[suku_patel_22]

Superb review. As always, very detailed.
I will be picking up a 2017 MY EcoSport Titanium Plus AT in blue by end of next week. Its currently waiting for me to complete the PDI.

I had initially booked for a 2018 model, but as a 2017 model was available at a discount of 30k, i decided to go for it.

[scwagh]

Excellent review, captures all the new features and changes to existing features. Thanks

The Good:

• I loved the design changes which Ford have incorporated in this update, the grille especially looks swell.
• The VW like central locking mechanism is also a nice touch
• SYNC 3, its about time that Ford introduced it in their mass market cars, the absence of a touchscreen unit is certainly a deal breaker for many customers
• Alloys all around on Titanium & T+
• The interior is dotted with lots of practical cubbyholes and is very convenient to live with
• A petrol engine that would keep the enthusiasts happy
• Neat request sensors on doors
• Lovely set of alloys on Titanium

The Bad:

• Ford has taken the learnings from Figo twins to the next level. In Figo the tyre size was common across all the variants and here we have 3 different tyre options. 17" is too high for a comfortable ride
• The crude plastic on some of the interior panels. Flexing door panels doesn't look good on such a solid car
• Way too many buttons on the steering wheel for my liking, 16 buttons on a steering wheel!
• Very limited changes in the rear, I would have liked to see some changes in the rear as to distinguish between the older and newer model
• No + badge on the T+ model. Ford, why not give it to the customers who are paying for + ?

The Ugly:

• The MID! my New Figo's MID looks classy in comparison. Reminded me of the BR-V's MID (for S variant)
• Absence of speed sensitive locks, really wonder if someone from Ford can give us a reason for dropping it off
• No T+ variant in Petrol MT might again be a deal breaker, why not provide all security features across the range of engines

PS: I can see the headlamp control unit does not incorporate boot release function now. Where have they moved it to?

[suku_patel_22]

Originally Posted by scwagh

[*]Absence of speed sensitive locks, really wonder if someone from Ford can give us a reason for dropping it off[/list]

Is it possible to include this with a software update later?

[GRAND23]

Excellent review as usual. The bars have been raised high with this kind of review. No doubt why team bhp reviews are appearing in google feed.
I am in the market looking for compact suv or crossover diesel car. As on today, I was thinking honda wrv diesel is VFM. Next one I had in my list was nexon. Now the ecosport enters the list. I am now more confused with these cars. All 3 seems a sensible choice. Should I drop ecosport and nexon due to the reliability reasons and after market support? I am sitting on fence.

[scwagh]

Originally Posted by suku_patel_22

Is it possible to include this with a software update later?

I am not sure if it will work via a software update as it might require some changes in hardware as well.

I hope the players in after market will come out with something similar to this for Ecosport.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...-050-only.html

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Some observations I made:
1. While key fob looks upmarket, it looses extremely useful boot release button

It never had it even on the pre-facelift. Yes, it could have been useful. Valets, security still keep guessing on how the tailgate it to be opened.

I really fear someone pulling out that handle.

Originally Posted by scwagh

[*]No + badge on the T+ model. Ford, why not give it to the customers who are paying for + ?[/list]

This is the norm even on the (O) variants that Hyundai/Maruti offer, isn't it. VW doesn't even mention the variant! Not a big thing, I feel. I'd be okay even without the Titanium badge on my AT.

PS: I can see the headlamp control unit does not incorporate boot release function now. Where have they moved it to?

There never was a boot release button, even on the pre-facelift.

[*]Absence of speed sensitive locks, really wonder if someone from Ford can give us a reason for dropping it off

Originally Posted by suku_patel_22

Is it possible to include this with a software update later?

I believe so. I remember some service centres did activate the speed sensing lock on some lower variants of the i20 that didn't have it factory-set up. Lack of the speed sensing lock is truly an awful downsizing.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

It never had it even on the pre-facelift. Yes, it could have been useful. Valets, security still keep guessing on how the tailgate it to be opened.

I really fear someone pulling out that handle.

There never was a boot release button, even on the pre-facelift.

I don't know which model you are referring to but the one I bought in 2013 had boot release button on key fob. It wasn't marked though. Titanium+ and Titanium(Which I had) both had this but mystery button.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

I don't know which model you are referring to but the one I bought in 2013 had boot release button on key fob. It wasn't marked though. Titanium+ and Titanium(Which I had) both had this but mystery button.

I feared having such a blonde moment that I rushed down to check. And no, the third button on the key fob (unmarked) is not functional. It gets pressed very lightly though.

I bought my Titanium AT in June '16, after the mild refresh was introduced in 2015 (wiper/indicator stalk interchange, tailgate button change). Perhaps this feature was taken out then since my car has a soft button to open tailgate, not a request sensor, as the doors do.

I've heard the request sensor on tailgate was very prone to failure and cost 12k to replace!

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I feared having such a blonde moment that I rushed down to check. And no, the third button on the key fob (unmarked) is not functional. It gets pressed very lightly though.

I bought my Titanium AT in June '16, after the mild refresh was introduced in 2015 (wiper/indicator stalk interchange, tailgate button change). Perhaps this feature was taken out then since my car has a soft button to open tailgate, not a request sensor, as the doors do.

I've heard the request sensor on tailgate was very prone to failure and cost 12k to replace!

If the third button gets pressed, you might want to recheck by putting some pressure and holding for 3 seconds. The boot release button in my car was firm and needed a bit of pressure and have to hold for about 2-3 seconds.
Haven't heard of request sensors issues, it used to be same as request sensor in front door.

[gururajrv]

Likes:

Matured stance
Interior is onto all new level with the tablet sitting upright on the dash
Leather wrapped steering wheel
17 inch alloys with low profile tyres gives a good wide looks though it’s got its downside mentioned by fellow bhpians
Build quality is always the strong factor for the ES!
Neat looking fascia
Damn love the touchscreen
Muscular lines on the bonnet

Dislikes:
MID - Ford will have to think of MID-lift now since they’ve already given a facelift which is a meaningful one
Somehow not a fan of the rear bench type seats (strictly my opinion) though raised comparatively to the previous version.
No LED / HID’s on offer which would’ve made it a unique offering amongst the competition

Well pen down review - with our Mods, there’s no second mentioning about EYE-FOR-DETAIL at all. It’s the basic hygiene factor that’s upheld and maintained throughout.

PS:
Well the South-American market is getting a mild cosmetically enhanced Ecosport with a suffix “STORM” which looks classy in the Silver-Black combo! Loved the smoked out effect in the headlamp housing.

Link

[sandeepmohan]

A winner Ford for sure. When the first Ecosport was out, it was the most loaded car you could buy and they have repeated the same with this 2018 face lift.

The biggest surprise for me is that Dragon engine. Never did I think a 3 cylinder would appeal in terms of performance. Ford seems to have done a lot of work here.

The poor under dashboard finish seems to be repeat of the days we had the sharp nosed Fiesta. It was pathetic and out of place on a car that costs north of 10 lacs.

I love large alloys. Couldn't be bothered if the ride quality goes south. Those 17" look neat too. I feel that a certain wheel rim size to body proportion has to be maintained for a car to look good.

The lack of an aux input is no big deal. With everyone moving to wireless streaming and the infotainment system including Spotify, there is no need for a wired connection. For all you know, the system may have the ability to sync audio stored on your phones internal storage via usb. Besides; you have bluetooth too. What I did not expect was the trade off in sound quality. This has been a Ford highlight for years.

Can't understand the logic behind the AEIS system. This seems to have come off the old F series truck for the purpose of engine idling but then 30 minutes is just too long. What is odd is that the system re enables itself when you restart the car even after you disable it.

As always, an excellent review. I look forward to these.

[arindambasu13]

The (really) long awaited review is finally here. Great review, with fantastic attention to details as always.

While the Petrol engine seems to have made great strides as compared to the earlier 1.5 offering, its still clear from the review that the oil burner is the choice of engine for enthusiasts. I am still surprised that Ford has not decided to upgrade the 1.5 TDCI to the same torque specs as the Figo twins, though. Another 15 Nm of twist force would certainly not have hurt!

To repeat the common complaint, the MID is really lacklustre. Cant fathom the reasoning behind including this in an otherwise well built and fairly premium looking interior.

Another thing I noticed is that there are very few new Ecosports on the road. Possibly an effect of the first lot of vehicles not being fully delivered. It could also be that the Ecosport now has healthy competition in its niche space, unlike at the time of its initial debut when it literally created its own segment with no competitor in sight whatsoever.

[rpunwani]

Excellent Review !

I test drove the Petrol Titanium+ AT EcoSport in December 2017 on the Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai.

My views on the vehicle:-
The 17" wheels did induce more firmness in the ride; however being a SUV, I was not expecting a plush ride so I was ok with the firmness. The firmness helped with controlling the body roll.
Road noise was more than I expected; probably due to the rough surface of Palm Beach Road
The Sync 3 was amazing to say the least, very easy to use and had quick response to touch.
Fit & finish was generally good, in some places the fit & finish was found wanting - not as well finished as the Polo.
Car was well equipped with auto headlights, rain sensing wipers, etc

We booked the Petrol AT in Moondust Silver, delivery expected mid-February 2018. Took 3rd & 4th year extended warranty.

The dealer quoted Rs. 6,000/- for Mud Flaps, Trunk Mat & Car Mats and Rs. 12,000/- for the spare wheel cover.

On visiting the Ford website, the price of the accessories was mentioned as:-
Mud Flaps Rs. 790/-
Trunk Mat Rs. 835/-
Floor Mats Rs. 1,293/-

Snapshots from the Ford website attached for reference.

Total works out to Rs. 2,918/-. Why are the dealers charging double the price for the accessories??

The spare wheel cover is Rs. 8,822/- without painting. Them charging Rs. 12,000/- is also not justified.

I am going to take this up with the dealer shortly.

Have any of you experienced the same when taking delivery of the new Eco Sport ??

[GTO]

For those interested in the diesel, here is Jude300's awesome ownership report - link (Ford Ecosport 1.5L Diesel Titanium (Facelift) - The machine I love).

[deetjohn]

Great review with a lot of detail as usual. Thanks for sharing with us.

I drove the Dragon and I loved the engine. The refinement and drivability is unlike any other 3 pot engine I have experienced before. As sad as I am seeing the EcoBoost go, maybe the Dragon is a better engine for our market. Besides, Ford never gave the EcoBoost to us in a car that deserved it the most - the Fiesta.

Anyways, back to the facelift and its good to see many features which were present in the Fiesta making its way to the EcoSport. And amusing that it also lost the auto locking doors just like the Fiesta. That is a much needed feature for any car! But I am told this is getting fixed through a software update for the EcoSport. I can pop the boot using the third button on the smart key for the Fiesta, and its very useful. Really silly if it got removed as well. And doesn't it specify which door is open through the display? That was the case earlier.

I was never a big fan of EcoSport. Never got that feeling to bring one home after a drive. But this facelift has changed a lot of things for good from my perspective. I love the way it looks now - gets the proper interpretation of the Aston grille by Ford. And love the display and the all black cabin too. I also liked the new found balance between ride and handling - and that is even on those massive 17" wheels. And the new calibration for the steering is also nice on the road. It is no Fiesta but really good for something sitting a bit far off the road.

The previous frailties remain - the space (it's no Honda) and the fit and finish all around (it's no Hyundai). But once you have made peace with that, you do get a great vehicle for the price.

My pick will be the new Titanium+ with the Dragon AT in Smoke Grey. I will immediately swap those tyres with a better brand, mask that grille in gloss black, get Hella trumpets and will swap the instrument cluster with the international one. And then there isn't anything else I want to change in the car. And that's the thing - Ford has got this near perfect with this facelift.

Hopefully, they will concentrate on the domestic supplies too unlike before. It is very important to get the numbers on road here in our market.