The blue eyed son

Image source http://www.india.ford.com/

What You Like

• Very good ergonomics in the front seats. (Both in terms of sitting and usage of controls)

• The tilt and telescopic steering can be adjusted to your driving comfort.

• The EcoBoost Engine is a very good performer for mid and top range. (On the Outer Ring Road, Hyderabad, I drove at 170 and the car was not cribbing for power at all). Diesel Engine mid-range performance is also good. Beyond 140 KMPH, the engine feels underpowered.

• Both the engines have a linear power delivery once the turbo kicks in (For petrol turbo kicks in at 1400 RPM and for  diesel it is at 1500).

• The turbo lag is at par with the competitors.

• Rear seat leg room is really great. I adjusted the driving seat for my comfort, went back and sat in the rear seat. I could easily relax my legs under the front seats without touching anywhere and my height is 6 Feet and 2.5 inches. To give you a comparative perspective, I can’t sit comfortably in the rear seat of Duster.

• Rear seat reclining is a good feature, especially for long drives.

• Lot of storage space inside the car.

• The clutch is really light compared to similar sized cars/Duster.

• Packed with a lot of features including safety ones.

• Microsoft Sync is really good and especially the microphone quality is awesome. People who are sitting in the rear seat can also talk with Sync with good voice quality.

• Audio system is one of the best when it comes to company fitted audio systems. You don’t need to go for aftermarket one as it handles both treble and bass really well.

• Even though the car has a tall boy design, the body roll is really less.

•  At high speed the stability of the car is awesome.

• Brakes are really effective. It acts like cars with 4 disc brakes.

• The car body is really sturdy and is made of very thick steel sheet.

• Even though the steering is really light, it responds back with good precision as you increase the speed.

• A/C is really effective. (First time when I test drove the car, it was in May, the peak of the summer in the Deccan. Within no time it cooled even the rear space).

• 60:40 rear seat folding is a nice feature, especially when you want to carry more luggage. One easy pull you can fold down the seats.

• Noise insulation (NVH levels) in Diesel versions is really good.

What You Won’t Like

• Rear seat can be accommodated with a third adult for short trips, but not for long drives. (all three can’t be comfortably using the back support)

• The quality of leather (In Titanium O), plastics are strictly average. When you hold the steering wheel, the feel you get from the new Fiesta is missing.

• With leather seats, the rear seat is really a flat bench.

• Noise insulation in EcoBoost is not up to the mark. (But I heard someone was saying that it gives him a feeling that he is driving a sporty car because of the engine sound, but I prefer serenity).

• Cost cutting is clearly visible in all the angles. One instance to point out both Engine cover and  Engine under cover is missing in EcoBoost.  Engine under guard is available as an accessory and is a must buy.

• People who are not used to turbo lag, will feel really bad with both EcoBoost and Diesel engines especially in city driving.

• There is no boot release option from driver side.

Some Other Points to be Noted

• The suspension is stiff, in slow speed, so you will feel the potholes and speed breakers in city driving. So if you are looking for a good Indian city ride, then go for Chevrolet SAIL.
   
• The boot is designed in such a way that you can accommodate lot of items in the boot. Even though the boot capacity on paper is 362 liters, but once you take out the rear parcel tray you can put more stuff. Secondly I have taken the car to my home and have checked whether my 2 weeks vacations luggage can be accommodated in the boot and I was able to happily pack everything for our family (we are a family of 4, Me, wife and two small kids aged 5 and 3).