers
I'm very much inspired by the accessories that you have added to your vehicle hopefully i'll be able to do as much as you have done if vitamin M permits