Ford EcoSport S Long Term Review
The Ford EcoSport S offers a blend of sportiness and practicality
The EcoSport is Ford’s biggest success in India and has been popular with Indian households ever since it was launched in 2013. Even though it was delayed in the interest of achieving high levels of localisation, it was worth it as Ford could sell it at a very competitive price. In fact, I even booked one, the day it was launched and have been very happy with the overall experience of owning and driving a Ford. So when Ford gave the EcoSport a much-needed facelift, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and Ford was happy to send me their S variant.
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The 17-inch rims and smoked elements give the EcoSport S a muscular look
While my ownership experience has been pretty seamless, there are certain things which I wasn’t very happy about. Being an automobile enthusiast, you love it when your car handles like a charm. Don’t get me wrong, the EcoSport was phenomenal when it came to corner craving but it came at a cost, a very stiff ride. Mumbai road conditions have only deteriorated over time and my EcoSport’s ride was not helping the cause. I was hoping Ford had fixed this in the facelift but after looking at those chunky alloys and low profile tyres, I was not sure where this was heading.
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The TDCI engine delivers excellent performance
I was wrong, I rarely admit this but this is how I felt after driving the car. The steering feels light and responsive and even with the low profile tyres the ride quality has vastly improved. Even the rear seat passengers now feel comfortable and everybody has appreciated the improvement in ride. NVH levels feel much better and the engine (producing more power than my car) feels very relaxed while cruising on the highway. Its quite impressive how the car pulls even in the 5th gear. Gearshifts are smooth and along with the light clutch, it makes it much easier to drive along in the city.
