[Jude300]

There have been a lot of ownership reviews on the New Ford Ecosport and I have been going through them for a while. Before I start my review I would like to thank all those who have taken the pain to share their ownership experiences that has help me and many others in making their decisions and also keeping the spirits high in times of the never ending wait. I consciously would not want to discuss in detail the run up to the decision for buying the Ecosport but would like to dwell more on the car and more in relation to the TREND Variant in this review.

I was not actively looking for a car as my plan was to replace my erstwhile 2009 Zen Estilo only next year as it completes 5 years and to upgrade to a sedan which had more space and comfort. But the Ecosport fever caught me ever since the media drive reviews started coming. And yes, I decided to book the car once the price was announced. Initially I booked an Ecoboost Titanium variant but immediately changed to 1.5D TREND variant. The reason for the change was the running cost and the details are given in my separate thread here.

Booked with Chennai Ford on 13th July and got my vehicle delivered in the 26th of October. The wait was the most painful one and I did visit the showroom as often as I could. After the first week of October I started making visits to the showroom atleast twice a week to ensure that I get my car on time (3 months as committed by the dealer). Also shot a few mails to the Fords customer care mail IDs and they were also followed up. Did have some responses from them as well and they even called me to confirm whether I had taken the delivery. The car being an instant success, I could understand that Ford had to work hard to deliver the goods on time. But however, I seriously feel that the entire booking and delivery process could have been managed in a much better manner. It was as if we were at the mercy of the dealers and there was complete lack of clarity. And I am confident that people who had the influence or money were able to jump the queue.

But to all who are yet to take their deliveries; the memories of the long wait will all fade away the moment you hear from the dealer that your car is on its way. And it will be a sheer pleasure to have your hand on the machine.





Cost:

The total on road cost was Rs.941013 after the accessories that were taken from the dealer. The extended warranty was not taken and the insurance (Bumper – bumper & nil depreciation) was taken by me from Royal Sundaram online thus saving around Rs. 7000. The insurance also includes the FREE MyTVS Kit for one year. The essential accessory kit was not also taken from the dealer. The other additions that I made to the car are listed separately in the review below.













The reason why I chose to go for the Trend variant is listed below. All of the features listed below were not available in the Ambiente variant and were the deal breakers for me for not taking the Ambiente variant (I am using the past tense here as Ford can keep changing the features often and this review is based on what was there when I booked). I didn't go for the Titanium variant since it could not fit my budget, else I would have gone for it.
1. ABS: I wanted a car that had ABS and Airbags. This was one of my top priorities. But to have the Airbags meant that I had to go for the Titanium variant which was not in my reach. This was one thing that I am still not happy with.
2. Reclining rear seats: While spending so much on a car, I wanted to have some basic comforts and that meant good seating position.
3. Rear head rests: Yes, it’s the same reason as for the reclining seats. It is the basic comfort that I wanted.
4. Power windows: To put it the other way, not having one would make the car look so ordinary for me. These actually should be standard equipment.
5. Driver Seat height adjusts: I bought this car so that I can take my family for weekend trips and even longer ones in the car. This means that for me who will be in the driver’s seat, would want more comfortable seating position.
6. Steering mounted controls: This is one of the features that I am using a lot now. Though the controls don’t have the phone symbols printed on them, they can still be used to receive and cut calls. Don’t know what Ford is saving in not having them printed on the controls.
7. Tachometer: This is something that needs to be standard but Ambiente variant does not have this.
8. Rear washer and defogger: Though I was not a fan of this, now I like this a lot. Especially when it rains these days, it’s really helpful.
9. Silver painted front grill: I liked the Silver ones but love the chrome ones in Titanium.
Some of the most visible differences between the variants have been highlighted below for easy reference.

My first impressions:

It was love at first sight and has been a long journey to own this car. As I drove my machine for the first time, it felt like I was moving a petrol car. Never felt any difference. But however as I start to drive more, I felt the difference. This one has good torque and is very comfortable to drive in Chennai’s City traffic. I live in Valasaravakkam and people in Chennai using the Arcot road will understand the traffic situation there.

Drivability & Ride:

I ll start with this as it is something that the driver will be living with for most of the time in the car. The torque is more than adequate and the power delivery is linear. There are no sudden surges and do not expect any adrenalin rush from the engine as you would expect from the Swift. This feels like a more matured engine not the peppy type.

The steering is light and you will love it in the city. Making turns and taking U-turns can be done with ease. The light steering also helps when you park in tight spaces where you need to work a lot on the steering. On the highway, I have read in some reviews that the steering is too light. But my experience has been different. It actually weighs up well and you have adequate feedback. I really don’t have complaints here.

Thus it offers good drivability in the city and will easily help you cruise in the highway at 120 - 140 KmPH.

The view from the driver’s seat is good. But as mentioned in many reviews, the thick A-pillar can be a bit tricky initially till you get used to the car. But within a few KMs in the Driver’s seat, I ve got used to it and don’t have much to complain there as well.

The stiff suspension affects the ride quality a bit. It is not that bad to become a deal-breaker anyway. The car is well planted to the road even at high speeds with minimal body roll while thrown around the corners.

NVH:

Though when compared to the Ecoboost there is a little, very little bit of engine noise inside the cabin which however fades in the sound of the AC. The cabin is quiet and the vibration levels are seldom felt.

Mileage:

I have driven my car for about 1200 Kms now and based on the Tank fill method the mileage as inspiring too.

City Mileage: 17Kmpl (Full AC)
Highway Mileage: 20.3 Kmpl (Full AC)

Boot Space:

The boot space is adequate for packing luggage for a 4 day trip for all the passengers. However, it would be a bit greedy to expect the space of a full size SUV from an urban SUV which is sub 4 meter length and made for the urban life.

AC:

The AC is really powerful and cools the cabin in no time. I have never had a chance to try the AC at full speed. Speed 1 is the one used 95% of the time. Speed 2 for some quick cooling after being parked in sun. Used speed 3 only once just to try. Never tried the full speed (Speed 4).

The AC vents can be closed completely.



Interiors:

The interiors look new age and the chest-out dashboard is a cool thing.





But I have a few complaints here. The plastics are not up to the mark when compared to similarly priced cars. It will sure have rattle issues in the long run. How bad??? Only time will tell. But I have heard feeble “grrrrr” sounds from behind the instrument cluster and the doors on rough roads. Though they are not noisy and can be heard if you pay close attention. When I mean rough roads, I don’t mean roads with potholes but roads whose surfaces are not so smooth. I’m specific here as I have not heard any serious rattles so far on bad roads with potholes.



The driver's seating position can be adjusted with the height adjuster and the tilt and telescopic steering adjustments come handy to provide the perfect driving position. The seats are adequately wide and the back row can seat 3 average built people comfortably. The rear leg room is very good and the reclining rear seats provide comfortable seating to the passengers as well.



The doors have a soft cushion padding to rest your arms. The dual tone door panels (for all variants except the Titanium optional variant) break the monotonous dark feel inside the car. There are lots of storage spaces and the overall space is good. The front doors have two bottle holders (1ltr) each and the rear has one each. Thus 6 bottles can be tucked into the door pockets itself.







And in the space in between the seats, 3 more bottles can be kept thus totaling to 9 bottle holders. The phone can also be kept in there conveniently. There is a small pull out compartment to access the OBD port and some small stuff can be put in it as well.

These are small but very useful things.





Exteriors:

I don’t have to say more about the exterior looks of the car. It definitely is a head turner. Even though many Ecosports run in the roads these days, many people still gaze at my car whenever I wait in a signal or pass them by. There have been instances where some have even followed me for some distance just to have a glimpse of the car. Here are some pics which I thought would be worthwhile.

The air kickers add to the aerodynamics of the car.





The fuel tan lid has a string attached to it.



This is a difficult place to clean.

[Jude300]

The OVRMs turn backwards as well. Thus don’t have to fear a motorcyclist hitting your OVRM.









Additions made:

Mud Flaps:

Since I had not taken the essential accessory pack I had to either buy the mud flaps alone from the dealer for Rs. 1300 or buy it from eBay for Rs.450 and fit them. I chose to go for the later and placed my order from eBay. The product was delivered within 36 hours of ordering though it was shipped through bluedart from Delhi. I got the dealer to fit it for me for no extra charge. The mud flaps are of the OEM spec and fit well. The guy who fit the mud flaps was surprised that it was an aftermarket item and said it’s just as good as the OEM.

Ebay link:









Seat Covers:

I did some market research and understood that the seat covers from Auto foam costed between Rs.6500 – Rs.9500. Also, had an idea about the patterns available in the market. But later chose to go with the dealer provided seat cover after being impressed on seeing some ecosports with the same seat covers as I have bought. They looked good and fitted well. So decided to go with them. It costed Rs.7300/- including the fitting charges.













Fog Lamps:

These were fitted from the dealer to avoid voiding the warranty. They cost Rs. 6700/-




Floor Mat:

Since I wanted to have the noodle mats as floor mats for my car, I did the floor mats for myself. Spent just Rs.1600/- for the entire car except the boot. For the boot, I opted to go for the Carpet type since I didn’t want to have a heavy material for the boot and it cost Rs.180/- and my total cost for floor mat being Rs.1780/-

The details of floor mats are posted to the DIY section here.











Paint Protection Film:

This is something I am still experimenting. I have successfully done this to the area of the doors where we tend to scratch when we get in and get down (where the scuff plates are fixed). I did a lot of googling before I finally decided to go ahead. But the results are much better than my expectations and I have already recovered the investment.
I bought the paint protection film from tufkote through eBay. This one is not the 3M PPF but is of a good quality though. The reason I opted this is because this costs Rs. 750 for a 2 feet by 1 feet size roll whereas the 3M PPF costs Rs. 1100 for the same length of roll. Since I was doing a trial I didn’t want to burn my finger.

eBay Link 1

eBay Link 2

You can see the results of my labour for yourself in the images below. This was done to all the 4 doors.

[S_U_N]

Let me be the first to congratulate you. It is a very nice review. I liked the paint protection film idea.
Also, you surely have a lot of patience to wait for delivery of your car.

[Jude300]

Music system:

The OEM music system is the best inclass. It is too good and does not require a replacement (replacing can as well be a pain).

I bought the 16 GB micro USB pen drive for Rs.600 which fits into the USB slot perfectly. It plays well too. We can play songs by folders as well. The tracks can be changed and source of music chosen using the steering mounted controls.

But as already mentioned, though the controls don’t have the phone symbols printed on them, they can still be used to receive and cut calls. Don’t know what Ford is saving in not having them printed on the controls.





Tyres:

The Tyres that I got were MRF and they have been good so far. Never felt any lack of grip or confidence.

Headlights:

The OEM headlights are good for four lane roads where you don't have direct opposite side traffic. However, during rains and in roads with two way traffic, this is not enough. Looking for appropriate upgrades.




Visible differences between the variants.

The attachment below will show the visible differences between the three variants. Apologies if I have missed something.

Variants.pdf

Some more pics for you....








... and miles to go with the Machine I love.

[Samar117]

Hey Jude! Congratulations on what is safe to say, the hottest car in town, and in that color, it sure does stand out well. Like you I too was not very happy with the plastic quality I saw. But oh well, let's hope not too many rattles creep in.
Wishing you many happy miles with her.

[Loud]

Congratulations Jude300 for the Ecosport Trend. Wishing you many happy miles in it! It looks really catchy in this shade. Also, the seat covers look very nice.

Do you plan to add alloy wheels? (IMO The wheels look puny on the monstrous body)

[bigben]

Congrats on the car! and great DIY with the floor mats. Looks OEM stuff!

[Jude300]

Originally Posted by Loud

Congratulations Jude300 for the Ecosport Trend. Wishing you many happy miles in it! It looks really catchy in this shade. Also, the seat covers look very nice.

Do you plan to add alloy wheels? (IMO The wheels look puny on the monstrous body)

Yes. I had plans to add alloy wheels but with the price hike things went over budget. So have dropped the plan for now. Usually if its not now it for never. Dont know if things will change.

Originally Posted by Samar117

Hey Jude! Congratulations on what is safe to say, the hottest car in town, and in that color, it sure does stand out well. Like you I too was not very happy with the plastic quality I saw. But oh well, let's hope not too many rattles creep in.
Wishing you many happy miles with her.

The other worry for me is the spare wheel mounted to the back. Ford is know for its solid build quality and Ecosport is no exception. so hoping that it will not rattle.

[Samar117]

Originally Posted by Jude300

The other worry for me is the spare wheel mounted to the back. Ford is know for its solid build quality and Ecosport is no exception. so hoping that it will not rattle.

One of my neighbour's has an Ecosport, he did report some rattles from the dashboard, which were rectified by tightening a few bolts. As far as the spare wheel is concerned, I have seen children of my colony fiddling around with the wheel

[vijayk]

Congrats Jude. The details are really good enough and helpful for buyers. The internal stuffs like floor mats made by you and the paint protection film are really interesting. Good job. Keep this thread alive and update all of your experiences with this machine. Happy miles.

[Jude300]

Originally Posted by vijayk

Congrats Jude. The details are really good enough and helpful for buyers. The internal stuffs like floor mats made by you and the paint protection film are really interesting. Good job. Keep this thread alive and update all of your experiences with this machine. Happy miles.

Thanks Vijay. Will do my best to keep this thread updated.

[//M]

Hey Jude300 thats a lovely color on the EcoSport.

I have booked a Mars Red Titanium(o) Ecoboost on 4th August and I am still awaiting delivery of the car. The dealer seems to have absolutely no idea about the delivery date.

However, many congratulations for the new car and the seat cover is amazing. Great pics too !!

[TaureanBull]

Good job with the Nikon, we can see that in the fog lamp chrome reflection.


I have not seen this colour in stock much except few cars zooming past. I have a feeling this colour has different shades during the different times of day and depends on the amount of light. The shade varies from orangish to brick red. I too love the colour but would like to hear your take on the colour.

That's one fantastic job with the mats. A very diligent work.

[getsurya]

Many congratulations and well scripted, supported by pictures.

I am sure there are lots of add on's which are available to keep the novelty going on for a long time

I would like to know more details about the PPF 'project', if possible. As to tools used, time taken etc

Happy motoring!

[agm]

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