Official Review: Ford Ecosport

[PrancingHorse 1]

It has easily been the most anticipated new launch of 2013, and after an unduly long 18-month gestation period the India-spec Ford EcoSport is finally here. One reason for the delay is that Ford has been pursuing a very aggressive localisation programme for the car, and as a result of this, the ‘Indian’ EcoSport we’re driving today is almost 70 percent locally made. So has it been worth the long wait?

We, and indeed the world, got our first glimpse of the car in concept form at the 2012 Auto Expo in January last year, and as we’ve seen from countless pictures since, the production car has stayed almost 100 percent true to the concept. In the metal, however, what is immediately apparent is the mini-SUV’s actual size on the road. It’s less than four metres long, and if not for its 200mm of ground clearance, it wouldn’t be much taller than most premium hatchbacks either. But Ford has done well with the detailing to give it the appearance of a ‘proper’ SUV. For starters, there’s the almost mandatory tailgate-mounted spare wheel, which also frees up boot space (of which there is still precious little; just 346 litres). There is rugged-looking black cladding on the bottom of the bumpers and beneath the doors, roof rails at the top of the car, and very prominent wheel arches. The the chunky flanks seem to dwarf the 16-inch wheels, and 17-inchers would have been more in keeping with the EcoSport’s aggressive stance. According to Ford insiders, larger wheels will be offered as an option at a later stage. At the rear, the wraparound windscreen adds to the tightly skinned look, and the angular tail-lamps look handsome too.

The most prominent detail, however, is the massive grille, which dominates the front fascia and gives it the bluff face of an off-roader. While some might find the overall look a bit too aggressive and slightly overdone, remember, a similar styling concept worked wonders for the Mahindra XUV500. And we have no doubt that it will work well for the EcoSport too.

Move to the inside and you can instantly tell that the dashboard design resembles the Fiesta’s quite closely, with a similar angular dashboard layout and familiar controls. While the build and plastic quality of the top half of the two-tone dashboard is decent for this class of car (it seems a small notch above the Fiesta), there are quite a few panel gaps and the lower half of the dashboard feels a little sub-par. It’s not as bad as the Renault Duster, another SUV to get an ‘Indianised’ interior, but it is lacking that quality feel all the same. Compared to the cars like the Fabia and Polo, the EcoSport’s cabin quality simply doesn’t come close.

Red the complete review here: http://www.autocarindia.com/Review/342331,ford-ecosport-india-review-test-drive.aspx

[BonFre 0]

Much anticipated review, as always ACI to the fore..

[PrancingHorse 1]

Looks promising from this review for sure but I guess only the Ecoboost variant was driving. Im very keen to see what the Automatic feels like to drive because that may have a chance to come home to my garage.

[dr_nishu 198]

This car has already kept everybody's eyebrows raised till now, further added by good review & variant specifications.

Lets leave the last lock for its pricing & keep Ford India still guessing for its pricing.

[Jithesh 0]

So much for the "SUV" hype, I had seen some testing on the road and I too realised that it is nothing but a hatchback variant. But it is the single car that is most appealing to many like me, it has the right size for the city, has a lot of style and the high ground clearance is perfect for India's hopeless roads. Plus the added bonus that it will be a driver's delight, with a great ride and peppy engines. Seems like the perfect recipe, something not seen often after the Maruti Swift. I hope this one does well, and I'm keen on keeping one for myself too.

[librankur 39]

I really liked the Emergency Assistance System but was just hoping that it was a stand alone system and not one dependent / using the owners mobile connection.

[rahulgupta3101 1]

I am still unable to comprehend with the fact that 1.5(P) will also be coming with manual transmission.There was news around that, it will only be offered with the Auto-box.

Now, ES should have a wide range in pricing, with so many variants and engine options.

[rahulgupta3101 1]

Finally, the complete test drive by Renuka. As always, amazing compilation and such natural flow of delivery, no one does it better.

It is unbiased and brings all the +ves and -ves on the table for anyone to make a choice!!