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-   -   Ford EcoSport : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/136854-ford-ecosport-official-review-120.html)

You are right !!!

I always waited till 6 months for this new car craze to get settled down and then go and make booking. Though, there is so much excitement buying a newly launched car, there will be few bitter events like these. When i bought Fiesta (now Classic) after 7 months from the launch, i have made the sales person to bring the car for test drive multiple times. He was willing to cater to all my requests that time.

Just calm down your excitement and get these folks behind us, that's the mantra :)

There are not 3 but 4 things missing. That 4th thing is a 4wd or an AWD option. Pack it with this and u have a killer of all SUV's in your command :) I believe Ford would look into this option as Renault is already planning to launch a 4WD Duster.

Took a test drive of the Ecoboot Titanium + version today. I had to finalize the variant on my pre-booking. So, I was planning to test drive Ecoboost and the Diesel, since I was still a bit confused about which one to go for. But, boy, the lines for the Diesel test drive was long!

Here are my impressions of the Ecoboost Titanium+ version I test drove:

• Quality of interior plastics seem to have improved compared to earlier versions I had see at the mall and at the Dealership in May. I did not find them cheap at all.
• The leather seats are tightly stitched into the seats unlike the "loose" feel of the earlier display models
• The lighter shade on the lower dashboard and seats on the Titanium does make it feel more airy as compared to the Titanium Plus with the darker leather seats and dark plastic shade, but in my opinion, the latter (T+) is more sophisticated looking
• Panel gaps are not too bad mostly, but they are pretty wide where the rear door joins the body.
• Exterior finish is great and he doors feel very sturdy. But some interior bits are did not feel as well built and solid as in my VW Polo. Example, the panel that hosts the storage area on the front doors (much thinner than the Polo and does not feel sturdy). Another example is the beading on the rear door, which was attached with clips and some of these were already loose on a brand new car.
• The gearshift knob is short and stubby and a pleasure to use. The shifts were pretty slick, not quite as good as the VW Polo, but then the Polo sets a high standard in this area.
• The engine does have slight turbo lag, most evident in stop/start traffic in the second gear. But the rpm zone where this is felt is much narrower than my Polo Diesel. The vehicle does move without throttle input from standstill, and I think with some practice and change of driving style, the turbo lag should not be too much of a bother.
• Engine is not as noiseless as Honda Petrols, you do feel and hear the "grainy" working of the engine in 2nd/3rd gear under acceleration
• Could not drive at speeds over 40 kmph since the test drive was in a crowded area. But I tried to rev the engine wherever I could find some open stretches and came back feeling satisfied with the ability of this engine to lug the car well. The engine seemed to have enough grunt over a wide RPM range in the 3rd gear.
• Based on the above "simulation", I think the Ecoboost should be a better highway companion than the Diesel. This is the one department I am concerned about with the Diesel, the ability to pick up speed and overtake on the freeways.
• The dealership seems to have 90% Diesel car allocations, the sales staff were trying to push the Diesel. But in my opinion, the Ecoboost is a better value proposition considering the amount of technology and advanced engineering it offers at a price point that is nearly 80K less for an equivalent variant.
• Overall, I was happy with the Ecoboost, it did what I was expecting and it does deliver on bringing the latest in engine technology to our shores. This is one area I do care about being a technology professional myself! The Diesel is a 10 year old technology. So in the end, I booked the Ecoboost in Mars Red without waiting even another hour for the Diesel variant test drive. Came away fairly happy and satisfied. Now for the long wait to get the car in hand!:)

Booked the ES today at Lathangi ford, hopefully by the time I come back from Phoenix for the final time the vehicle would be ready for delivery.

Expected Wait time: 3 Months
Color requested: Sea Grey , Panther Black
Variant : Titanium , 1.5 Diesel

My impressions on the test drive, the drive was not long enough to gauge it fully, was comfortable to drive as I prefer the higher seating position. It is strictly a 4 person vehicle for long distances. Not sure on the mileage , would be keenly following the forum for incoming reports.

Braking was good and NVH ,AC were pretty decent. Will get some time to get used to the old school display and the cell phone based dash UI , but hopefully I can live with it.

Lots of leg room in the back although my dad did not like it. He is used to bigger cars and was comparing it Toyota Sienna ( apples to oranges).

Booking experience has been alright and no major complaints as of now.

As a conscious decision, I've decided not to book the EcoSport till greedy Ford dealers show signs of improvement. Will book once they assure:

1) No 30k accessories with the vehicle,

2) Free to choose insurance,

3) No mandatory extended warranty

4) No 3K Booking cancellation charges.

If the dealers don't change their attitude, I will not buy the vehicle because dealers are the contact point for the customer, we don't get to deal with the Company.

Will suggest others also who are facing similar situations, don't fall into dealer trap. If we do not resolve not to get exploited, we shall continue to be....

Also a word of caution for those who are determined to buy the vehicle, get the terms & conditions right at the time of bookings.

Everyone seems to be complaining about the 'extra' charges applied by the dealer like 'Depot charge', 'Incidental Expenses', overblown Insurance quote, 'Mandatory Accessories' etc.

Why are you guys paying for it? Just raise a noise and complain to the MD at the respective dealer location. Its because everyone seems to be quietly agreeing to their demands that this loot is happening.

No dealer can force you to buy insurance from them or make accessories mandatory. Period!

If enough customers collectively complain against this, will the dealer/Ford not be forced to listen/agree? Is having a new car so much of a do or die situation to fall for the highway robbery that the dealers are carrying out?

I would suggest people who are on this forum & who have booked the Ecosport get together in their respective cities on a Sat/Sun and work out a plan to fool the dealers ploy :)

I share exactly the same sentiments. The 5K depot charges and 4.5K accessories pack is absolute rip off. Not to mention the Insurance bump up of 6k. Total = 15K Add 11K (extended warranty )that makes it 26K. Quite a significant sum.

The extended warranty at least gives you peace of mind, but this 15K is absolutely unacceptable.

I would be very happy if once the vehicle gets allocated, all of guys just reject these FORCED charges !! But alas I would be very difficult in reality as people would be expecting their new vehicle with enthusiasm and just let go ..

So we end up facing this time and again from one dealer or another.

.Just too tiring to have to fight for even simple things...

Cheers
MKP

Mods please delete this post if you find irrelevant.

Having read extensive views on Petrol and Diesel engine options - I am inching towards the 1.5 Petrol Ambiente - as:

1. I can't stretch my budget (I don't prefer taking loan for owning depreciating assets) to Ecoboost / Diesel pricing
   
2. The Base is not as barebones as some of the other cars.
   
3. With some money on accessories - the exterior gets nearly as attractive as higher variants
   
4. I would be driving 99% within city traffic hence while I respect safety features - I probably can save a lac there. So far have been driving non ABS non Airbag cars stupid:
   
5. My monthly run would be 500-800 KMs
   
6. The petrol base IMHO offers the best VFM

Having said this - I cannot find a single driving impression for 1.5 petrol. Can someone please help.

GTO / Vidyut - Even if you can publish your casual observations from a short drive of 1.5 Petrol in an Ecosport - it would be great help. please:

Thanks in advance

The dealer says that Ford is dispatching the first lot of cars only after a month. Here I smell a rat. Didn't we see reports that first lot of cars have already arrived at the dealerships?

Has anybody in this forum taken delivery or taking delivery in the next few days?

Brilliant car, excellent pricing.
I won't say I came away disappointed, because I did not have any expectations.
I knew how big it was.
For anyone planning a move from a decently booted sedan, this is not the option. In fact, I checked it out on two consecutive days, just to make sure.
I absolutely adore the car, but it does not make sense for me,and I'm sure others will concur.

P.S. The biggest surprise was, I was able to stand with my elbow on the roof similar to our dzire.

If only I was moving up from my Santro....... :)

I may sound like a noob here, but will the Indian Fuel quality in any way affect the Ecoboost 1.0L engine or i'm thinking too much?

Can experts here shed some light. please:

I was browsing through car insurance websites and found out that HDFC ERGO charges Rs. 14,000 (approx.) for the ECOSPORT TITANIUM TDCi MT and Rs. 21,000 (approx) with Zero Depreciation.

I am attaching the detailed quote having Zero Depreciation.

I urge everyone to generate an online quote and then ask your dealers to match up to the same! They even offer an age discount if you are 45+ and a professional discount if you are a CA, Doctor and another 2 categories. Visit their website for further details.

clap:

It would be great if you could share some more details like how did it happen, under what conditions, who was driving(customer or company person) etc...
BTW have you clicked the pics or did you get them from some other source?

This is 2nd Ecosport toppling. 1st I heard was during the media campaign.

Is it so easy to topple a Eco-Sport? Maybe due to higher centre of gravity on a low length vehicle?

Yes, the 2nd topple reported during test drive. I had the same question as you "Is it so easy to topple an ecosport"?

In case of the first topple, it looked like the car went off the road and the road sloped down off the road, I thought the slope might have caused the topple.

This looks like a topple on a flat road!
Experts, is this dangerous?