Team-BHP - Ford EcoSport : Official Review

I need candid opinion from Bhpians. I am currently using a 1.6 CRDI Fludic Verna SX. It is now two years old & have done 38k.

If I change my car to Ecosport Ecoboost or Diesel one, will it be a upgrade, degrade or equivalent. Only real problem in Verna for me is rear ride quality with load & low GC which is somehow manageable.

I had a very short TD of diesel Ecosport in city. No TD of Ecoboost yet. From the short TD, what I felt was:

- Convenience of higher seating position in ES.
- Power of ES in much less than Verna.
- Engine noise was more in ES.

Interior quality & FE are not big issues for me as because my usage has now comedown drastically. What I need is good ride,power (to reach 120/130 kmph easily), city driveability & quiet cabin. Since I stay at a place from where showrooms are 250 km away, Tding cars is difficult for me. Also a TD do not reveal all about a car which we want to know, reason why I could not judge poor ride of Verna. The TD of Verna was only with two persons in the car, me & the sales executive.

Would appreciate help from Bhpians, though my queries may sound out of place.

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by HillMan (Post 3229163)

EcoBoost is a VGT engine so the computer decides on how much to open the turbo intake. Your trip computer can guide you on your driving style.

The ecoboost does not have a VGT.

This is from our official review:

Quote:

Salient Features of the 1.0L EcoBoost:
• Ford’s first 3-cylinder petrol engine. Developed at the company's Dunton Technical Center, UK.
• The engine is currently imported from their Cologne plant @ Germany. It is also made in Romania and (soon) China.
• India receives the 124 BHP tune. Some other markets get the 98 BHP variant.
• Direct injection is used to feed petrol using Ford's 2nd gen fuel injection system.
• The EcoBoost employs a fixed geometry low inertia turbocharger that can spin up to 250,000 rpm.
• Yes, it does have an intercooler.
• Variable valve timing on both, the intake & exhaust sides.
• Weight = Merely 97 kilos.

Because of the low-inertia of the turbocharger, the turbocharger spools up quite quickly. So, the lag is felt only for 2-3 seconds even at low RPMs, once the ecoboost is spooled up, you will feel the power build-up and RPM rises rapidly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HillMan (Post 3229163)

Feel the engine from your heart. Find a sweet spot on the rpm that the engine likes for your driving style. Might be between 2-3k rpm. Try to maintain a consistent speed. Turbo range gives you the best FE but you dont need to rev and stay there. The third gear usually has a broad range for city driving. Staying in turbo range will let you have better power so you need less down shifts. It depends on the speed and load for your choice of gears.

Because of turbo lag it is best to keep a light footing and gear and maintain over 1600rpm. Reduce the use of clutch as much as possible.

Well said! Like a wise man once said, the biggest factor affecting FE is right between the steering and pedals.

Of course, GTO's article is second-to-none.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abh1nav (Post 3229193)

Ford has hiked the prices between 1-5% across it's lineup, including the Ecosport. No details yet, but I'm trying to contact my SA for the details.

This, when only a handful of people have got the delivery! I understand that Rupee depreciation is to blame, but it is saddening nonetheless! :Frustrati

From what i heard from the dealer, the top of the line TDCi is going to be dearer by around 60K on road!!
The biggest worry now is, one more hike and Titanium(O) crosses 10 lac ex showroom mark, that will impact a lot more in Karnataka.

Hope the current hike has not pushed ecosport ex-showroom cost beyond 10lac!!

The new increased price is already updated on the Ford India site
Now the Titanium(O) TDCI costs 9.37Lakhs Ex:Showroom.

A difference of around Rs 38000 Ex.Showroom

http://www.india.ford.com/suvs/ecosport/models

Not sure if pre-booked customers/customers booked till any particular date are exempted from this hike

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrideRed (Post 3229233)

Now this might be the best news i have heard in a while. India made Ecosports will be sold in UK as limited edition variants.clap:

Ford EcoSport : Official Review-fordecosportlimited03.jpg

Ford EcoSport : Official Review-fordecosportlimited04.jpg

Press Release attached.
Link to auto express.co.uk article
Link to IAB article

Quote:

At the ongoing IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin which was inaugurated earlier in the day, Ford announced 500 units of Ford EcoSport Special Edition, of which 120 units are allotted to the United Kingdom. Keen IAB readers would know that Ford India’s Chennai plant would ship to the European Union starting early next year, and will be the only plant handling demand from that region.

Quote:

Customers can reserve their limited edition Panther Black Titanium EcoSport by logging on to the Ford EcoSport Facebook page and following the on-screen instructions.

With a £16,995 starting price, two engine options are on offer: a 122bhp 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, a 90bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine and a 110bhp 1.5-litre petrol. Following Ford’s limited edition campaign, the Ford EcoSport Titanium will have a spring 2014 release date and come with 16-inch alloys, silver roof rails, keyless entry and Ford PowerStart. Other standard kit includes daytime running lights, remote central locking, seven air bags, a multifunction leather steering wheel and USB connectivity. Prices for Titanium spec models start from £14,995 and rise to £17,945.

History repeating itself! Seems like EcoSport is already treading the Duster's path. Considering that other offerings from Ford don't sell in significant numbers, price hike move is focused on making hay while the EcoSport is shining.

Moreover, Price hike is announced today but is applicable from September 1, 2013. Another way of hinting that there is no price protection for pre-booked or booked after launch but waiting for delivery wannabes'.

Has anyone got her/his vehicle invoiced in the current month (last five days)? Will give us an idea whether new prices were made applicable to them as well or not?

Its an increase of about 42K for Titanium+ in mumbai. I feel Ford has taken ecosport's success to its head. With dwindling sales of all ford models other than ecosport, this price hike is purely a below-the-belt move to squeeze the ecosport buyer. With details of its applicability to pre-booked customers like me unknown, i am mentally prepared to cancel the booking if so be it. And in that case, i feel i have the right to contest the 3K cancellation penalty too.
I am sure Nissan guys are factoring this stupid move of Ford in their pricing of Terrano..
Looks like goodbye to ecosport..

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrideRed (Post 3229233)

Quote:

Originally Posted by raj84 (Post 3229241)

I'm absolutely outraged! A price hike by 42k in Mumbai, will push the on-road cost further by ~70k.
I am very close to cancelling my booking for good.

EDIT - The pdf file uploaded by XUV2390 states that the ex-showroom price of the Ecosport Titanium O in Mumbai is 9.82 Lakhs. Wow. I'm speechless.
And from what I hear, the prices prevailing at the time of delivery are applicable. So, no price protection for us who have booked their cars prior to the hike.

Hey DeKay, I pre-"pre-booked" at Wasan, chembur . Gonna speak to the manager there tommorow. If they apply hike on my bookings, i am sure to cancel. i will update tomm. Do let me know what your dealer says..:Frustrati

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeKay (Post 3229378)

I'm absolutely outraged! A price hike by 42k in Mumbai, will push the on-road cost further by ~70k.
I am very close to cancelling my booking for good if this price hike is not exempted for buyers who have already booked their cars well before the price hike.

EDIT - The pdf file uploaded by XUV2390 states that the ex-showroom price of the Ecosport Titanium O in Mumbai is 9.82 Lakhs. Wow. I'm speechless.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shashank.nk (Post 3229380)

Looks like Ford is inspired by our government(Vodafone case),price hikes with retrospective effect !

I've set a limit at 12L OTR for the Titanium+. If by the time I get my car it crosses that mark will surely cancel and look at other options or downgrade to titanium.

I'm in a similar state of mind.
The Ford Ecosport was a value for money car. With this price hike, the Ecosport simply doesn't provide as much value as it did earlier. Looking at other options makes sense now. I was particularly interested in the Titanium Optional model because of the 6 airbags.
If I have to downgrade to titanium because of the price hike, I'd rather buy some other vehicle just as a mark of protest.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeKay (Post 3229386)

I'm in a similar state of mind.
The Ford Ecosport was a value for money car. I was particularly interested in the Titanium Optional model because of the 6 airbags.

That's exactly why I had booked it too! The titanium+ though expensive ,was still VFM,now its a little too close to sedan territory. I had not expected a hike so soon, and not a steep 5% to start with. Will see what the new prices are and accordingly decide. I may have to look at other options if its already at 12L here in bangalore:Frustrati

EDIT: Any source which confirms the exact hike on the Ecosport yet ? I only see artcles mentioning 1-5% hike across the range