[suvrog]

Great write-up and Congratulations on your new Ecosport. I had similar experiences when I bought it in Oct 2019. It's a sheer joy to drive an Ecosport. Wishing you lots of happy miles.

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

Welcome to the Ecosport club Shanksta, crisp review of the wonderful car that Ecosport is. I am glad to see someone trusting the brand and going ahead with, what is an outstanding car in many respects. During my many interactions with the Ford guys over the last month or so, I have come to the conclusion and am quite hopeful to see Ford not only staying in India but coming up with new models in near future.

It gives me some comfort seeing some positivity around these media rumors. It is very disheartening. I do hope, they come up with newer products and provide timely updates to the older ones apart from continuing their India operations.

[vnabhi]

Congratulations Shanksta, and welcome to the Ford users club! I too got my 3rd Ford (ES Titanium Sports tdci) delivered on March 11th, 2021, and my experience with Vibrant Ford, Hyderabad has been excellent.

I have not found time to create an ownership thread, but will surely do it after a wedding in the family is over this month end. Owing to the lockdown and other reasons, i have hardly put in 2400 kms in the past 4 months. Longing for a long highway drive.

i have a quick question: the car has 2 USB ports. I think frequently connecting and disconnecting to those might wear them out. So is it ok to leave the USB cord connected to one of them, without any phone connected to the other end, when it is parked? i hope it wont drain the battery out. So far I have been disconnecting the wire after every trip.

While on this, I must appreciate Ford for enabling both USB ports for connecting to the ICE. In a Hyundai Verna, only one can be connected, while the other is solely for charging.

[WizSatish]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

i have a quick question: the car has 2 USB ports. I think frequently connecting and disconnecting to those might wear them out. So is it ok to leave the USB cord connected to one of them, without any phone connected to the other end, when it is parked? i hope it wont drain the battery out. So far I have been disconnecting the wire after every trip.

I don't think battery will drain or even reach the ports unless accessory mode is enabled. I have left both ports always connected since Dec 20 and haven't faced any issues. As you rightly said, frequently fiddling with the connector may damage it in the long term.

[Shanksta]

Originally Posted by dvr08

Congratulations on your car. Black color looks stunning!
Wishing you many more happy miles and a fuss free ownership.

Thank you dvr08 for the kind words.

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Welcome to the world of lovely automobiles aka Fords. Many congratulations on your new Ecosport.

I had a similar experience at PPS Ford here in Bangalore.
Wishing Ford a bright future in India.

Thank you cool_dube for the kind words.

This was my first ever experience buying a new car for myself. Have helped friends and relatives earlier but not beyond the choice of car and advising on what to bargain. Also having read so many bad experiences documented right here on the forum(I am referring to all brands put together) I had made up my mind to face anything.

But the dealership and sales executive especially was a gem. Always prompt, said yes to most of my requests. For ones which were not possible he put it across upfront and politely. Most of all I loved the transparency of the whole experience.

They kept the car ready 2 days prior to my requested delivery date and the executive shared pictures via whatsapp after the accessories were installed.

Originally Posted by suvrog

Great write-up and Congratulations on your new Ecosport.

Thank you suvrog for the kind words.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Congratulations Shanksta, and welcome to the Ford users club!

Thank you vnabhi. Looking forward to your review.

[Soorya Ramesh]

Congratulations on the new Black Beauty Shanksta!, Hoping to see more updates from you

[Shanksta]

Update

Current odometer mileage: 5116.8 kms

Skylar got alloys

I love taking pictures of my car and I click a lot of pictures. Everytime I clicked a picture the one thing that kept irking me was how plain and boring those OE silver Alloys looked.

Initially thought of getting them painted to gloss black or dark grey, but as I kept searching the net and social media this seemed to be a common change done by most Titanium owners. A big NO then cause I wanted Skylar to be different.

Started researching on alloys and it was same as the PCD heartache faced by Fiat owners, that unique PCD of 108mm for Ford. But was informed that there are more designs coming in now because of Nexon and Altroz also having the same PCD

There were not many good options, I shortlisted 2 designs (for a set of 5 alloys) from BM Lal Services on Whites road. Of the two I dropped the Momo Mizar because it was multi-PCD i.e. had 4 empty mounting holes for 100 PCD cars as well which looked ugly to me. Traded in my OE alloys.

So I present to you Skylar now wearing Lenso alloys.

Make & Model : Lenso Jager-Craft
Size: 16" x 7J
PCD: 4*108
Color: Satin Black
Center Bore: 73.1mm (Hub centric rings installed)
Offset: +35



It cost me thrice of what it would have costed if I had painted the OE alloys black but then it has totally transformed the stance and way she looks now. Paisa vasool.


Quick Vacation to Mandapam Town

I was getting restless sitting at home and wanted to go somewhere with a change of scenery for a couple of days. Additionally had to test the new alloys. Came across this serene resort run by a couple while randomly scrolling through Gmaps. The beach was exactly 10 steps from their entrance. Off we went, onwards took me 7 hrs 48 mins for 522 kms. Went and had some delicious home cooked food and just enjoyed the view of the sea from my cottage.



The next day woke up early at 5AM as I wanted to drive till Arichal Munai (past Dhanushkodi) the closest you can get to Sri Lanka from India. There were just 3 other cars apart from me, it was a spectacular road, kudos to TN government for laying some tarmac here. Post that had a quick stop to take a peek at Pamban and then went back to the resort had breakfast and was generally lazing around.





The next morning woke up early and got ready to leave. I had requested the owner for early breakfast and after having a gill of hot omelets, bread and a cup of coffee. I started my return journey at 6:22AM, a quick refuel at Ramnad and I drove non-stop to Chennai. Reached home at 1:50PM in time for lunch.







As I drive the EcoSport more and more I cannot help but fall in love particularly with that powerhouse under the hood and the amazing road manners. The braking is on point, had an emergency situation when a guy jumped out from the bushes on the median in front of my car, slammed the brakes and she stopped much before him even though I was cruising at 100kmph. Also during this trip I felt the alloys had somehow improved the ride quality a bit (can the 0.5J additional width make a difference?). Absolutely no vibrations felt on the steering wheel thanks to the hub centric rings.

Thats all for now folks.

[JReacher13]

Originally Posted by Shanksta

Since October 2020, I was 99.99% sure and had decided I was going to book a Tata Nexon Diesel XM variant in Tectonic Blue sometime in May 2021. I woke up watching Tata Nexon videos in Youtube, followed multiple owners groups on Facebook, read up on every single Tata Nexon related thread on Team-BHP. I was chanting "Vocal for Local" even subconsciously in my sleep. I had even decided that I was going to chuck the steel wheels the XM variant came with and get Momo Massimo alloys the day I take delivery of my car. At this point one may ask "How come EcoSport then?"

A: "I had never driven the EcoSport until now !"

Congratulations on your new car and I am delighted you are enjoying it . My thought process was exactly opposite to yours during the same time frame. I made up my mind long back on freestyle, but I decided on Ecosport Titanium S only for android auto (Why Ford? Why??), and I wanted nothing else. But head won the heart, and I went and booked Nexon. I completely blame Ford for this. I am trying to write the ownership review, but the procrastinator in me made a good point to post it after year-long ownership.

[Shanksta]

Originally Posted by Soorya Ramesh

Congratulations on the new Black Beauty Shanksta!, Hoping to see more updates from you

Thank you Soorya for the kind words.

Originally Posted by JReacher13

Congratulations on your new car and I am delighted you are enjoying it.

Thank you JReacher13 for the kind words.

Actually the EcoSport was the underdog in my case, I might not even have driven it if Ford had not made the features rejig on January 04 2021. Might have blindly booked Nexon Diesel in XM(S) variant in either Tectonic Blue or Foliage Green. Many things happened that steered my decision in favor of the EcoSport the features rejig, EcoSport had the VFM factor when compared to an equivalent Nexon variant in the same price range, TaMo hiked the prices by 2-3% around the time I booked the car in Jan, they stopped Tectonic Blue and also the steady flow of quality complaint posts from multiple owners across Nexon owners groups in Facebook made me sad that Tata was still having minor issues despite launching the car more than 3 years ago.

But most importantly I guess the factor that totally made me abandon my more than 5 months of obsession over the Tata Nexon was just taking a TD of the EcoSport. The fabulous pre-sales experience was a complementing factor too.

[arindambasu13]

Superb detailed review of the Ecosport. Congratulations on a fabulous acquisition.

A few observations of my own after driving my 2020 TDCI S Ecosport for around 7000 kms now:

1. Power starts flowing from 1500 RPM onwards. Following 1750 RPM, the car starts rocketing. I personally am happy with the adequacy of power between 1750 and 2500 RPM which is enough for fast overtakes and general quick driving. On the highway, the max revs I have used are till 3000 RPM, that too very rarely during very quick overtaking requirements. Otherwise, 2500 RPM is more than enough.

2. In your case, it was the Nexon as the other contender. In my case it was the Sonet. Took test drive of Sonet first, and then the Ecosport. Just as said, no comparison at all. The build of the Sonet just does not convey the feeling of solidity that is provided by the Ecosport. It may just be a haptic consideration, but the touch and feel is just more solid in the Ford. Looks wise, the Ecosport is still the king. Lovely clean proportionate lines which are "macho" too!

3. Engine is opening up nicely and progressively after 5000 kms. It is one of the smoothest engines in this price range, and cabin insulation is lovely. So much so that I have been asked several times by passengers in the cabin if the engine is really a diesel! I expect the engine to come into its full element once I cross 10,000 kms. Gearbox is light and snickety now. Clutch is on the heavier side, but only becomes a problem in sustained bumper to bumper traffic. In all other conditions, the clutch is very manageable and progressive.

4. The dynamics and chassis combination with the engine is just superb. Once I started driving the Ecosport, especially on the expressway, you really begin to understand and appreciate why this car has such a cult following.

A quick pic of my lightning blue S:

[Shanksta]

CURRENT ODOMETER READING: 9144.3 kms

Since the last update back in September I have clocked another ~2700 kms. I have had a lot of fun with the car. I can confidently say I have put her through her paces, we have driven on beach sand, slush, gravel, mud, grass, wet tarmac and cement roads. Skylar always manages to flatter me with her superb dynamics, the chassis is so good that it can definitely make you drive it spiritedly.

Mini Vacation to Kattabettu



Back in the second week of September I made a sudden plan to drive up to Ooty for a couple of days. I enjoy the Solitude and it was great drive to the Nilgiris, had booked a nice Airbnb property in Kattabettu in the middle of a tea plantation. Unfortunately did not venture of from the stay as it was really cold plus there were a lot of random stops to take a Rapid test for Covid.



Drove up and down via Kotagiri route as I always take the Mettupalayam route. The Kotagiri route is wonderful. On the return I started early at 6AM and had a wonderful time driving down to Mettupalayam on the empty roads.



Day trip to Pondy

Went to Puduchery on a Sunday morning 2 weeks back to meet a close friend. Drove to a nearby pier in Uppalam beach. Once again I started early at 4:30AM and reached Pondy by 6:30AM. It was good 300kms drive on what would have otherwise been a boring Sunday. Finally got to see my friend's Altroz Diesel, we took delivery of our cars a month apart.



Long weekend trip to Karnataka


Drove down to Karnataka to my relatives house for the Diwali weekend. Also visited another relative in Mysore for a day and back. Had a lot of fun off-roading the EcoSport on the way to my uncle's farm in wet grass and slush. Also for the first time experienced how the the car feels when it is fully loaded with 5 passengers and a full boot. It feels perfectly fine and a bit heavy. Got an average of 16kmpl for the entire trip.



Other updates

• Got a 70Mai A500s dual channel dashcam during the Amazon sale. Fixed it myself and am really happy with the output. I am yet to hardwire the camera to enable parking surveillance though.
• Got a spare tyre nut from Boodmo for the spare wheel. The aftermarket nut started rusting and looked bad.
• There continues to be an error of 2kmpl with the value displayed on MID vs the actual mileage.
• The Goodyears are really good and have proven their worth over the 9k kms I have clocked with them.
• Got the PUC done for the car before my trip to Karnataka.

Apart from the above I have another trip planned over the weekend post which I will be taking the car for the second free service. Will continue to update this thread accordingly. Thank you for reading.

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Superb detailed review of the Ecosport. Congratulations on a fabulous acquisition.

A few observations of my own after driving my 2020 TDCI S Ecosport for around 7000 kms now:

1. Power starts flowing from 1500 RPM onwards. Following 1750 RPM, the car starts rocketing.

2. In your case, it was the Nexon as the other contender.

3. Engine is opening up nicely and progressively after 5000 kms.

4. The dynamics and chassis combination with the engine is just superb.
A quick pic of my lightning blue

Dear arindam, apologies for this delayed revert. Thank you for the kind words and your blue S looks amazing.

I agree with the points you've mentioned. The car feels sluggish off the line but once you hit 1800rpm she is a different beast. I have pushed the car till 3700rpm in 5th gear(gonna leave it at that, don't want to get infracted). The car is rock solid on the highways, can comfortably cruise at 100-120kmph while making quick lane changes and dodging traffic (eg. Hosur - Krishnagiri stretch, bhpians who have driven this stretch can relate). Yes, the engine is a very smooth and refined.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by Shanksta

CURRENT ODOMETER READING: 9144.3 kms


I agree with the points you've mentioned. The car feels sluggish off the line but once you hit 1800rpm she is a different beast. I have pushed the car till 3700rpm in 5th gear(gonna leave it at that, don't want to get infracted). The car is rock solid on the highways, can comfortably cruise at 100-120kmph while making quick lane changes and dodging traffic (eg. Hosur - Krishnagiri stretch, bhpians who have driven this stretch can relate). Yes, the engine is a very smooth and refined.

Just finished my second service at 9300 kms and I must mention that the smoothness in the engine post servicing is really awesome. The engine feels really eager to rev, the gear shifts feel even more sprightly and overall the car seems even better to drive than earlier.

Planning a drive to Mahabalipuram in a few weeks time and looking forward to seeing the car perform on the highway which is it's natural habitat.

Great to hear that your Ecosport is performing well

[Shanksta]

Update : Second Service

Just completed my second service today at 9152 kms on the Odometer. Long story short, Ford service just won my heart. (well almost)

I called on 12-Nov-2021 and requested for an early morning express service for 13-Nov. The lady on the phone gave me an appointment for 9:00AM and told me they will give the car by 12:00PM in 3 hours.

I landed up at Dhruvan Ford at 9:02AM, was promptly attended to in 10 minutes. I was informed the labour cost is free and the car will be inspected, engine oil & oil filter will be changed and additionally wheel alignment, balancing can be done. I denied wheel alignment, balancing and rotation as I just switched to aftermarket alloys 4.5k kms back. Also gave my service advisor a standing instruction to inform me before updating any software since I had none of the BS6 diesel problems*touchwood*.



Car was taken in at 9:20AM, only one mechanic worked on my car and he was thorough. I was literally staring at him the entire time from the customer lounge window.

All general electrical checks done, brake pads and rear brake shoes were cleaned. Engine oil and filter were drained/removed and replaced. He topped up a little brake fluid, filled washer fluid. The oil sump drain nut gasket was replaced.





*Important - For fellow BS6 TDCi owners*

I was then informed by my service advisor that that for my VIN number there was Ford recommended replacement of the catalytic converter. Ford has apparently redesigned the catalytic converter to reduce the amount of soot being filtered by the DPF. I was informed this would take 2 days to replace and I can get the car on Monday. Given my highway running and the fact that I have an long upcoming trip I did not want to take chances with replacing the same now and told them I will bring the car sometime in December to have it changed. It is an elaborate job. Has anyone else had this informed to them by Ford ?

Apart from this there was a software update for the ABS module and PCM for my car which they updated. Post this the car was taken for a 3km road test, a final Quality control inspection was performed and finally the car was sent for washing.





I stood right next to my car and made them clean every nook and cranny while also ensuring they don't apply that cheap shiny plastic polish on the interior panels. Post this the invoice was generated in 10 mins and I was out and back home at 12:16PM. Absolutely found no difference between my experience with Toyota and Ford. Infact Ford felt a bit more transparent as I could walk into the workshop, cleaning area at will and was also eating everyone's brains with all my random questions. Overall, a super from me especially considering, I bought a Ford in 2021 and was a bit skeptical when Ford announced their exit.

Total service cost - ₹2256

What I really liked was the fact that everyone was courteous, answered patiently and were generally efficient.

Now the (well almost) part is mainly because they mentioned the car will be sanitized when it is handed over, but neither did I see nor did I smell the chemical in my car. Drove back home with my N95 mask on and the aircon vent open pulling in outside air. Once I came back went crazy with a packet of Dettol sanitizing wipes. Now I feel safe.

In the 3 hours my car was in the showroom it was moved about/driven/handled by 9 people. I counted the same and half of them weren't even wearing a mask properly.

[WizSatish]

I recently had my second service done at Dhruvan Ford and took her for a weekend trip to Yercaud during the Deepavali weekend. With intermittent heavy rains and bad roads, was able to munch miles effortlessly. Engine has become smooth as ever. Managed an 18.5kmpl on the MID for the round trip.

BTW which MMYY mfg was your car? Mine is a Nov 2020 and I was not informed about the catalytic converter replacement when I got my second service done.


Some pics from the trip.

[Shanksta]

Current Odometer reading: 15426.5kms

My Random 6227kms Solo Road-trip

So it all started when my best friend from college called me to say his marriage was fixed in December. The venue was in Rajsthan near Banswara.

Now this sparked off a long chain of ideas in my head. I was not really looking to take a long holiday however thanks to the current WFH scenario just carried my work laptop with me. A plan started shaping up around his marriage, I decided my first stop would be my uncle's house in Mumbai for a week and decided to go with the flow thereon. I got the car serviced even though it had run only 9100kms.



My friends marriage was on 28-Nov-2021. I decided to leave a week earlier. The final trip itinerary looked as below:

19-Nov-2021 : Chennai, TN to Navi Mumbai, MH
20-Nov-2021 to 26-Nov-2021 : Chill / Work from Mumbai and go around Mumbai.
27-Nov-2021 : Navi Mumbai, MH to Partapur, RJ Via Statue of Unity, GJ
28-Nov-2021 : Attend friends marriage
29-Nov-2021 : Partapur, RJ to Jaisalmer, RJ
30-Nov-2021: Chill / Work from Jaisalmer
01-Dec-2021 : Jaisalmer, RJ to Gurgaon, HR
02-Dec-2021 to 09-Dec-2021 : Chill / Work from Gurgaon.
10-Dec-2021 : Gurgaon, HR to Nagpur, MH
11-Dec-2021 : Nagpur, MH to Hyderabad, TS
12-Dec-2021 : Hyderabad, TS to Chennai, TN

The purpose of this trip was to purely drive Skylar and enjoy the different roads across states. I am not really one to visit crowded touristy places. I enjoy being alone and away from the chaos.

19-Nov-2021: Chennai, TN to Mumbai, MH - 1318 kms/19 hrs drive time

I had packed everything into the car the previous day, Fastag recharged, all documents in the glove box, diesel filled and air pressure checked. We were good to go. I woke up around 2AM, got ready and left home at 3:02AM after a mandatory strong coffee.

I reached the Shell Petrol bunk after Sira by 09:41AM and had covered 487kms non-stop. It rained through out and I even got to test the EcoSport's water wading capability near Electronic city in 1.5ft of water.

As I got out and clicked a picture of my car, I habitually opened the picture to blank out my number plate. I always do this before posting on social media, that is when I noticed the front number plate was missing. Well this might have been during the water wading I mentioned above, given that the rivets used on the HSRP are flimsy it must've broken off.



Anyway I knew I had to get a new number plate as MH cops wait at the toll booth to welcome you. So after some asking around and wasting 2.5hrs running around Hiriyur I managed to find a shop that made replica plates and was back on the road by 12:00PM.



After that it was smooth sailing till I hit Kohlapur around 7PM, there was crazy traffic all the way till Satara. Finally entered MPEW at 10:30PM and reached my uncle's house in Navi Mumbai at 12:34AM.

This was my longest ever solo drive in a single day. 1318kms covered in 19hrs 19mins. Refueled once at the BP COCO in Ranebennur.

21-Nov-2021: Quick dash around Mumbai.



I wanted to drive around Mumbai just for the sake of it. So my cousin and I set off from his house in Navi Mumbai. We went via Bandra Kurla Complex and then onto the Bandra Worli sealink. After getting off the sealink we went to a Starbucks in Parel. Once we got our dose of caffeine, we headed towards Marine drive via Pedder road. This was followed by a drive through Colaba and Gateway of India. Finally we headed back to Navi Mumbai via the eastern freeway. It was a quick 100km dash through Mumbai in under 3hours. The skies were so clear that the Mumbai skyline looked epic.



After a sumptuous lunch at Pot Pourri, Vashi we were back home.

22-Nov to 26-Nov-2021 : Was spent working from my uncle's house in Mumbai. We headed out a couple of times in the night for a drive. Went to Khargar one day for the sake of it. Generally having fun like eating Vada pav everyday, etc.,

27-Nov-2021 : Mumbai, MH to Partapur, RJ Via Statue of Unity, GJ - 722 kms/15 hrs

The original plan was to drive directly to Partapur, located near Banswara. However out of curiosity when I checked Google maps, I realized that Status of Unity was just a 40km detour. Hence decided to see the world's tallest statue having come so far. Left Mumbai at 4:50AM and reached Statue of Unity at 12:15PM. It was truly magnificent and looked majestic. Did not go inside as there was a lot of crowd. Drove till the end of the road and turned back.



Post this stopped for a quick lunch break and then continued to Partapur via Halol and Godhra. The state highways in Gujarat are nothing to write home about, infact they were terrible. After a lovely sunset near the GJ-RJ border and thrilling lonely drive through Rajasthan I reached my destination at 7:50PM.

29-Nov-2021 : Partapur, RJ to Jaisalmer, RJ - 640kms/13 hrs

I had decided that if I am entering Rajsthan then I must definitely drive to Jaisalmer, having heard so many things about how wonderful the roads are, I had to experience it. Hence I made a 2 night reservation at Jaisalmer.

Rajasthani weddings take place early in the morning or rather they carry-on from the previous evening into the midnight. My friend's marriage took place at 2:30AM on 29-Nov-2021. Post which I went back to room and crashed for a few hours. Around 7:30AM I left Partapur and this time I had company till Udaipur since a couple of my friend's colleagues were also headed there for a short holiday I told them tag along rather than taking a public bus as per their original plan.

Reached Udaipur at 10:30AM and while navigating the small lanes around Pichola, an impatient two wheeler rider decided my car looked too good. Skylar got her first scratch on the front bumper. Looked superficial, anyway I did not even bother getting down or even arguing with him. Just carried on as I did not want to ruin my mood.



After dropping off my new friends, I carried on to Jaisalmer via Pali, Jodhpur and Pokharan. The roads after Sirohi were simply brilliant. The 2 lane highway from Jodhpur all the way till Jaisalmer are what driving dreams are made of. Many mentioned it is unsafe to drive in Rajasthan after sunset and I totally agree. I drove from Balesar to Jaisalmer in the dark. it was both scary and fun at the same time.

It feels unsafe purely because there is no other soul on the road for miles. Also I saw a fox run across the road. Anyway reached my stay in Jailsamer at 8:15PM, got freshened up had a nice hot dinner and called it a day.







01-Dec-2021 : Jaisalmer, RJ to Gurgaon, HR via Longewala, RJ - 989 kms/16.5 hrs

I got lazy, I was supposed to visit Longewala and Tanot on 30-Nov in the morning and then log in for the day. However I just slept off as the room was nice and cold with the thick quilt keeping me warm.

Anyway it did not make sense to leave for Gurgaon without atleast driving a bit towards Longewala. I checked out of my room at 5:00AM and headed towards Longewala. The roads were ridiculously amazing, the sky was pitch black despite the car clock reading 6:47AM and it was 9°C when I reached Longewala. There was no one else apart from me. I parked my car next to the army tanks and took a couple of pictures.

Then as I was about to leave an officer asked me if I was heading towards Jaisalmer. I said yes and he asked me if I could drop 2 of his colleagues there. I said I don't mind as long as they wear masks and sit in the rear seat. After a quick 1.5hr drive. I was back in Jaisalmer, dropped off the 2 officers and then continued towards Gurgaon via Pokaran, Bikaner, Jhunjhunu, Loharu and Jhajjar.

Once again I was in just grinning like an idiot all the way from Jaisalmer to Bikaner. Saw a group of wild camels running on the highway, it was a majestic sight. The road was just brilliant. The traffic and roads after entering Haryana was crazy. Reached my uncle's house in Gurgaon at 9:20PM.



05-Dec-2021 : Driving around Delhi



Today was just meant to go around Delhi and see all the famous landmarks from the comfort of my car. Left my uncle's house in Gurgaon and headed towards Qutub Minar. As there was no crowd I paid the ₹40 entry fee and went inside, walked around a bit and then headed towards Lotus temple. Post this drove around India gate and the surrounding roads a bit. Then headed towards Red fort, caught a glimpse from outside as there was a lot of crowd.

Post this met a colleague for lunch in Dwarka and then headed back home.

06-Dec to 09-Dec-2021: Spent time with the fam and working from Gurgaon.



10-Dec-2021: Gurgaon, HR to Nagpur, MH - 1027 kms / 16 hrs

Started early at 4:50AM from my uncle's place. Thought I would be driving via TAJ Expressway, but as it turned out there was a parallel road through Hodal and Mathura which I ended up taking.

Crossed Gwalior bypass by 10:03AM, the roads were good albeit traffic till Gwalior was heavy. As soon as I crossed Jhansi the highway became even better and I was munching miles. The roads through MP were also smooth, although from Sagar to Narshingpur the right lane has been repaired in a patchy way. The last 50 kms before reaching Lalhnadon via AH-43 is one of the most fun stretches of road I have driven on in a long time.

Post this the stretch through Pench is so beautifully made by NHAI. Wish I had driven through it when there was daylight though. Reached Nagpur at 8:00PM and checked into my hotel.

11-Dec-2021: Nagpur, MH to Hyderabad, TS - 520kms/8.5 hrs



Checked out of my hotel at 8:00AM and headed straight towards Zero mile stone. Wanted to see it as it is claimed to be the geographical center of India. Post this headed towards Hyderabad. The road from Nagpur till Adilabad is bad. Huge potholes around Pandarkawda and Hinganghat. Once you cross into Telengana, the roads are a delight to drive on. Extremely scenic and unbelievably smooth roads all the way till Kamareddy.



Reached Hyderabad at 4:30PM, dropped into a relative's house to say a quick 'hi' and then headed towards my stay for the night in Gachibowli. Booked a hotel in Gachibowli on purpose as I wanted to drive on the Nehru ORR the next day.

12-Dec-2021: Hyderabad, TS to Home, TN - 683 kms/ 12 hrs

Woke up leisurely at 7AM, got ready and gorged myself on the delicious breakfast buffet. Left the hotel at 8:21AM and reached home in Chennai at 8:23PM.

The 65kms on the Nehru ORR was brilliant, NAM Expressway now has Fastag and I was greeted with heavy downpour as soon as I reached Ambattur.



Reached home safe and sound after munching 6227.4kms in 110 hrs spread across 24 days. Drove through 9 states and 1 UT, Skylar drank ~365 liters of Diesel. Experienced every weather possible, was not stopped anywhere for Covid/routine checks.

Somewhere in Partapur the front left tyre got punctured, it was slow leak so I kept filling air every day till I reached Gurgaon. At Gurgaon went to a puncture shop recommended by my uncle and got the permanent Mushroom patch done. There were 2 punctures in the same tyre.

All in all, Skylar performed flawlessly. Got an average fuel efficiency of 17kmpl(the 2kmpl error continues), which I attribute to the good roads, enjoyable TDCi mill and my heavy right foot . Paid a lot in tolls, except 5 tolls in Rajasthan everything was paid through Fastag.

I can honestly say the EcoSport is utterly brilliant on the highways, especially cruising between 90-110kmph it is silent, refined, AC is a chiller and I find the seats very comforting. Brakes do their job very well and they converted a couple of heart in the mouth situations to a 'meh!' moment.

Looking forward to many more long road-trips in the future.

[Shanksta]

Originally Posted by WizSatish

I recently had my second service done at Dhruvan Ford and took her for a weekend trip to Yercaud during the Deepavali weekend.

BTW which MMYY mfg was your car? Mine is a Nov 2020 and I was not informed about the catalytic converter replacement when I got my second service done.

Hi Satish,

Yes I too noticed the car feeling a bit more sprightly post the second service.

I consistently get ~750kms on a full tank before it shows 50-100kms range. This translates to about 44 liters and an average of 17kmpl. Best mileage I got in reality was 19.1 and worst has been 14.86 kmpl.

Nice pictures, Yercaud was the very first long drive in Skylar for me.

Mine is Feb-2021 manufactured car.