Ford Ecosport was the turner of fortunes for the Ford in India. The sales of the earlier generation of the Ford Figo was flaccid and they needed something big. They got the first mover advantage with the Ecosport and has not turned back since. I decided to test drive this car after some of my friends gave it an initial thumbs up saying that it might have entered the party(teh sub 4 meter sedan race) late but it does great to hold up against the competition and also manages to trump all of them in some aspects as well. With some brilliant cars like the Amaze, the Xcent and the Tata Zest not to forget the segment leader and first mover Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, there was a lot at stake for Ford and let me tell you, it does not disappoint.
Styling - It carries the design cues of the ecosport with a very large front grille, almost making it look aston martin like(for all the Bond fans out there, it may be a fantasy come true). The looks loose some edge when it comes to the rear with a rather stubby boot and puny wheels which looks misplaced somehow. The interiors seems pleasant with a black and beige coloring. It looks like a scaled down version of the Ecosport from the inside with a familiar dash and butterfly arrangement of buttons, The highest titanium variant gets a touchscreen infotainment display while lower versions get a brilliant phone dock at its place, which is a very convenient feature. Good amount of storage places for your cups and files and also a cooled glovebox as well. The titanium version also has leather seats which is a first in the segment. The Back seat is also comfortable due a well adjusted suspension that smoothens all the bumps and potholes.
Safety - It has a Mykey functionality to set the speed limit and volume limit, an 2 airbags even in lower versions and 6 on the titanium version. It misses out on parking sensors and rear aircon vents, but the front ac’s works good enough.
Drive, Ergonomics and the Engine - Its a ford car, so the ergonomics like all its predecessors is top class. Everything falls to hand quite easily, the seats are very comfortable and great for long distance journeys. The Engine especially the diesel variant I rode is highly refined, I have heard some complaints regarding the petrol version though. The Cabin is very well insulated, and hardly any sounds seeps through unless you plan to rev it too hard. Has a good mid range good to amble around in citryy traffic but feels a little strained when you drive it hard on the Highway on the higher ranges, the peak power is higher than that of the Ecosport. Still it does the job well in both city and highway, the steering gives you a better feel and inspires confidence.
A great car at a great budget. My rating 4/5