[shrek]

Checked it out at Mantri's today.
Looks OK from a distance and the legroom is pretty decent - on par with compact sedans / old fusion and only marginally lesser than the duster.

The external view is uniformly poor in all directions and from all seating positions. Rear seats have the window sill come up to adult chin level when reclined but I guess that is standard sedan design practice these days. Front seats have the overwhelming A-pillars (they have evolved quite close to the shape of a A now!) and a high dashboard and bonnet. Corner visibility challenged by the A pillar would be a definite hazard on ghat roads. Side and Rear view is swamped out by the allegedly stylish high beltline and external spare at the back. The console box eats into front passenger footwell - a feature retained from the good old fusion.

I guess the idea is to give the impression of sitting in a tank - so you're not scared of banging into vehicles and things you dont see.

The boot space is vertically deep and strongly wedge shaped with rear seats in reclined position making it difficult to fit in standard suitcases or rectangular boxes. Same sized boot on the old fusion is much more usable. Forward most position of rear seats is not quite usable - much like the rear seats of NFS ! A rear center armrest on 60:40 split rear seats is of course a luxury restricted to Europe. The innovative 'parcel tray' is a 6 inch wide retractable sheet of rexine. More over the spool seems permanently fitted to prevent you from loading cycles and other large objects. Defeats the purpose of dropping the rear seat backrest if you ask me.

Thoroughly claustrophic and a design fiasco through and through (which is what they should have named it - Ford Fiasco ).
Would probably be preferred more by urbanites rather than outdoors enthusiasts. Definitely not for birders!

I daresay the old ecosport with new engines would have been a better proposition for India.

[sunilg33]

Had been mantri mall twice, yesterday with my friends and today with my family.
Our views :
1) The car looks stunning. I feel this will be the main selling point for this car
2) Surprisingly the rear does not have enough space. Legroom is adequate but the width is the problem. Three of our friends sat at the back but were not at all comfortable. Our parents also felt that the rear seat width is exactly same as i10(our car). However if we consider it as a 4 seater seating is comfortable. Under thigh support is good.
3) Interior quality is more than acceptable. Our parents who like beige interiors did not like the black theme and felt its too dark.
4) Mounted spare wheel doesn't look as good as in the photos. When we see it from near it appears too big for the car size.

Conclusion: I loved it, friends liked it, parents were confused. So after such mixed views the pricing became even more important.
This car has clearly convinced my heart but only pricing can convince my mind .
I am ready to pay a lakh more than premium hatchbacks (polo,i20) for this one.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by zteg

Boot space looked little more than my Getz.

As a fellow Getz owner considering the EcoSport, can you give your comments on the EcoSport's interiors when compared to the Getz (appearance, ergonomics, quality & space)? Are the blind spots worse than the Getz? How about rearward visibility? Is there a dead pedal, and is it comfortable?

[shivasuma]

Originally Posted by MCR

Had been to Mantri mall this afternoon to have a look at the EcoSport. First things first. This car is not as big as the Duster, Period. The size of the boot is also limited. Its very similar to the Premier Rio (in size). However the paint job is excellent. I feel that Quanto is a better buy then this car. If the top end is priced above 10 lacs ex-showroom, I am sure it will be a non seller.

You are judging the car way too soon without the prices being out and without even driving it. You cannot compare a pseudo-SUV (<4M) with the duster. I am amused that people want way more space and a big boot from a < 4M pseudo-SUV.

[zteg]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

As a fellow Getz owner considering the EcoSport, can you give your comments on the EcoSport's interiors when compared to the Getz (appearance, ergonomics, quality & space)? Are the blind spots worse than the Getz? How about rearward visibility? Is there a dead pedal, and is it comfortable?

Getz, during its time had far better interiors than its competitors(Just my opinion). Even after 6 years of abuse, the interiors still look like new. Too early to tell about ecosport. The ecosport interior i guess can be compared to the getz, but not to i20 ( i had test driven last week).
The driver seat was far more comfortable than the getz. However rear seating could be a problem for 3. Getz could comfortably seat 3 in the rear.
The blind spots are more or less inline with Getz. I didnt pay much heed to the rearward visibilty. I was too busy fiddling with the buttons

As already mentioned by parrys, there no dead pedal, but there is a hump next to the clutch which can act as a dead pedal.
Hope I answered your questions

[Enigmatic]

Came across the Eco-Sport crash test video conducted by Latin NCAP.
It scored reasonably well, got 4/5 stars in passenger and 3/5 star in child safety.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqTwCi7JCu8

P.S I do hope that all the localisation has not had an adverse effect on the structural integrity.

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by zteg

Getz could comfortably seat 3 in the rear.

As already mentioned by parrys, there no dead pedal, but there is a hump next to the clutch which can act as a dead pedal.
Hope I answered your questions

These are the two points that concern me while comparing to my Getz. As my mother frequently travels with us, the first point could become the deciding factor.

I am not much concerned about the dead pedal as there is a hump next to clutch and there is an option for seat height adjustment. The seat travel also seems to be good as per review.

Getz has been a very practical car for our requirements. Hope Ecosport will not disappoint.

[naut]

Was there at Mantri mall today to checkout the ecosport. I have always liked the looks of this car, so wanted to checkout the interiors in person before ruling it out as an upgrade from my beloved Ford Fusion. Frankly, I was sceptical about the space on offer on the inside. This was based on what I had read about the car. I was expecting cramped interiors and not so good fit and finish. So here's what I found..

+ves

*Space*
I am 5'11" and don't like it if my knee hits the steering column while get into the driver's seat. However, with rake and reach adjustable steering column and the height adjustable driver's seat, I could easily find a comfortable driving position. With this driver position, I found that the rear seat space was not bad at all. It seemed like it was almost as much as my Fusion, may be slightly more! This was a big surprise for me. Could this is because of the higher seating position? Well, I'm not complaining.

*Equipment & Fit and Finish*
I am more than happy with the equipment on offer and they are a step up from my current ride. With regards to the quality of the interiors, I also noticed a couple of things that could have been better and hope that they will be fixed in the production versions.

-ves

*HU looks*
The looks of the HU on this car is not to my taste. It probably is very functional, but it looks ugly IMHO. Hope one can change it for an aftermarket HU! The weird shape will make it that much more difficult to replace.

*ORVM adjuster*
The position of the ORVM adjuster will also require some getting used to!

Neutral

*Boot*
The boot space on this car is definitely less than the Fusion. Strangely, the rear door mounted spare tyre doesn't liberate any additional space on the inside. Also, with the rear seat recline set to the middle position which I felt was the most comfortable, the usability of the boot space becomes slightly lesser. However, it is not a deal breaker.

*Spare tyre*
Lastly, I hope mounting the spare tyre on the rear door doesn't break one's back! & the rear door doesn't start rattling with time! Although it complements the macho looks of the car, I hope this doesn't turn out to be a pain over the long run!

Overall
I was hoping to rule this out as a replacement for my Fusion (due to space). But I couldn't based on what I saw. One or more of "ride and handling", "comfort" or the "price" will have to be too bad for me rule it out given what I found!. So keeping my finger's crossed till the launch / test drive. Cheers!

[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by sharninder

The Duster isn't too good in that department in my humble opinion. Is the Ecosport any better ?

No it is not. But it is neither too low like a sedan type sitting. When you look out you feel you are driving a compact SUV with a high set bonnet and interiors feel like a premium spacious hatch.

[sbala]

I still don't understand why people compare this with bigger cars and show their disappointment here. Come on guys, this is a sub 4m baby compact SUV. Whatever Ford has produced is a brilliant car for nuclear family. We can have all the debates, comparison etc. after Ford announcing the $$. That's the one which is going to determine everyone's views.

* Personally, I liked the car every much.
* Interiors are decent, definitely not bad as what claimed by few folks here.
* 3 adults in the rear is definitely a squeeze. But, not bad considering the segment it is going to be marketed at.
* Exterior paint quality is superb.
* Very strong body, doors, the way door closes, It feels like a European car.
* Sitting position is neither like Sedan nor like a grown up SuV. Its somewhere in the middle.
* No, you don't directly walk into the car, at least for my height 5' 11. But you also don't crawl into :-)
* A guy from Ford politely agreed that the seat covers are after market fits. No reason to worry about that at the moment.


There is definitely huge hype around this car. The crowd around the car, here in Bangalore confirms that. Its up to Ford now.

[damager21]

Originally Posted by shrek

Checked it out at Mantri's today.
Looks OK from a distance and the legroom is pretty decent - on par with compact sedans / old fusion and only marginally lesser than the duster.

The external view is uniformly poor in all directions and from all seating positions. Rear seats have the window sill come up to adult chin level when reclined but I guess that is standard sedan design practice these days. Front seats have the overwhelming A-pillars (they have evolved quite close to the shape of a A now!) and a high dashboard and bonnet. Corner visibility challenged by the A pillar would be a definite hazard on ghat roads. Side and Rear view is swamped out by the allegedly stylish high beltline and external spare at the back. The console box eats into front passenger footwell - a feature retained from the good old fusion.

I guess the idea is to give the impression of sitting in a tank - so you're not scared of banging into vehicles and things you dont see.

The boot space is vertically deep and strongly wedge shaped with rear seats in reclined position making it difficult to fit in standard suitcases or rectangular boxes. Same sized boot on the old fusion is much more usable. Forward most position of rear seats is not quite usable - much like the rear seats of NFS ! A rear center armrest on 60:40 split rear seats is of course a luxury restricted to Europe. The innovative 'parcel tray' is a 6 inch wide retractable sheet of rexine. More over the spool seems permanently fitted to prevent you from loading cycles and other large objects. Defeats the purpose of dropping the rear seat backrest if you ask me.

Thoroughly claustrophic and a design fiasco through and through (which is what they should have named it - Ford Fiasco ).
Would probably be preferred more by urbanites rather than outdoors enthusiasts. Definitely not for birders!

I daresay the old ecosport with new engines would have been a better proposition for India.

Let me correct you, the spool carrying 'parcel tray' is removable. You have to pull the edges inwards and it comes out. Hence, the existing boot space and additional space generated after dropping the rear seat can be used at will.

I dont think there is anything wrong with the design, I am sure automaker like Ford would have evaluated the risks of large A pillars. Moreover this new EcoSport is selling like hot cakes in Brazil and till now none of the Car experts in India or abroad have pointed safety risk. Lets not forget that AutoCar had released video review last year and said its a winner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csddVGy2Dm8

[msmatic]

Checked it out finally !! Overall the car looks good but there were a few quirks. The space between the ORVM and the door is huge, and this adds to the width of the car which may be a nuisance in tight parking spots and while maneuvering in small roads. Hope this is reduced in the production model.

The driver seat view is good and was able to see some portion of the bonnet, and does give an SUV feel. The all black interiors do give it a gloomy look and may not gel with the masses. The steering wheel felt a bit smaller. The final verdict depends on the test drives.

[anoop.mathew]

I went to catch the Ecosport at Mantri Mall. Here are my observations

• It is a COMPACT SUV. If you can't get around the word "COMPACT" or "MINI" then this is not the car for you! However, "COMPACT" is exactly what I want, so this is a +ve in my book. It is not very tall, I could easily see over the top of the vehicle
• The paint job is top class, would have liked a bit more metallic glitter in the Orange (Mars Red) shade though. I will either go for this colour, the Yellow or the Red
• There is a channel for the DRLs in the headlight housing, but there was no DRL in this variant (Titanium).
• It appears to be adequately tyred (neither under nor over)
• Boot space is adequate but definitely lesser than the Etioses, Logans and Sunnys of the world.
• The rear seating is good for 2 adults with maybe a toddler thrown in or two children with an adult. Three adults CAN sit, but will be rubbing shoulders and thighs. Also, there is no headrest in the middle
• The leg space is more than adequate if you are 5'10" or below. At 5'8", I found it more than adequate. We even had a 5'11" person sit behind a 6'1" person, but is was just OK. Due to the adjustable height/reach for the steering and seat height adjustment, I think finding a comfortable driving position is quite easy if you are 6' or below.
• I love dark interiors as I've seen my friends' cars get soiled really quickly with beige/greige carpeting. If required, you can always put beige art leather seats
• The seat covers are fitted well, except for the middle portion which has holes (probably for better breathing). This section is slightly loose (again, maybe to facilitate air circulation).
• Interior plastics are a step up from a B2 segment but probably in the same range as a C1 segment sedan.
• There was significant interest in the car, even at 6pm on the third day of display. If Ford gets the pricing right, they have a winner on their hands as it will be THE upgrade option for owners of tall-boy hatches who love the high-seating arrangement

[r0ckstar.1]

Saw the Ecosport in flesh at Mantri mall over the weekend. My opinions are the same as echoed earlier in the posts. There are only 2 reasons why anyone would buy this as compared to other hatches (i20, Swift, Fabia) or an entry level C Segment Sedan

1. Outer look - It's a head turner alright.
2. Good ground clearance with bigger shoes. Not too big as the wheel-wells are not that big.

From my perspective, who owns a Skoda Fabia, the interior space, design and finish of Ecosport are a big let down. Someone mentioned that it feels claustrophobic and I agree. Too much of black and it's dark inside (literally). Backseat are strictly for 2 adults and a toddler. Sitting inside, I wouldn't pay more than 6.5 (for petrol) and 7.5 (for diesel) OTR for Ecosport, period. Maybe other customers be willing to pay more if outlook and GC are important parameters for them, not for me.

[InControl]

Originally Posted by anoop.mathew

I went to catch the Ecosport at Mantri Mall. Here are my observations

I agree with Anoop's view here.Went to check it out yesterday.Was okay with the interiors too other than the inside door panel quality.I was able to press it in with two fingers on the side.But, it being pre-production model and all , things may improve. 7.20 Lakh'ish around on road for the base version in bangalore should be a great price.The lady over there told the launch is expected somewhere around 2nd week May.