2 months, 2550km on the odo and first service done since the Reincarnator (our new ES) came home.
In the intervening time, the Reincarnator has seen Lepakshi, Puttaparthi, Coorg, Krishnagiri, Tiruvannamalai and the two faced Bangalore traffic. As this is the first car I am owning, my observations and judgements could be slightly myopic.
Initial impressions
Firstly city drives are still stressful and frustrating but the smooth and reliable AT box alleviates it. I haven't subjected the Reincarnator to Bangalore traffic torture much (have been commuting on my bike to office) so he thanks me. But the few times we were caught in smallish pile-ups (by Bangalore standards), he did the job with no questions asked. The creep function is a godsend in these situations. I rarely use the A-pedal anymore in traffic. On open roads, he just loves cruising his way to glory. Although I have limited his abilities a little to ease the break-in period. Haven't tried the sports mode yet as I intend to keep his heart rate under 2500rpm until another 500km. He loves the expanses of freeways and that is his real home I feel from what I have seen so far.
Driveability
Unlock the car. Open the door. Warm up the drivers seat. Push the start/stop button. Immediately you will feel a slight vibration. Not much to be perturbed about though.
In city: Press the brake, pull the gear stick to D and release the brake, the car starts moving forward. It is not a sudden surge nor is it slow to react. Just optimal in heavy traffic. Like I mentioned before, there is no need to alternate between brake and accelarator during slow vehicular movement. Its a relief for your right leg as well.
On highway: Once on an open road, you'll enjoy the ease with which the car pulls from early 20's to 60's. Before you know, you are in the 5th gear with the rpm needle hovering around 2200. Have to say, the Reincarnator responds differently to even a slight change in throttle input. Until now I have been parsimonious by using feather lite triggers. Very rarely have I pushed it beyond and even those demands were catered with ease. Simply put, highway rides are a joy. The steering feels just about perfect at both low and high speeds. The brake lacks the bite I felt and I am being careful at higher speeds.
Features
Some of the features I really found useful, in order of importance;
- Hill launch assist: A great-to-have on elevations. Eliminates the need to switch quickly to accelarator. It is generally categorised as a convenience feature but it is increasingly becoming a necessity, even in manuals. Why burn the clutch or master the handbrake technique? Keep it simple.
- Paddle shifters: I have been using this extensively in D mode (it works in D mode). The quick shifting nature of the gearbox makes it incredibly useful while overtaking or in need to upshift/downshift before the computer does it. I have seen quite a bit of variance in FE once I started playing with those steering mounted controls.
- Rear view camera: In a car with behind views obstructed by tree thick pillars, having another eye is of significance. Kudos to Ford for providing it in lower variants too. The quality is amazing even in the dark.
- Touchscreen and SYNC3: This is a marriage made in heaven. Those two work in tandem so beautifully. The system was thoughtfully designed keeping naive users like me in mind. It is so simple to use and works fluidly. Absolutely no lag. Hands down the best infotainment system beating even cars costing north of 10 lakhs. The audio output is acceptable to me.
Fuel efficiency
This is the single biggest sore point of the Ecosport breed. The extra kerb weight on Tit+ could be the reason or may be even owners of lower variants are experiencing it. As of yet, I haven't figured the most efficient driving pattern. I enabled instant fuel efficiency display in MID and I keep looking at it every now and then. The numbers swing wildly if the throttle is even slightly pushed. At low 20 speeds, the FE varies between 4 and 8kmpl. Everything depends on the pressure your right foot is putting on the A pedal. The figures are inconsistent in the city. With ultra light foot under not-so-heavy traffic conditions, it returned 10 to 11kmpl. If you are in the mood, just don't look at the average FE after finishing the ride, you'll be left red faced. Highway figures are far easier to predict. Like every other car, the sweetspot is somewhere between 70 and 80kmph. The best mileage I could achieve so far is 16kmpl on Hassan-Nelamangala NH with cruise control set at 75kmph mostly. All this is with service advisor recommended 33psi air pressure in all tyres.
Summary
This is a very practical car for in city driving. It is an excellent allrounder. Does the job in city with minimum fuss. On highways like I said, its at home. The Reincarnator has loved every minute of its run there. I still haven't seen the other facet of the Reincarnator, the S mode. I would like to see him transformed to a wilder self.
What I like:
- A butter smooth and versatile 6 speed torque converter AT gearbox.
- Safety equipment on offer.
- Tractability on open roads.
- Impeccable touchscreen.
- Ground clearance (potholes, craters, give it anything the Reincarnator will gobble it up).
- Looks (muscular, yet small enough to fit those limited parking spaces available in Bangalore).
- Auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers and cruise control (all nice to have).
What I do not like:
- FE (potential buyers: if that is your priority, look elsewhere).
- Space inside (5th passenger? Damn!).
- Limited view of the bumper edges making it tricky to judge spacing on the left (I am 5'11').
- Thick pillars both on front and back causing blind spots.
Finally some parting shots:
Thanks for reading.