A clear winner

I own a Ford Ecosport (Titanium 1.5 litres TDCI) since May 2016 and this review is based on my first-hand driving experience of more than 7 months.

Exterior: -

1. Beautiful styling

2. Nice overall finish

3. Balanced curves

4. Decent height

5. Spare wheel at the rear adds to the style quotient

6. More of a premium hatchback rather than a SUV

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

1. Voice command is a good feature but it rarely recognizes what you say

2. Armrest really provides support but then obstructs the bottle holder's space

3. Steering wheel adjustment (tilt & telescopic) and driver seat's adjustment is a real boon

4. Decent headroom and legroom for all the passengers

5. Steering mounted audio controls are a bit hard to operate

6. Automatic AC functions well but again the adjustment knob needs a little refinement

7. Seats are overall comfortable but could have offered a little more thigh support

8. Should have got rear parking camera instead of parking sensors

9. Thick A-pillar does create a blind spot so you have to be a bit careful while crossing roads

10. The music player offers a nice output quality but the sync hangs at times (especially when the USB port is in use)

11. Two charging points (one at the rear) are a good inclusion

12. A lot of information like distance to empty, engine temperature, mileage, average speed, etc is available at the odometer space

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

1. The engine offers an overall smooth operation but rarely you may experience jerks in the 2nd gear

2. The torque and power are proportionately distributed while driving under various road/traffic conditions

3. The mileage on highways is decent (approx. 20 KMPL) but falls drastically in city (approx. 13 KMPL)

4. Gearbox is ok but needs some minor improvement in order to offer a smooth experience when changing the gear from say 3rd to 1st

5. Driving in hilly areas is definitely not amongst the strengths of this car but it manages it well

 

Ride Quality & Handling

1. Offers a very comfortable and sturdy riding experience

2. A very stable car on both highways and in city traffic

3. You feel like having a complete control

4. Steering, clutch, brakes and accelerator are efficient and responsive (though ABS has its own pros and cons)

 

Final Words

Overall, this car is a clear winner when you compare "what you pay and what you get in return". Nothing is perfect in this world so do not expect everything from any single car. In this case, if you need a powerful car with pure driving pleasure, comfort, nice built quality, optimal ground clearance, safety features like airbags, decent exteriors/interiors and you can compromise a bit on mileage (vis-a-vis Suzuki Vitara Brezza), then you should definitely go ahead and book your Ecosport. It won't let you down.

 

Areas of improvement  

1. Rear parking camera is must

2. Microsoft Sync (music player) hangs at times and doesn't recognize voice command

3. Steering mounted controls need some refinement 

1. Styling, 2. Comfort, 3. Handling, 4. Features, 5. Interior1. Mileage, 2. Rear parking camera is missing, 3. Some technical glitches