My White Little Monster: Ford Ecosport Ownership Review


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Disclaimer: I am not a great writer people. So please excuse me for any typological errors. Picture quality may be low because it was taken with my Nexus 4 as I forgot to take my camera along.

Mine is a TDCI Engined Trend Variant costing 9.18 lakh on road at MPL Teynampet

The connection

It all started during my childhood days when I was drooling about those hot cars in numerous car magazines and the first thing I would ask my dad for the month was my car magazine. Whenever and in whichever angle I see a car I would easily tell which brand and model it was .Still, I have a good collection of those in my shelf and the happiness I get when I run through those pages is just equal to nothing and priceless.

Driving a car has been my dream since my childhood. The Fast and Furious is my all-time favourite, not for the story blah blah but for the awesome cars they had and games like NFS were my only time-pass as they allowed me drive a car like I dreamt to. Dad never allowed me to drive his Alto as it was his first car and I was too young for that.

Days ran by and it was my final days in college. Placements, Higher studies and a lot more confusions were in my mind and after taking my own sweet time I took the firm decision. Ford Ecosport was in concept form then. You may be puzzled why I am talking about two unrelated stuffs. But Yes! My connection with this little baby SUV started even before I started my career. It always had a strong position in my heart as it is one of the reasons for what I am now.

Having known Ford’s- Fun to drive DNA, I have always asked my dad to get a Ford but he was inclined towards the peaceful ownership of Maruti Suzuki which made him happily go for an Alto as our first car and after 6 years of very good service it is now retiring.

When we were looking out for our next upgrade an year back, I asked my dad to wait till this car arrives and my parents were one among the many who were restlessly waiting for this car to upgrade and after almost 6 months of waiting comes the little monster- The Ford Ecosport!!

We were looking for a practical upgrade for our Alto and first it was the premium hatches which were scoring more for my dad and I had a big time in convincing him for the Ford(my mom was already a fan of Ford). Having seen the car getting developed right from its sheet metal stage to a fully grown baby SUV, I had the lucky chance to witness the most important launch for the company right from its sketch and I made my mind during the first two months of my employment that this is going to be my first car whatsoever. My parents always felt uncomfortable with our Alto and they thought a taller car would have been a boon for their age (they liked Wagon-R particularly) and that was something that helped me convince my dad for this car. But I did not stop me from taking test drives of the most important contenders in my list.

Maruti Suzuki Swift : Dad’s choice. Did a good TD of both the diesel and petrol versions and liked them but I did not want to decide on this as my heart said something else and also that I did not want to go for a Maruti again.

Honda Amaze : Had a very good image of Honda and its ASS but castles broke to sands when I went there on an almost empty Sunday afternoon with no one to attend me, none cared to explain the car, 5 months waiting for diesel and at last neither the styling nor the test drive impressed me and that sealed the case. No offence to the owners though and it’s a very practical car no second thoughts in that.

VW Polo : Was in my list’s top 3 for its interiors, plush looks and German Engineering but the poor ASS stopped me from going for it. Did not take a TD as I thought of going for it if the Ecosport did not impress me. My good, the Ecosport impressed me in all possible ways.

New Fiesta : I did not have any budget fixed in my mind and this was my favourite before the ES came to action. Went to TD it to have a fair idea about the diesel mill as it is the same engine used in Ecosport. Have always liked the exterior and handling of the car but 10.75 lakh for base diesel was a big No for my dad as they did not find it sensible to put so much money in a car and with a conservative mindset, they always thought non depreciating property was the best bet. That’s a totally different story of how I convinced them for this.

Booking Experience:

After repeated failed attempts to pre-book the car to get it soon, took my cheque book and went to MPL ford Teynampet on 12 th June and made a pre-booking with the mind set to cancel it if it went over my budget . Again call it my luck or destiny, the official booking started the very next day and was happy for being an early bird as I guessed the car will be a huge success as many had been waiting for the car to arrive for more than a year by then.

Did not get any booking number and restlessly waited for price announcement with a firm thought to go for the Polo if the price did not suit me ( I had a very strong belief that this will be priced very aggressively but the real pricing was a huge shock for me). To my pleasant surprise the variant which I decided to buy had its price spot on to the budget I had in my mind.

Once the price was announced, I started following up with my Sales manager regularly and after discussions on many other things, he gave me the delivery date of my choice as my parents wanted to take the car on an auspicious occasion. The booking experience was ‘ok’ for me as the Sales Manager who looked after my booking had a lot of attitude issues which was later sorted out.
Visited the dealer’s yard by 6 th of July to have a detailed PDI with my friend who is in the same field. The moment I entered, the white little monster was gazing at me standing alone and it gave me a very special feel which I never experienced before. Prayed within that this should not have any issues and as I expected, it had very minor issues. Happily returned back home and the painfull wait for the car continued.

The D day!!

Wow! What a day this is going to be! was the thought going through my mind since I opened my eyes in the morning. My first dream! Ran to my office, restlessly spent half a day there, took half a day off, rushed home and got ready to leave to the delivery point. My mom was equally excited. Went there, had all the documents checked, the representative explained all features in a hurry because he himself did not know them properly. I did not care about it because I thought it all gets used to, as I get used to it. They made a small pooja and handed over the keys to us. They took a picture of our family with the car.

MPL gave me a pleasant surprise. As I did not ask for any free accessory which I knew was impossible, they gave me a tank full of fuel for free :)

Went inside the car and cranked it on. Had my hands on my First car! What a feeling it was! Simply no words. Took it to temple nearby, made a good pooja and came back home. Had a really looong sleepless night.

Woke up on Saturday morning and decided to go on a long ride. Took the car to ECR for a spin but did not exceed 2000 rpm. The response from the engine was super cool. Just one slight press on the accelerator and the car responded very eagerly. The overall driving was very engaging. Happily drove with my friend for nearly 150 kms.

Handing, Braking and AC.

The steering is very very light at single digit speeds and it helped me greatly whenever I was moving in heavy traffic. But as the speed increased, the steering weighed up so nicely and it was a blast to drive! I never felt I was driving a 1290 Kg Mini SUV. Also, the suspension setup was so cool that in whichever bad patch I was driving, the set up inside was not affected at all except at low speeds and big bumps. The curves were taken by the car with aplomb and my friend who was travelling with told me that I drive so well :-P

I had a chance to check the braking too. I had to make a sudden braking at 80km/hr because of a very careless bus driver and the car came to a stand-still without a fuss with a very short stopping distance. MRFs were good in that speed but dont know in higher speeds.

My friend sitting inside the car had a big surprice when he read the speedometer at 80km/hr as the cabin was very quiet and very peaceful without any engine noise. Sound insulation is excellent!

AC now. The climate was too hot today in Chennai and the AC even with the blower speed in minimum cooled the cabin very effectively.

The car wherever it went had lots and lots of head turning towards it. Many people even stopped me when I was driving slowly to ask me the on road price and how it was to drive. This car looks kinda cute in White.

Also, I was driving yeserday back home at night. The headlight throw is very good and I dont think we need an upgrade for now. But I dont know how to make a high beam with this. [frustration]

Ergonomically the oppositely placed stalks are never a concern. Myself, after using Alto for nearly 3 years never felt it difficult to use this set up.

Blindspots are not too prominent and it did not bother me anytime today.

The height adjustment helps in achieving a comfortable position very easily and reach and rake steering wheel is a delight to hold.

What I love:

• Excellent Handling
• Tall stance
• Looks- Undoubtedly the best looking car for me below 15 lakh. Head turner whenever I have seen it.
• Easy ingress and exit.
• Frugal Diesel engine, linear delivery of power with negligible lag.
• Sub 4 m. I am not really a fan of long cars.
• Easy handling and excellent highway manners.
• Excellent front seats. Very good leg room both at front and rear. Parents never complained.
• Excellent view of the road.
• Very comfortable to sit and to drive.
• Close to my heart in many ways.

What I don’t like much:

• Shoulder room at back. Though its max 4 persons in the car always this would bother me a little in case if any guests visit us.
• When cruising at around 40 km/hr. in 3rd gear and when you want to overtake, downshifting is compulsory as the car gulps for pick up at that particular band.


Picture time:

My white little monster waiting for me :-)

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During pooja

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It does not really look small like many think. A small comparo with Corolla

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My favourite View of the car

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Very good design indeed in whichever view we look at it.

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Compact and perfectly fits to all kind of parking spaces.
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Front space

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The steering wheel with mounted controls is very convenient to use. Bluetooth audio quality is also very good.

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Glove box has decent space. Not bigger than what I have in my Alto.

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Intelligent Engineering. Liquid for rear Wind shield comes out through the red pointed projection there.

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Here too. Just a click and the boot door opens without a fuss to open up for a decent boot space for a sub 4 m car.

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Rear seat leg room is more than sufficient for us.

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Gears are good to hold and the area ahead of the gear lever serves as my cooling glass holder.

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Rear leg room is very good after adjusting the seats for my height 5'10" and coupled with the 3 way adjustable rear seats helps for a very relaxed ride.

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View from rear seats is not too good

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Very convenient to have the key in the pocket. Has lock and unlock buttons. Neat.

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Loving each and every metre I munch with this Little White Monster
Will add more pics to the thread as time goes on [:)]
 
Last edited:
Joined
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Congratulations. First ecosport in Tai.

Please include the version/variant, on road price etc if possible.

This thread could be a big hit ;-)
Drive safe
 
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Re: My White Little Monster : Ford Ecosport

10000000+ likes Vicky90 superb starting for the superb beast by a superb and fantastic owner,way to Go @vicky90
 
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Re: My White Little Monster : Ford Ecosport

Many congratulations Vicky for your White Monster. And yes, she gets the title of the First Ecosport on TAI, congrats for that too.
Enjoy your car to the fullest, but dont forget to update this thread.
 
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Re: My White Little Monster : Ford Ecosport

Congratulations Vicky to get a first ownership record on TAI, you made the history.
Please keep updating as you get used to the car more and more, any drawbacks or issues also. I am very happy to see the 'White little Monster' in full glory. Wishing you all be good luck with the new car! [clap]
 
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Re: My White Little Monster : Ford Ecosport

WoW!! First Ecosport of TAI. And I guess its the first Indian ownership thread of the Ecosport on the net; correct me if I am wrong I am not sure.
And yeah congrats for getting the handsome looking Tallboy of the country. Enjoy each and every moment, and also enjoy the celebrity like feeling when you roam with your Little Monster around the city. I am sure people might be stopping and asking you more and more about this machine.
Congrats one again.
 
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Re: My White Little Monster : Ford Ecosport

congrats on your new ride mate . You're white monster surely is an head turner. Happy miles [:)] .Do update us regularly about your ecosport [cheers].
 
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Vicky : congratulations. You have chosen the most popular colour option. Your car looks angelic in white, although you have named it the monster [:)]. I enjoyed reading your report on purchase decision and sales experience.

I think this is the Trend variant. One of the first things I do for a new car is to read the user manual and practice replacing the spare wheel once. The jack position is usually different for each brand.

Regarding overtaking in third gear - the manual recommends 3rd gear be engaged at speeds of 39 kmph and above. So I'm really surprised that you found the need to downshift when overtaking at 40kmph. Probably things should be better after the first service.

Can you tell me how does the spare wheel lock nut work. I mean if anyone else who has an ecosport toolkit, uses the spanner on your spare wheel, can they open it ?
 
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Vicky congrats for the first ecosport review on tai and on the net too [clap]. Kindly update the thread very often . And we need more pics buddy .

Btw what add on's are you planning ?

Rating your thread 5 * for a nicely written to the point review .
 
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Congratulation Vicky90,wishing you many miles of joy & comfort with your new pride.

Shoulder room at back. Though its max 4 persons in the car always this would bother me a little in case if any guests visit us.
A friend of mine wanted to sell his Innova & buy Eco sport but rear passenger room was something he could not digest.Otherwise a winner i feel.

When cruising at around 40 km/hr. in 3rd gear and when you want to overtake, downshifting is compulsory as the car gulps for pick up at that particular band.
I am guessing your car is diesel as you mention diesel but no variant details.
This will change once engine has completed around 8000 km.Torque will improve with diesels once near 10,000 km. So take this lightly.
 
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Congrats Vicky on your new Ecosport. Nice write up you have put up here. Loved reading each line you've penned down. Wishing you lots and lots of miles with your white beast. Do keep us updated with the performance of the car. I am sure this thread is going to be followed religiously by many people who have been looking out for Ecosport or for ones like me who have booked it and are now waiting impatiently for it to be delivered. Enjoy your beauty and drive safe mate.[drive] Cheers!
 
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Congrats Vicky....really awesome and thanks a lot for the pics..I have also booked the trend but Mars Red. Are you thinking of adding any accessories? I am thinking of going for Fog Lamps, Rear Parking Sensor with Camera and a roof rail...That should make it look like a Titanium from the outside. The Roof rail, I am thinking for installing from a car store as at ford its 10000 which I believe its overpriced.

I have one request. can you please send us a pic of the dashboard at night, that is I want to see the dashboard with illuminated at night.

I am hopefully going to get mine next week. The dealer called me today and told me that Ford has billed my car...I will be shipped either by tomorrow or Monday

Another very important thing that I wanted to know, If I am playing music off the USB, And I want to search an Album, How can I do it? Is there any search option in the Music system of the trend?
 
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Congratulations Vicky. The first Ecosport on TAI I guess.

The car looks regal in white.

Just out of curiosity. Which variant is this?

Regards,
Vipin
 
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Congratulations Vicky. Loved reading your review & yes the Ecosport to me looks best in the whites...Happy mile munching.

Now, its upto you to update us with each & every aspect/ niggle to make aware our new prospect buyers..

Thanks for sharing the photos with us.
 

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