[blue_pulsar]

penpavan is my buddy and I have driven his car for 100+ km within the city and out on the highway. Here are some of my observations:

• Ride is very sorted. It has a firm side to it, which I believe it should be. Else, it will result in wallowing and side-ward movement. Drive the EcoSport fast over broken tarmac and it hardly affects the car.
• The car handles well, considering that it is an SUV. It is only when you take a turn really sharp, will you feel the height of the car. Else, Ford has tuned the suspension superbly.
• High speed composure is brilliant. You are yawning at 100kmph. It's really hard to believe anybody could topple this car. I would like to believe that it was a stunt which went wrong.
• The EcoBoost 1.0 engine is a real gem. We never pushed the engine too hard till now. Once in turbo band, the power delivery is relentless. Hard to believe there is a 1.0 under the hood.
• Turbo lag is negligible. When you slow down at speed breakers and slot into second, there is a wee bit of turbo lag. But the turbo comes back to life in a second. But we've never tested the same with full load though.
• We can hear the sweet turbo whistle, contrary to what the t-bhp official review mentions. The sound of the turbo is addictive.
• Many might disagree, but personally I feel this is not the quietest petrol engine. When you stand outside the car with the engine idling, you can hear certain amount of roughness when you compare it with a K-series or a Kappa2 engine. But then, it adds to the character of the SUV.
• Gearshift in itself is a smooth-shifting and sure-slotting one.
• The plastics are good although an i20 betters it.
• Build quality is solid. You can feel it when you shut the heavy doors.
• The steering is too light to suit my personal tastes. They should have retained the Figo steering on this one!
• Ford (or Microsoft) has programmed the Sync system to understand Indian English accents well. Simply brilliant. But then, we both have 'neutral' Indian accents.
• Front seats are generous. They really hug you. The under thigh and back support is good too. Superb!
• Rear seats are simply Maruti. The bench is flat and lacks under-thigh support. I like the recline angle of the back support though. I think the rear seats are narrower. May be it is because of the wheel arcs protruding into the cabin. Leg room for a 4m car is fantastic.
• The music system is really too complicated to operate. I cannot imagine an elderly person of around 60 years operating it. It is best operated using the sync system. One more good feature, the sound goes down when you apply sudden brakes, especially when cruising on the highway.
• The sound quality from the music system is brilliant! (Well, am not an audiophile)
• Ford should have really provided the cover for the back wheel and left the option of using it to the customer.
• The EcoSport petrols, especially the EcoBoost is real value-for-money, whereas the diesel is a poor VFM proposition.
• We test drove the EcoSport 1.5 TDCi. That engine really feels lethargic when compared to the EcoBoost. Frankly, I feel the 1.3MJD is a far better engine and fun to drive when compared to the 1.5. The MJD is way more free revving too. But the 1.5 has amazing in-city driveability and tractability.

[Utopian]

Congrats for the Ecosport. Looks good in white. Get rid of the dealer sticker asap from the back. It is spoiling the look of the car.
Wishing you happy mile crunching.

[rajesh.sml]

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

The EcoSport petrols, especially the EcoBoost is real value-for-money, whereas the diesel is a poor VFM proposition.

• We test drove the EcoSport 1.5 TDCi. That engine really feels lethargic when compared to the EcoBoost. Frankly, I feel the 1.3MJD is a far better engine and fun to drive when compared to the 1.5. The MJD is way more free revving too. But the 1.5 has amazing in-city driveability and tractability.

I could not understand the above mentioned and teh value for Money point.

How is Ecoboost value for money and Diesel is not ? Fun to drive I can agree, but is the diesel so lathargic.

Note: I have till now not driven any of the versions

[blue_pulsar]

Originally Posted by rajesh.sml

I could not understand the above mentioned and teh value for Money point.

Variant-to-variant, the 1.5TDCi costs a Lac more than the EcoBoost. Ecoboost is a much newer engine, Engine of the Year 2012, the technology that has gone into it, the R&D costs etc. On the other hand, the 1.5TDCi has been around for a while now. Both engines get excise cuts. Considering all these facts, TDCi should be priced on par with the EcoBoost (or slightly more expensive).

Originally Posted by rajesh.sml

How is Ecoboost value for money and Diesel is not ? Fun to drive I can agree, but is the diesel so lathargic.

Note: I have till now not driven any of the versions

The diesel is not free revving and isn't fun to drive. The engine really complains when you push it beyond 2.5K rpm. Like I said earlier, the 1.3MJD is my yardstick for comparison. Refinement levels are higher on the MJD as well. I do not feel 15 more horses on this engine when compared to the MJD either (I have not tested at higher speeds) . The turbo kick is almost absent. Having said that, the 1.5 has superb in-city drivability (which I've mentioned earlier).

EcoBoost is a free revving engine. Has a nice turbo kick (and whistle). Does not complain when you revv it. Power delivery is awesome (for the lack of a better word). And don't forget, its a 999cc engine pulling a 12xx kg vehicle so effortlessly.

The diesel pales in comparison, beyond a shadow of doubt.

You must drive it yourself and am sure you'll agree with me.

[penpavan]

Originally Posted by saisrujan

Congratulations and happy motoring.

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

Congratulations penpavan,

Originally Posted by Guna

Congratulations on the new car!

Originally Posted by 9thsphinx

The second Ecoboost on the forum. Congratulations.

Originally Posted by puchoo

Many many congratulations on the car and wishing you the best!!

Originally Posted by Sommos

Penpavan : Many congratulations for the EcoSport.

Originally Posted by k_ajay

Congratulations on the EcoBoost. Request you to update the ownership thread as frequently as meaningful/possible. I'll keep an eye here for fuel efficiency reports (as otherwise, I'm convinced of the engine if I select this car).

Originally Posted by Rameshdude

Congrats Penpavan . Wishing you happy motoring. My friend is getting 15 kms/lit in city drive. Let us see how much mileage we can achieve.

Originally Posted by S.MJet

Many congratulations penpavan
Drive safe.

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

Congrats dude.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Congrats for the Ecosport. Looks good in white. Get rid of the dealer sticker asap from the back. It is spoiling the look of the car.

Thanks all!

As far as accessories are concerned, agreeing with 9thsphinx, I am not going to add anything just yet. But after some months I will surely replace the tyres as a starter and maybe a reverse camera will follow.

I will surely try to calculate FE and update here along with any other points worth noting.

I drove another hundred kilometers on highway yesterday and I must say the engine is superb. It has got it all balanced. The composure at high speeds is great. Amazingly revv happy.

[saisrujan]

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

[*] The EcoSport petrols, especially the EcoBoost is real value-for-money, whereas the diesel is a poor VFM proposition.[*] We test drove the EcoSport 1.5 TDCi. That engine really feels lethargic when compared to the EcoBoost. Frankly, I feel the 1.3MJD is a far better engine and fun to drive when compared to the 1.5. The MJD is way more free revving too. But the 1.5 has amazing in-city driveability and tractability.[/list]

Agree with every word you wrote, except for the VFM point, where I have my reservations. I think both the ecoboost and diesel engines serve difference purposes and have their own place. The ecoboost is a fun to drive, enthusiastic engine meant for those who love to drive. The diesel, on the other hand, is more practical for city driving and offers great fuel economy. i'd love to know why you think the TDCI is poor VFM proposition.

Did you drive the TDCi immediately after driving the ecoboost?

[kinetic]

My Aviator glassed are not held well. This is was the best position I could arrive at but even here, it keeps falling off.

Congratulations on your new Ecosport! Wish you a lot of happy miles!

I was curious to know what you meant by this comment. Did you mean to say that the holder wouldn't close with the aviators inside it?

[blue_pulsar]

Originally Posted by saisrujan

Agree with every word you wrote, except for the VFM point, where I have my reservations. I think both the ecoboost and diesel engines serve difference purposes and have their own place. The ecoboost is a fun to drive, enthusiastic engine meant for those who love to drive. The diesel, on the other hand, is more practical for city driving and offers great fuel economy. i'd love to know why you think the TDCI is poor VFM proposition.

Did you drive the TDCi immediately after driving the ecoboost?

saisrujan, I have explained in the below quote.

If you take examples of other hatches, the diesel engines are typically more high-tech. Turbo'd, common rail diesels. Even then the 1 Lac difference is not justified.

In this case, the petrol motor is so high-tech. Why would you pay a lac more for diesel? I wouldn't.

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

Variant-to-variant, the 1.5TDCi costs a Lac more than the EcoBoost. Ecoboost is a much newer engine, Engine of the Year 2012, the technology that has gone into it, the R&D costs etc. On the other hand, the 1.5TDCi has been around for a while now. Both engines get excise cuts. Considering all these facts, TDCi should be priced on par with the EcoBoost (or slightly more expensive).


The diesel is not free revving and isn't fun to drive. The engine really complains when you push it beyond 2.5K rpm. Like I said earlier, the 1.3MJD is my yardstick for comparison. Refinement levels are higher on the MJD as well. I do not feel 15 more horses on this engine when compared to the MJD either (I have not tested at higher speeds) . The turbo kick is almost absent. Having said that, the 1.5 has superb in-city drivability (which I've mentioned earlier).

EcoBoost is a free revving engine. Has a nice turbo kick (and whistle). Does not complain when you revv it. Power delivery is awesome (for the lack of a better word). And don't forget, its a 999cc engine pulling a 12xx kg vehicle so effortlessly.

The diesel pales in comparison, beyond a shadow of doubt.

You must drive it yourself and am sure you'll agree with me.

[penpavan]

Originally Posted by kinetic

Congratulations on your new Ecosport! Wish you a lot of happy miles!

I was curious to know what you meant by this comment. Did you mean to say that the holder wouldn't close with the aviators inside it?

Thanks kinetic,
The holder sure closes well, but the moment it opens the glasses fall off. Which also means that while closing I hold on to the glasses with my hand until the cover is almost closed. Also, if not held firmly like mine, the glasses tend to vibrate inside when you driving.
I spent close to 20 minutes before I found out where that clattering sound was coming.

[HighwayofLife]

Beautiful in white. Many congratulations on your purchase and wishing you miles and miles of happy drives.

The best part I liked about the Ford Ecosport's overall look is the fact that it has hardly changed from the concept car, and also the way Ford has integrated the rear door's handle into the rear lighting scheme (that I thought is really cool).

Do try the Ecoboost in the hills soon (you could head out to say Gopalaswamy Betta near Mysore, which is a good test for the hill climb capabilities of any vehicle) and let us know how it performed.

Another suggestion- do get yourself a reversing camera and sensors ASAP, if this not already part of the kit. Makes life really simple and fun once you have this accessory. I guess you might need either a mirror integrated type, or one with a separate screen.

[Baddychat]

Congratulations on your Ecosport Ecoboost and wishing you thousands of happy and safe miles on this car !!
Do keep updating this thread.

Cheers

[johannskaria]

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

Variant-to-variant, the 1.5TDCi costs a Lac more than the EcoBoost. Ecoboost is a much newer engine.

The diesel is not free revving and isn't fun to drive. The engine really complains when you push it beyond 2.5K rpm. Like I said earlier, the 1.3MJD is my yardstick for comparison. Refinement levels are higher on the MJD as well.

The diesel pales in comparison, beyond a shadow of doubt.

You must drive it yourself and am sure you'll agree with me.

If you take examples of other hatches, the diesel engines are typically more high-tech. Turbo'd, common rail diesels. Even then the 1 Lac difference is not justified.

In this case, the petrol motor is so high-tech. Why would you pay a lac more for diesel? I wouldn't.

Hey you are thinking like an auto enthusiast - engineer but the market economics is far away from that !

Okay first let me clarify to establish a baseline for the response :-
I owned / owning the following vehicles :

1. Ritz Diesel - 2010 - 86k kms - Used by me and by my dad too - Sold off in March

2. Ertiga Diesel - 2013 - 6k kms - Used by dad - Still in garage

3. EcoSport Diesel - 2013 - 500 kms - Just used by me - Just arrived at the garage


To support my claims my initial report is in here for EcoSport

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ur-garage.html

So I why is the diesel value for money ?

1. The diesel unit gives more mileage than the Ecoboost, which sort of gives a mental satisfaction each time you set foot in a fuel station !

2. At this price point you are not going to get a package like this in diesel (urban Suv/striking design/tried and tested engine/sensible upgrade)

3. EcoBoost forces you to buy Titanium trim at around 7.9 lakh otherwise you have to go to the old tech 1.5 petrol unit which gives around 16kmpl, while the diesel gives me 22 kmpl mileage at 6.69 lakh for Ambiente, keeping my fuel bills lower not to mention as there is warranty the service costs will also be lower for diesel unit! So in the long run my costs are down even if I take Titanium in Diesel for 8.6 lakh!

4. When it comes to resale value (not the present euphoria levels) as the dust settles down and competition kicks in hard, lets face it the petrol beings don't fair well (Assuming crude prices and subsidies remain at present levels).
As of the current market economics the Diesel depreciate the least !


Now about the drive!!!

You are comparing an Urban SUV to a hatchback, both are worlds apart.
Their weight, the way they are used, the segments they are in, the target customers. Too many variables comes into play!

As for a person who have driven a lion's share of diesel drives in the multijet, let me say I'm satisfied with the package the Ecosport is offering me. A blend of mileage, drivability, Linear power delivery and decent refinement levels .All suits my style of driving. I'm not a person who throws a car into every corner and who redlines and never take the leg from the gas pedal (For that I would buy a GT86)! Which I think 98% of the people who are looking for EcoSport would do!

Therefore an auto manufacturer can't make an EcoSport with harsher ride, power happy engine and ridiculously low mileage vehicle! That would be a recipe for disaster,with neither the looks or the badge won't be its saving grace then!!!

Don't try to make EcoSport like some other car, the unique characteristics give it a unique USP's and a niche which it has carved for itself and this has been its success which can be seen with the sheer number of bookings! :-D

So no pales buddy ,its every car for himself / herself [Disclaimer :no gender bias intended ]

[Omtoatom]

Many congratulations buddy. The EcoBoost is a special powerplant and I'm sure you are going to enjoy every bit of the engineering marvel it is.

Here's to your white beauty and the awesome engine of the year 2012 under her hood.

[ndinesh]

Congrats Buddy on your new possession.
I am sure you are enjoying every moment of the drive.

I have a question to you and other proud owners as well.
I believe Ecosport comes with tinted glass. Do you have any comments/feedback on it. Does it serve the purpose to some extent of that of a sunfilm?

Regards
Dinesh

[penpavan]

Originally Posted by ndinesh

Congrats Buddy on your new possession.
I am sure you are enjoying every moment of the drive.

I have a question to you and other proud owners as well.
I believe Ecosport comes with tinted glass. Do you have any comments/feedback on it. Does it serve the purpose to some extent of that of a sunfilm?

Regards
Dinesh

Thanks Dinesh,
About tinted glass: well, haven't specifically paid attention to the shade it has, but I did feel that it is more transparent than few other cars. You do need A/C mostly ON all the time or very frequently.