Team-BHP - Ford EcoSport : Official Review
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Wow! good pricing. I will let the dust settle, read ownership reviews, let the initial problems get sorted out and buy a EcoBoost. But one thing which Ford has to ensure is have good to very good A.S.S. otherwise they will lose out after the initial hoopla.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrideRed (Post 3161454)
I dont expect the Ecoboost to give more than 12KM/l in city. When i say city it would have heavy traffic,lot of engine on and off scenarios. The diesel should give around 13-14.
I dare not comment FE of petrol cars on highway after seeing some cars like i20 delivering 11KM/l consistently.Just my opinion, with current cars capable of doing 3 digit speeds easily i haven't till date seen a petrol car other than Maruti 800 delivering FE more than 17-18KM/l,The max i saw was 15KM/l on i10.

Again these are my predictions/observations just based on the current diesel cars i drive,the New fiesta FE and based on cars that belongs to my friends relatives.

If your running is less than 900-1000KM per month Ecoboost is still the one to go for.

My Verna gives a handsome 15+ kmpl on highways but it sucks in city.... never more than 10 kmpl...

rgds,
- raj

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedragula (Post 3161250)


Since the EcoBoost engine is imported, there isn't much scope for pricing it cheap and moreover, when it the "Engine of the Year" for 2 years, you don't want to price it in such a way that it loses that aspirational value or becomes mainstream. After all, you don't price cutting edge tech at the lower end when 'cutting edge' itself connotes or co-relates to 'premium'. So the EcoBoost cannot be the sacrificial lamb for dropping the pin on lowest pricing or the 'starting value' of the range.

I don't agree with this observation. the very purpose of having a small capacity turbo engine is to drive volume and sales and not to keep it exclusive and limit the numbers. Look at the example of the Fiat 1.3 JTD, it was also engine of the year in 2005 or 2006 in the 1 to 1.4 litre category but Fiat didn't keep it exclusive and they reaped the benefits by introducing it in multiple models within their stable as well as in alliance partners models. They made it mass and we can see the result especially in india where it has become the defacto "national engine" and in the process the fiat engine division made god money too. In the case of Ecosport Variant for variant the price difference is around 40k between ecoboost and 1.5 petrol, considering the power increase and the better efficiency, IMO it is very reasonable. The decision not to introduce in the lower variants is probably because of the limitation in supply as this engine is imported and maybe also because of the sharp drop in rupee recently. But once the volumes pick up i expect this to change. So i don't think the plan is for ford to keep it exclusive. If it is then it will be a mistake

While the launch of the Ecosport by Ford India was itself a 2 year long affair, which led to the creation of a lot of buzz, its the killer pricing which has got consumers (Bhpians were talking anyways) talking. At even the basic price point of Sub- 6 lacs, no car offers what the Ford does and while we may talk about it being a no frills version, it seems to me, that it has all the bases covered even while competing with a fully loaded Figo/ Brio/ Swift.

For the same price as a mid range hatch, you get the following:

- A brand new car which has created tons of buzz, so the admiration is guaranteed.
- SUV looks and finishing, which India seems to love.
- A 1.5 Lit engine which generates sufficient grunt (The nearest power hatch is the Polo GT Tsi and that too around 10 bhp short) and is pretty fuel efficient too.
- Enough space for 4 1/2 people, which suits a hatch buyer just fine.
- Within the 4 m limit, so parking and maneuverability is not much of an issue unlike the full size SUV class.
- Boot space which coupled with the ability to fold seats (one version higher) gives it a significant space advantage.

From the point of view of an average car buyer i.e. one who uses a car to move from Point A to Point B, the Ecosport offers a compelling proposition to say the least.

Some papers today quoted that Ford has built an inventory of around 5000 vehicles and is looking at sales of at least 50000, so we can surely expect a long wait for the car, unless they have an ace up their sleeve which we aren't aware of.

Speaking of ACES, Kudos to Ford for keeping their ears to the ground on this launch. Market feedback, User Reviews, Tests and Teasers have been used effectively by them to develop this value proposition and I really wish other car makers (The Skodas/ Chevys/ VW's) of the world take notice and develop products that consumers want.

Not sure if this discussion has started on some other thread, but I think it would be worthwhile to understand what fellow Bhpians think.

PS: I, myself have been a huge Ford fan and am lucky to have gotten my hands on the now discontinued Fiesta 1.6S in 2009. I've been a fan not only of their cars, but also their service, customer centricity and the low cost of ownership. Some of my views might hence be biased and i apologize in advance:Cheering:

While appreciating Ford India for pricing the EcoSport sensibly, It looks like an intelligent move. By pricing it at Rs.5.6 lakh Ford has created lots of buzz and interest. It may happen that a person visiting dealership to check out the entry level variant will end up in finalizing a mid variant.

Another important aspect is like Hyundai Verna, Ford EcoSport comes in many variants.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firebird (Post 3159617)
This is what even I found frustrating. Not really happy. It's a forced constraint created by Ford, nothing else.

I booked automatic, not sure when would I get one.

I booked an Automatic in Bangalore last week, the dealer is showing an inability to predict when they can deliver the car. They have not given me a token number either, did you get one?
I have the QCS ID ( booking number from the ERP system linked to ford, I guess), using this can we find out what could be the potential delivery time?

I would have booked the vehicle but for the overly greedy Ford dealers. Local dealer(Bhagat-Ford) has been insisting on mandatory accessories worth 30,000/- with the vehicle + Extended Warranty ~9.5k + Logistic charges 5k. To top it all, a booking cancellation charge of 3000/-

All this amounts to : 30k + 9.5k + 5k = ~45k extra.

On questioning further, the sales executive admitted that they are looking to recover all their prior losses through this vehicle. Therefore consumer has to be the scapegoat.

I simply could not digest these extra charges & did not book the vehicle. The larger question is, is this an indication of times to come for Ecosport customers, I mean the customers might be fleeced during after sales too. As such Ford's a.s.s. is no great shakes & further exploiting the Ecosport customer could well translate into a very heavy upkeep of the vehicle. I shudder at this!

So Ford is unable to control its rouge dealers or is the Company hand-in-glove here!

Also regarding the 3000/- booking cancellation charges, I typically like to wait for atleast 1-2months before buying a vehicle(newly launched). This is to witness the initial customer experience with the vehicle & any short-comings coming to light. If all's well, I go ahead with the purchase or else booking is cancelled. Now these un-necessary charges could be loss if in case I decide against buying the vehicle at a later stage when my booking turn arrives.

So its a jolly good vehicle but backed by POOR dealers & after sales could take a real toll.

For all the people comparing the price, below is a easy comparo of ex-showroom price(All are diesels).
Ecosport(Ex Bangalore) 6.8-9.15

Punto-5.03-7.38
Swift-5.75-7.10
Polo-6.13-7.20
i20-6.17-7.76
Amaze-6.23-7.79
Dzire-6.2-7.63
Ertiga-7.8-9.13
Duster-8.79-12.30

The ecosport is around 60-70K costlier than premium hatchback/Compact sedans. And point to note The base version of Ecosport is much more loaded than the bare-bone premium hatchbacks/sedans. People thinking of mid priced hatch/sedan should give Ecosport Ambiente/Trend a try.

The ecosport is 1lac and 2lac cheaper than Ertiga and duster respectively.

What you get in Ecosport for additional 70k-1lac caompared to premium hatch/sedan.
1.SUV'ish road presence/GC.
2.Long list of features.
3.Better rear seat comfort.
4.Latest entrant to market and will not get dated soon.

What you lose compared to Duster/Ertiga by spending 1-2 less:
1.Space(mainly in boot).
2.Exterior dimensions.
3.Additional power of duster and additional seats of Ertiga.

According to me the Ecosport perfectly slots between Premium hatch and Duster/Ertiga. If you see the price comparo above, the Ecosport is just in between.

Can someone give an update on how the ford dealers are managing the bookings? Are they entering the bookings in the Ford's centralised order register and giving Ford provided booking receipt or are they just taking the money and giving the booking amount receipt? Also what about forms like Form 20? Can someone please also elaborate how Ford dealers are conducting the booking process with detailed steps? I'm planning to book one but it would be my First Ford and hence I am not familiar with animals called Ford dealers.
Cheers.

AirBags:

Side airbags are mounted on the door side of the front seat within the seats. Hence we cannot put seat covers on them as this will not enable them to deploy properly. One though can get leather/cloth covers stitched to replace the existing covers and have them installed - stitched to the seat (not removable on demand). The company though will not officially permit this either.

Curtain Airbags are mounted on the roof on the sides above the door behind the roof lining. The way they are mounted in this vehicle causes one to loose the grip handles. (Though there are other vehicles which have both the curtain airbags and the roof mounted grip handles.) The curtain airbags are separate from the side airbags.

Within Titanium only the AT has side and curtain Airbags. All Titanium (O) variants have them.

Charging 4900 or 6000 for essential stuff like tyre repair kit etc. is clearly a money making tactic and ford should disallow it. Have found someone charging Rs. 6000 for a standard kit and someone else charging Rs. 4900 for an essential kit. This is like how Toyota dealers earlier used to insist of R. 1L + of accessories to get the Fortuner a bit earlier.

AT seems to be real low supply in the first lot. Diesel is in max qtty.

Those who booked prior to launch are being told 2-3 months lead time. Those who booked post launch are being informed 3-6 months lead time. (in general)

Ford Service will indeed be deeply impacted and hard pressed to manage this load.

In my view considering fuel pricing change and predicted trend of both diesel and petrol being priced very close to each other in about 2 Years and the difference in engine pricing as well as resale it will all work out to be similar (minor difference) irrespective of which of the three engines one goes in for.

The EcoSport seems to be a better deal than the Amaze.

Considering Swift, i20, Dzire, and Amaze numbers they will be impacted only if EcoSport goes close to 15-20K a month - which may not be the case right now. Duster, Polo, Quantro may be hit more than others. Those who were buying the SX4 only for the ground clearance no longer need to do so. Linea Tjet buyers going in for the engine again also have an option.

This will essentially target every vehicle between Rs. 6-12L Ex-Showroom

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACM (Post 3161537)

Linea Tjet buyers going in for the engine again also have an option.

I would respectfully like to disagree. A T-Jet's steering and the Hyundai-like steering of the EcoSport? Incomparable.

The T-Jet is mainly aimed at enthusiasts. The EcoBoost does not come close with the torque and power figures. And the T-Jet's handling and ride quality is at another level.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TSIched'Out (Post 3161536)
Can someone give an update on how the ford dealers are managing the bookings? Are they entering the bookings in the Ford's centralised order register and giving Ford provided booking receipt or are they just taking the money and giving the booking amount receipt? Also what about forms like Form 20? Can someone please also elaborate how Ford dealers are conducting the booking process with detailed steps? I'm planning to book one but it would be my First Ford and hence I am not familiar with animals called Ford dealers.
Cheers.

I called the Ford India Toll free helpline. The info. I got was that all the booking process will be concerned with the dealer and the customer only. The dealer will decide the allocation to the customer and there is no centralised booking process.
Hope this helps.

Went to check out the Ecosport in flesh yesterday in Gurgaon. While it looks grand from outside, the inside was rather a let down. Including the back seat which is rather pretty small. Even the interiors quality is rather shabby IMHO compared to Swift. Since i have been waiting for Ecosport for a while now and need to finalize a car, i am in two minds now. What made the situation worse is that Wifey walked away nodding her head off in disappointment :uncontrol

I have not been able to take a test drive of the vehicle as yet owing the high foot fall at the showroom. Will try and do that today / tomorrow. However, as i was checking with the sales guys here at Harpreet Ford in Gurgaon; they have informed of waiting of at least 2 - 3 months.

One more thing, an insight for guys who are of larger size like me, (horizontally challenged) the driving seat while is wide enough to seat a big guy, it is not too comfortable and may be an issue over a long drive.

I have brought the price list of the car as well as accessories for sharing.

Agree with both of you.
Does Ford had a choice. If anyone go through the sales charts as well as the Fiesta thread and EcoSport thread, s/he will find enough 'threats and warnings' :D to Ford wrt pricing.
Also we all know that the initial launch price is something which happens only "once" in the lifetime of any vehicle and atleast in our country the image or impression created lasts lifetime of the vehicle that can't be erased however hard you try. I can go on and on repeating the facts about Indian mindset, etc. etc. but we all have seen Fiesta, Jazz, Fabia on one hand and XUV, i20 on the other.
Ford had to walk on a tight rope and I must say, they have done it perfectly.
However hard one tries, this tempting figure of 5.59 Lacs is etched deep in the mind. Even while considering buying 4 Lac Rupee car, a customer will say to himself inside 1.5 Lac more mein to EcoSport hi aa jayegi. Just like 10.5 Lac for XUV did.
PS : I personally feel that the entry level variant is a steal if someone considers it as a second car for mainly in-city use with not much running. I own a Fusion (1.6 Petrol) and has NO plan whatsoever to buy EcoSport but somewhere inside I am feeling tempted for base variant just for the heck of it.stupid:
Quote:

Originally Posted by thedragula (Post 3161250)
Dare I say out loud, that the pricing is not really fantastic pricing [i]per se....

Quote:

Originally Posted by vb-san (Post 3161415)
More than fantastic pricing, I would say its intelligent pricing....


Dealers are trying to rob customers. Just got off the phone with a HYD dealer. He says comprehensive insurance costing ~40K that covers ambulance transport etc is mandatory, 8.5K handling charges are mandatory and accessories worth 25K are mandatory. He says without agreeing to that you cannot book.

This means whatever the benefit customers could get from low price, is swallowed by dealers. This is bad and no different than other systems here where middlemen rob the benefits...:Frustrati

Is there a way to escalate it to Ford's attention?


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