Team-BHP - Ford EcoSport : Official Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacksport (Post 3329038)

I understand that you are hurt because you received some shoddy treatment from them. I have received some myself. It is my guess that under-producing petrol Ecosports is part of their strategy. The point was to have a low starting price, and when people who booked the petrols got bored of waiting, they would up and leave, with some converting to diesels. Now, while this strategy may leave some people disgruntled, and give some bad name to the brand, they would have surely felt that the benefits outweigh the risks.

If that is the sort of management decision they make, they will probably find that any short term "benefit" is lost in the long term. They'll be shunned. And rightly so.

Understood that what you suggest is a theory and just an idea. To suggest otherwise is verging on defamatory!

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Originally Posted by drmohitg (Post 3328618)

Why do you suspect a problem. Isn't the loud grating sound he is describing similar to the noise ABS system makes when it kicks in?

NO. ABS is not supposed to make a continuous noise. That is more a possible case of wheel either on the verge of lockup or has locked up & started to slide. What worries me is the mettallic grinding noise. My approach is to be safe rather than sorry later & to investigate the matter to one's satisfaction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacksport (Post 3328717)

Please, you are spreading misinformation. That is the exact sound that comes when ABS is working.

You can hear the sound in this video.

It is quite possible that you have never encountered a situation where the ABS has kicked in.

In the video the stuttering of the ABS controller kicking in (something like a bursts of rounds from a machine pistol or loud sewing machine) and the noise of tyres loosing & regaining grip on ice can be easily made out. But no mettallic grinding sound. That is what worries me as it normally is a sign of brake on the verge of lockup or extremly badly aligned.

My sedate driving does result in a lot of time for anticipation so I have managed without the ABS.:D But years of habit ensure that I always pump & pulsate the brake pedal during hard braking so that wheel lock does not take place.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hemmmer (Post 3328716)

I am nervous now. Why one cannot have peace of mind even after spending more than a million rupees on the car? :Frustrati

But I read the overdrive article and the folks mentioned that their wheel locked completely after hard braking. This didn't happen in my case. My car was perfectly drivable after full halt. Not sure whether wheel didn't get the chance to lock completely because of low speed or it is just me listening too much...

Most probably the wheel did not completely lock up as you were at a slow speed. But the grinding noise is what worries me. Get the car jacked up & check the gap between the brake pads & disc at various points, and any noise when rotating the wheel . There is a kickback mechanism in the brake assly. It slides on a pin which needs to be greased properly. I used to get odd noises & pad sticking on the front brakes of my Fusion. We had changed brake fluids & done a lot of trial & error before identifying lack of grease as the culprit. To have peace of mind also ask them to check the ABS piping & wiring.

So after nearly 2 months, the Ecosport diesel got delivered today. Vehicle actually came last week, was waiting for an 'auspicious' day.

Some observations.

+ Engine performance. There's perceptible response from the engine to even minor accelerator pedal inputs.

+ Almost like a NA diesel engine. No sudden whoosh turbo effects. This is a boon in the traffic, -ve for the highways/overtaking. The 1.4 tdci feels dead between 1000-1300/1400 rpm, responsive from 1500 rpm, and at 1800 rpm, you feel a strong pull. Here it is more uniform.

+ No 'heavy' drop of power with AC( like in the 1.4 tdci).

+ Fits my requirement: Farm running in weekdays(ground clearance), weekend shopping run to the nearby city in the weekends and the temple visits every quarter.

+ Build quality. But i hate to shut the door with such a force. I will always prefer the Ikon's shutting quality.

+ Got about half a tank of diesel from the showroom.

+ Horn, low beam spread, Fogs.

o Some road imperfections absorbed, others unsettle the 'UV'.

o The 0-30+ kmpl gizmo is a distraction. Especially when it goes to 7.5 kmpl when the turbo is at full spool.

o When moving the vehicle for the first time, i felt a 'drone' of the engine passed to me through the gear lever/steering/ clutch pedal. I found the Fiesta tdci to be more refined, where i get only the tappet noise.

Actually, the drone first made me worry whether any bearing has gone bad! Then when i pressed the clutch, vehicle became smooth. So it is the engine's NVH. Ecosport owners, is it the same with your vehicles?

- I absolutely hate the steering. Because, i have driven both the Ikon and the Fiesta classic. I love the Ikon's steering, and when i said i was disheartened when i drove the Fiesta classic, then i have no words to quetch about Ecosport's steering.

- Outright performance. Heck, why doesn't ford give me a nice kicka$$ engine like the dCi? Although i drive sedate, at some moments of life i need to push the pedal and feel the drift.

- Blind spots galore for a vehicle marketed as an urban SUV.

- Lack of top-end performance.

- Fog lamp cost when booking was 6300. Now it is 8400.

- High beam spread. Some weird trapezoidal shapes on the road.

- Rough roads? You can't glide through. Slow down and take it slow.

Finally, only one snap(a sad excuse for a snap) taken at P.N Palayam temple, Coimbatore. I forgot to take the cam and the showroom guys haven't mailed the snaps still.

PS: These are my obervations after driving 100 kms from the delivery(odo was 33 km). Views expressed are purely personal and may not be objective.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramzsys (Post 3329830)

So after nearly 2 months, the Ecosport diesel got delivered today. Vehicle actually came last week, was waiting for an 'auspicious' day.

PS: These are my observations after driving 100 kms from the delivery(odo was 33 km). Views expressed are purely personal and may not be objective.

Congratulations buddy. Well definately lull performance in lower rpms & very suttle suspension are the negatives of the car.
Anyways enjoy the urban suv for a long time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramzsys (Post 3329101)

Any idea where i can get the torque curve of the 1.5 tdci?

Even i have been searching for it with no success. Fellow friends please help.

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Originally Posted by xuv2390 (Post 3199512)

Is this humming noise common? or is it only in my car? Any help would be appreciated!

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Originally Posted by Berry (Post 3200658)

I get this strange humming sound in mine too. It's darn irritating. I don't what it is.

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Originally Posted by saisrujan (Post 3200456)

I can distinctly hear the turbo whistle when it spools up, but I don't generally hear the blow-off valve when I take my foot off the accelerator. Will watch out for it.

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Originally Posted by ecosport rules (Post 3199560)

Are you talking about the decelerating hum or the engine clatter? Please elaborate.

For me, the humming is heard right from the moment the engine is started and idling, and it somehow disappears in the background when the car is being driven.

I asked about this 'humming'(in my previous post, i referred it as a 'droning'). to my sales guy and he mentioned that this is there in all the ecosport diesels.

This is irritating because it sounds exactly like metal/plastic rubbing against each other.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramzsys (Post 3330966)

Yup. you don't hear diesel clatter but you do hear the humm constantly.

I'm wondering if the humm will go away if you add the plastic cover on the engine top side as seen in below pic from the Ford Fiesta. The cover is supposed to reduce high frequency sounds similar to the humm.

It is not that irritating for me but it is definitely there. Also I think it reduces over time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rehaan (Post 2399612)

High-frequency shielding for the NVH of the diesel engine is the only reason for the plastic cover which has a layer of insulation under it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vid6639 (Post 3330998)

clap: Congratulations vid6639 for your new ecosport.

The hum is not irritating as you said and it shadows the diesel clatter if we closely observe.

I have added the plastic insulator/engine cover from the fiesta:

1) The overall noise insulation is better.
2) There is no reduction in the humming separately.
3) Notice the difference in the routing of the air conditioning pipe in the fiesta and ecosport(above the insulator)

The engine cover by insulator costed me around 8000.

Those who have booked the Ecosport are being given the option of choosing other Ford models, at an additional exclusive discount of 10,000/-, the Hindu Business Line reports. This step is taken by Ford India to take some load off the humongous waiting list that the Ecosport is commanding right now.

Quote:

Ford claims the delay is because of “unprecedented demand” and has shot off letters to customers, giving them the option of choosing other models.
“In view of having booked the Ford EcoSport, we would be pleased to offer you an exclusive additional benefit of Rs 10,000 on these models,” the company said in a letter to a customer that Business Line has access to.
In case a person desires to cancel an EcoSport booking, “the full booking amount will be refunded immediately by the dealers and the cancellation charges will be waived off”, the letter says.

SOURCE (and more details) - http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...cle5515535.ece