[SPARKled]

Love this car in its new avatar. Had I not been fixated by the Innova 2.8 AT, the TDCi Titanium + would have surely been a part of my garage. My biggest grouse with the earlier Ecosport and of the Figo twins has been the interiors. I hated the Nokia of the 90s like clickety clack buttons and the podded instrument clusters. The new interiors are lovely and IMHO the most contemporary of all its peers. My old Figo Titanium will be due for replacement in a year or two and the ecosport will be a top contender to continue the Ford presence in my garage.

[paddy77]

I heard we get the the chrome weather strips for this car. But I think its only for the LHD market because I have not any car with the chrome weather strips in my city.

[praveennvr]

Aditya, this is an excellent review. Photographs taken were excellent and very well match the context.
Could you please comment on the build quality of the exterior metal? Is it upto the standards or cost cuttings done?

[Waspune]

Great review there Aditya. Rated 5 stars
I had a question pertaining to the famed Dragon engine. I took a test drive and the engine does have a very good low end punch, as you said, but in the middle revvs it seemed quite flat to me. Taking the drive-ability quotient out from the picture I guess it is not half as fun to drive as the 1.0 ecoboost on the open roads. Would like to know your views on that.

Originally Posted by praveennvr

Aditya, this is an excellent review. Photographs taken were excellent and very well match the context.
Could you please comment on the build quality of the exterior metal? Is it upto the standards or cost cuttings done?

The built quality seems to be the same as the outgoing ES which means it's well built, certainly better than what the competition offers in the compact SUV space. Nexon does feel well built as well but then the ES comes with 6 airbags as well.

[anirudh_85]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

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.

Sir, I would request you to update us as soon as you are able to make that instrument cluster swap. A lot of us will be interested in the same. I, for one, surely am

Purely out of curiosity, was browsing Ford USA's website and came across this in the interior gallery (check attached screen shot). Looks like we are not the only market to get the atrocious MID. Some (probably lower) variant of the ES sold in USA also gets the same.

[damager21]

Superb review as always Wonder if @Aditya is a detective or a forensic expert. Attention to details is commendable, not shocking though.

It's wonderful to see Ford rectify most of the negatives and downers which existed in the previous Ecosport.

Instrument cluster is the biggest sore for everyone but I guess its true for almost all cars in our market today. There is some bit of cost cutting measure which is visible in most cars as compared to their international variant.

Jazz - Without Push Start / Stop button and cap to enclose the cutting
Compass - Cruise controls missing, instead dummy buttons are placed on steering

Overall a great product from Ford with huge improvements both on outside and inside

[strawhat]

A great review. Very impressed by the attention to details. Kudos to all those involved.

I am in the market for an automatic compact SUV. Ecosport has always been my first choice since I started fishing. I waited for the facelift as I especially liked the matured front grille over the outgoing model. I had my mind set on Ecosport until I heard about Nexon AMT and saw spyshots on another thread. I haven't taken TD of the facelift yet as I am planning to wait a little longer and see how the market reacts. I am prefering a petrol engine considering my average use. From my research on both the cars I can deduce that Ecosport has a slightly more powerful and smoother engine (correct me if I wrong). The Dragon is earning rave reviews for its practicality from many quarters. Meanwhile the Nexon's revotron engine is left wanting. For a non-enthusiast who drives sedately most of the time, do you think that will be a deterrant?

I love the interiors of both the cars although Nexon's rear is a little too funky for me. But the top end Nexon petrol AMT could turn out be less expensive that even Trend+ variant. Like I said, I absolutely love the Ecosport but I could do with some suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

[hserus]

The other alternative you might want to try is Chinese android decks from Aliexpress. My 2014 All New Fiesta has a similar kind of Nokia type deck and I got this.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/7-Ca...311.0.0.dDBRud

Review here

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post4323980

Originally Posted by anirudh_85

Sir, I would request you to update us as soon as you are able to make that instrument cluster swap. A lot of us will be interested in the same. I, for one, surely am

Purely out of curiosity, was browsing Ford USA's website and came across this in the interior gallery (check attached screen shot). Looks like we are not the only market to get the atrocious MID. Some (probably lower) variant of the ES sold in USA also gets the same.

Attachment 1717819

[SPARKled]

Lot of discussion here and else where about Nexon AMT as a possible competitor to an Ecosport with a TC. But I guess the AMT itself makes the Nexon a non competitor. Wonder why people are even considering an AMT for any thing except the entry level segment.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by SPARKled

Lot of discussion here and else where about Nexon AMT as a possible competitor to an Ecosport with a TC. But I guess the AMT itself makes the Nexon a non competitor. Wonder why people are even considering an AMT for any thing except the entry level segment.

I agree with your premise, there should be no place for AMT in anything more than entry level hatchbacks. Unfortunately, the real word implication is that we are otherwise left with the dull and laggy CVTs on the Jazz/WRV and Baleno. Which is equally bad! The Duster also makes do with the AMT at at 10L+ pricepoint, which again reflects on how immature we are as a car buying nation.

What we actually need are well tuned 5 or 6 speed TC automatics with manual override. Goodies like S mode and paddle shifters are always welcome. Such gearboxes should be optional on all cars at least above the entry level segment. The Ecosport is currently the cheapest AT car that provides a genuinely acceptable driving experience in most conditions. Peace of mind of a reliable torque converter is added bonus.

[hserus]

I do wish Ford had introduced a Diesel automatic as well. All their automatics are Petrol so that even the Titanium + diesel is MT.

Right now if I want a diesel automatic, I’m stuck with a bunch of AMTs, or VW / Skoda as choices, which frankly scare me given all the horror stories about them in India.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by hserus

Right now if I want a diesel automatic, I’m stuck with a bunch of AMTs, or VW / Skoda as choices, which frankly scare me given all the horror stories about them in India.

You do get the new Verna as well, with a 6 speed torque converter mated to the 1.6 diesel.

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

...the dull and laggy CVTs on the Jazz/WRV...

No option of even a laggy CVT on WRV.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

You do get the new Verna as well, with a 6 speed torque converter mated to the 1.6 diesel.

I’m sort of spoiled by my current fiesta so I need a planted ride at highway speeds, essential because this car is most often used for regular Chennai - Bangalore runs.

The old Verna felt like a boat, steering and suspension wise, so if the new one is an improvement that would be worth checking out.

Whatever you cuss out VW / Skoda for, they’re admirable beasts on the road, when they aren’t being plagued with DCT issues or lackadaisical service centers.

The only reason I’m looking for a diesel auto is that in the next few years it’ll either be that or my knee deciding to go on strike. Ford manual transmission clutches are godawfully hard compared to say my Amaze.

[su_spatil]

Originally Posted by hserus

The only reason I’m looking for a diesel auto is that in the next few years it’ll either be that or my knee deciding to go on strike. Ford manual transmission clutches are godawfully hard compared to say my Amaze.

Take a look at the Tata Hexa. It is a terrific vehicle to drive and is one of the most comfortable ones. I have the XTA with more than 5k kms under its belt over all types of roads. Most of these are over the bad mountainous roads of the Northeast. The Hexa has just flown over them with no complaints from friends. I have overtaken Scorpios, Boleros, Fortuners, XUVs, Safaris, Innovas, etc, at various speeds without breaking a sweat. If you go through the Hexa thread on T-BHP, you'll see a lot of praise for it.
All the best for your search for the diesel automatic