Ford Ecosport Release?

[ignis]

Another one for this group ?? http://jinbeithailand.com/

start price 598,000 baht....

[Wong!]

Another one for this group ?? http://jinbeithailand.com/

start price 598,000 baht....

All their models look like they've already had a few minutes in a car crusher.

[Familyonthemove]

Anyone picked up their Ecosport yet?

Any first impressions?

[likewise]

first impression by looking at it.... one word : Ugly

[Familyonthemove]

first impression by looking at it.... one word : Ugly

Any first driving impressions?

I don't mind ugly cars if they are practical.

[keemapoot]

hehe, ugly is not the word most people use to describe the Ecosport. Ours is ready and we will pick it up Thursday at the dealer (waiting for lucky day). I will be out of town on business, but the 2 females in the family will attend to this who will be driving it. Wife told me during the test drive the other day, that she felt like a superstar based on everybody staring and wanting to talk to her about her ride. She never gets that treatment in my Benz.

I'll get a chance to drive it by the weekend and report back here my impressions.

[Ace of Pop]

They were amazed it didn't break down. Hence the attention.

[keemapoot]

They were amazed it didn't break down. Hence the attention.

Haha, these ecosportsters will be laughing at you in flooding season as your civic drowns.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Ace of Pop]

We dont live in a Slum Area.

[funcat]

I test drove it yesterday and it drives really OK,except for the not enough power from this 1.5L engine....hope the EcoBoost will be much more proper,if they will release it some time later...

...also I drove the new Fiesta and this combination of a small car and 125HP EcoBoost makes it a nice,zippy car.....What's the weight difference between the Ecosport and Fiesta?...can't find it in the specs...

[cbuddha]

Test drove a Titanium last week, as well as a Juke and a Livina, and the Ecosport was just a complete dog - no power at all. I'll try it out again with an Ecoboost, if that actually ever appears here, but with its current setup, there's no way I'd buy one.

[Martinpeter]

Hi All/.

went to my local Ford Dealer (Phetkasem road) this week and looked at EcoSport and like it!

I want to wait until the Ecoboost version comes later though I think --- a better variant. (hopefully Thailand will get later in an update).

But what really put me off was the salesman/team attitude! no trade in, we only sell you a new one (no part ex-change)? they would not help me trade/sell my current car off (Toyota) at all. (I accept a lower price) trading for different make. Do they want sales or not?

Is this a standard Ford attitude you have come across - with other Ford Dealers?

WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT Other Ford Dealaships and experience with buying a new car with them or are there trade-ins with other dealerships

Thank you - for any advise you can give.

[keemapoot]

I'll just give some quick impressions, as I just spent about 30 minutes as the front passenger in our new white Ecosport Titanium. I don't have time to drive it yet, and will give my review on the weekend about that. I will not drive this car much, as I bought it for a female family member.

First, the car is very handsome, and appears larger than its B Segment class. It is roughly the same length as a Honda City, (bit longer), but because it is quite tall it seems larger and has more presence. The build quality and fitment are excellent. It is noticeably quieter inside than other B segment cars I have driven or been in (City, Vios, Fiesta, Mazda 2), and I read that they did extra sound suppression for this model. It is quiet. True it is not a zoom zoom car, and some of that has to do with the e20. If you mix the e20 with normal gasahol 91, you reportedly get a more responsive car. It is pretty techie for a B segment, has all the bells and whistles, keyless start, smartphone integration, automatic remote unlocking from your pocket etc..

Regarding comparing the Ecosport to the Juke or Livina, don't bother. The Juke was recently voted ugliest car in America, (though I personally like it), and the Livina is just typical old skool Nissan butt fugly. The top model Juke is 30k more than the Ecosport, and in my opinion, Ford should have spent the extra 30 k on making the interior more upscale and match the Juke price. It is ok, but has hard plastics, and would seem much better with upgraded quality plastics and soft interior touches. The leather interior stitching is nice, and that helps make up for the hard plastics.

Lastly, regarding pricing, you can buy an entry level AT C segment new Mazda 3, new Altis, or Civic for the same money as the top model Eco, so it seems to be a bit of bracket creep to me pricing-wise. However, it is clearly the best game in town in this new mini SUV/crossover segment, and in my opinion, has a good design that will not grow dated and tired quickly.

Based on the looks of admiration we got (particularly from office girls) my guess is that this Ecosport will be the vehicle of choice for the poor man's Mia Noi now.

[Ace of Pop]

I think you will find the ECU compensates for E 20 to give you 91 performance. the gain with 91 should be increased KPL. Brave choice. Enjoy..

[IMHO]

Based on the looks of admiration we got (particularly from office girls) my guess is that this Ecosport will be the vehicle of choice for the poor man's Mia Noi now.

Phew! Cancellation vindicated

[bkkjames]

Test drove a Titanium last week, as well as a Juke and a Livina, and the Ecosport was just a complete dog - no power at all. I'll try it out again with an Ecoboost, if that actually ever appears here, but with its current setup, there's no way I'd buy one.

So what about the Juke and Livina? How did they compare with the Ecosport?

[guzzi850m2]

Hi All/.

went to my local Ford Dealer (Phetkasem road) this week and looked at EcoSport and like it!

I want to wait until the Ecoboost version comes later though I think --- a better variant. (hopefully Thailand will get later in an update).

But what really put me off was the salesman/team attitude! no trade in, we only sell you a new one (no part ex-change)? they would not help me trade/sell my current car off (Toyota) at all. (I accept a lower price) trading for different make. Do they want sales or not?

Is this a standard Ford attitude you have come across - with other Ford Dealers?

WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT Other Ford Dealaships and experience with buying a new car with them or are there trade-ins with other dealerships

Thank you - for any advise you can give.

It's a standard attitude with most dealers, how many do you see selling 2nd hand cars?

I wanted to trade in my Honda City when we bought the Ranger (Ford Pattaya) and was offered 300K baht, ? I sold it via Thaivisa classified for 465K baht.

I think Toyota and Honda offer fairly good trade in's but only for own brands and not over 2-3 years old, they are not interested in other brands.

Ford Pattaya called a tent dealer, I think, and he asked (over the phone) for year/model type and color.

Okay it's a bit of a hassle to sell your car private but in my case saved/earned me 165K baht so well worth it.

Edited March 28, 2014 by guzzi850m2

[cbuddha]

So what about the Juke and Livina? How did they compare with the Ecosport?

The ecosport feels like it's straining just driving around normally (of course, normal is subjective).

The Livina and Juke feel a lot less so.

Part of the problem with the ecosport is the gearing/transmission. It feels like it needs more power all the time.

The Nissans in question are also slow, they just feel less so.

The biggest problem I saw with the Nissans was rough assembly and paint finish (the blue Jukes in particular had very poor paint). The Nissan dealer I know said that was to be expected with the models made in Indonesia.

The biggest problem with the ecosport is that it's glaringly underpowered.

[keemapoot]

Ok, just returned from about an hour driving our new Ecosport. First, I'll address the issue raised by cbuddha about the car being a dog. Granted it is not a speedster, and if you are coming from a more responsive B segment car like the snappy Mazda 2 or even 3, it will feel a bit like a dog. I only stomped on it on the freeway once or twice, and it was plenty responsive, though unimpressive if you are looking for acceleration. Starting acceleration sort of feels like the famous Mercedes Accelerator lag (designed for smoother starts), and if you're not used to that it may be another reason the car feels doggy. The auto 6 speed tranny shifts very smoothly, almost imperceptibly between gears. The exterior engine noise is a bit louder than most 1.5 cars in the class, and I'm not sure why that is, but inside it is very quiet, and as I mentioned previously, quieter than any car I've been in in this segment.

Regarding the engine choices in the future, the dealer told us the Ecoboost will only be available in manual tranny when it arrives, and evidently the diesel version (so far only a manual tranny too in Brazil and India) is never going to make it to Thailand. Not sure why for either of these two points. However, vehicle is solid and seems heavy and perhaps it is a weight issue for the smaller 1 liter engine?

Visibility is good, (with the exception of driver's side pillar), and vehicle ride height is about the same as the CRV (I stopped alongside two of them during my drive today). The smart phone integration is excellent, controlling all functions of the smartphone, even the battery life of the phone. Bluetooth range very good, as I parked while my wife ran into a food shop, and she was carrying the phone, the music was still playing and she must have been about 20 meters away. Auto air and other functions all worked fine.

I have a very critical eye, and I couldn't find any complaints with this car. (one thing: if you are a wide bodied person, the front seats have a bit of recaro influence, and are form hugging, which are very comfortable for driving, but may be too tight for someone of wider girth.)

All in all, great little car.

[IMHO]

Regarding the engine choices in the future, the dealer told us the Ecoboost will only be available in manual tranny when it arrives, and evidently the diesel version (so far only a manual tranny too in Brazil and India) is never going to make it to Thailand. Not sure why for either of these two points. However, vehicle is solid and seems heavy and perhaps it is a weight issue for the smaller 1 liter engine?

Sources have said the ecoboost will be available with the DSG, and this mating has already been done in the Fiesta (which wasn't available until Thai production started).

[cbuddha]

Regarding the engine choices in the future, the dealer told us the Ecoboost will only be available in manual tranny when it arrives, and evidently the diesel version (so far only a manual tranny too in Brazil and India) is never going to make it to Thailand. Not sure why for either of these two points. However, vehicle is solid and seems heavy and perhaps it is a weight issue for the smaller 1 liter engine?

I don't want to get you down about your new mia noi magnet (that was never my intention), but you do realize that the "smaller 1 liter engine" is significantly more powerful than the one in yours, right? If you can question the power to weight issue of a more powerful configuration...

I'm happy you're happy with your new car.

[Familyonthemove]

I wonder what the Thaivisa meetings are like? Hi - how you doing?" "I've just bought a nice new car" .... "Good for you - you know it's <deleted> right?"

Anyway - I looked at the Ecosport at the Motorshow - it's one of the few different and original designs at the show and looks like a useful car too.

Giving it some serious consideration. Power is irrelevant in central Bangkok - a rot etan would be Ok.

Sent from my C6902 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited March 30, 2014 by Familyonthemove

[Wong!]

Isn't the reason there are effectively no diesel cars in Thailand due to the subsidy on diesel fuel being for 'commercial' vehicles and not private cars, so I assume there is the usual horrendous tax on diesel powered passenger cars?

[sjonburi]

Subsidy on diesel is just what it is., doesn't matter if you fill up your Vigo or 520d..

[Jitar]

Isn't the reason there are effectively no diesel cars in Thailand due to the subsidy on diesel fuel being for 'commercial' vehicles and not private cars, so I assume there is the usual horrendous tax on diesel powered passenger cars?

I believe your assumption is incorrect. Taxes in cars in LOS are mainly based on engine size and vehicle type, (car, pickup, ppv), at least until the future emissions based system comes in to force.

Diesel engines are more expensive to make than petrol engines so selling a cheap car with diesel engine would be tricky in the price sensitive local market. Diesels compare better with pickups which are in a lower tax category, lessening the impact of the diesel engine cost.

Mid price cars like the Captiva and CX-5 offer diesels at the high end of their range. Diesel versions from other mid range brands or models sold elsewhere would probably work but manufacturers probably reckon they would make less profit on these. Prestige brands like BMW and Mercedes are happy to sell diesel cars, for a few more baht than the base petrol versions. For these the difference in engine cost is probably not as significant compared to the car price.

Edited March 31, 2014 by Jitar

[likewise]

hehe, ugly is not the word most people use to describe the Ecosport. Ours is ready and we will pick it up Thursday at the dealer (waiting for lucky day). I will be out of town on business, but the 2 females in the family will attend to this who will be driving it. Wife told me during the test drive the other day, that she felt like a superstar based on everybody staring and wanting to talk to her about her ride. She never gets that treatment in my Benz.

I'll get a chance to drive it by the weekend and report back here my impressions.

Different strokes for different folks I guess, I find it an ugly car

[keemapoot]

hehe, ugly is not the word most people use to describe the Ecosport. Ours is ready and we will pick it up Thursday at the dealer (waiting for lucky day). I will be out of town on business, but the 2 females in the family will attend to this who will be driving it. Wife told me during the test drive the other day, that she felt like a superstar based on everybody staring and wanting to talk to her about her ride. She never gets that treatment in my Benz.

I'll get a chance to drive it by the weekend and report back here my impressions.

Different strokes for different folks I guess, I find it an ugly car

Just for fun google "juke ugly" and "Ecosport beautiful." You will see endless awards in the appropriate category.

Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. Some of us just behold better than others.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[IMHO]

hehe, ugly is not the word most people use to describe the Ecosport. Ours is ready and we will pick it up Thursday at the dealer (waiting for lucky day). I will be out of town on business, but the 2 females in the family will attend to this who will be driving it. Wife told me during the test drive the other day, that she felt like a superstar based on everybody staring and wanting to talk to her about her ride. She never gets that treatment in my Benz.

I'll get a chance to drive it by the weekend and report back here my impressions.

Different strokes for different folks I guess, I find it an ugly car

Just for fun google "juke ugly" and "Ecosport beautiful." You will see endless awards in the appropriate category.

Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. Some of us just behold better than others.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=nissan+juke+ugly&word2=ford+ecosport+ugly

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=nissan+juke+beautiful&word2=ford+ecosport+beautiful

[keemapoot]

It looks prettier after a few drinks...I swear.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[bkkjames]

It looks (in photos) like a supermarket trolly full of cheap fans from Big C.

Must be embarrassing to get passed by a tuk tuk.