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Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
2022 Ford EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente Auto
- Thread starter MR_Y
- Start date
MR_Y
Well-known member
Deal is getting concluded much sooner than expected. Here are pictures from the dealer. Full write up to follow after I take delivery. Number plate will be changed.
Definitely not an obvious choice and there is a bit of a story as to how I went from Suzuki to Ford over a few days of test driving, researching and haggling. Details to follow later.
High level info for now:
This is the non-turbo, Indian designed 1.5 3 cylinder (replaced the previous 4 cylinder 1.5), with a simple 6 speed torque converter auto (replaced the previous Power Shift Dual clutch). Also, this model has the updated door locks (there was an issue with easily bypassed locks on previous gen). Safety spec (6 airbags and ESC) and other smaller items have been upgraded since previous gen.
Car was a workshop courtesy vehicle, not really a demo, which helped with negotiating the discount. Some minor scratches will be sorted out by the Ford body shop before delivery.
Leather and other small enhancements, I will arrange myself
Definitely not an obvious choice and there is a bit of a story as to how I went from Suzuki to Ford over a few days of test driving, researching and haggling. Details to follow later.
High level info for now:
This is the non-turbo, Indian designed 1.5 3 cylinder (replaced the previous 4 cylinder 1.5), with a simple 6 speed torque converter auto (replaced the previous Power Shift Dual clutch). Also, this model has the updated door locks (there was an issue with easily bypassed locks on previous gen). Safety spec (6 airbags and ESC) and other smaller items have been upgraded since previous gen.
Car was a workshop courtesy vehicle, not really a demo, which helped with negotiating the discount. Some minor scratches will be sorted out by the Ford body shop before delivery.
Leather and other small enhancements, I will arrange myself
Last edited:
///M Individual
Well-known member
Congrats bud! Lovely vehicles!
MR_Y
Well-known member
Will give a full impression after a week or so of driving. For now, here is why I decided to buy this car, as well as a comparison between the EcoSport and the Suzuki Brezza...
Context:
Firstly, there is no solid financial argument for buying any car, even though we try to rationalise it - it all comes down to personal circumstances and preferences. Anyway, for me it boiled down to finding an alternative to dailying my Cayman on congested and poorly maintained roads. I also travel at night from work, which is not ideal in a low sports car on potholed roads, especially when street lights don't work.
My family car (V60) is not for my daily use and has its own purpose for family and spouse duties. However, with the Volvo being out of maintenance plan and possibly having unexpected maintenance items as the mileage clocks up, my new daily may need to step up to be an occasional family car (so, safety is important) that can also tackle interprovincial travel and gravel roads. This means my original plan of getting a hatchback (Starlet, Baleno, etc) would not work - I need a small cross over instead. This also meant a small bump on my initial runabout budget.
Criteria:
So, with that context I narrowed my search criteria to:
- A new or demo car with warranty and service plan (no real need for maintenance plan at this end of the market). OEM Warranty cover is important, given that I am running naked on my Volvo and that already has the rainy day fund to itself.
- Has over 190mm ground clearance to deal with gravel roads (not real bundu bashing)
- Has decent safety kit (airbags and ESP and good crash ratings)
- Automatic, given the traffic to contend with. But, not a CVT (bloody irritating to drive) and not an AMT or DCT (reliability is not great). Traditional torque converter auto is needed.
- No turbo.
- Decent passenger space for a small, but relatively tall, family. Copious luggage space not a priority.
- High profile tyres. Preferably on steel wheels to keep pothole damage repairs low.
- Can tackle bends at decent speed and not fall over. Also stable at highway speed. This is a must if the car is to be used for the occasional long distance drive. Also, not sound too strained at 120kph.
- Comfortable driving position for 1.8m driver - which means having a seat that can adjust up/down/recline/slide and steering wheel that adjusts for rake and reach (very difficult to find in the budget cross over segment!)
- Bluetooth calling and music streaming. Android auto would be nice.
- Solid enough switchgear at this price point. Nothing soft touch or fancy, but nothing that will break off easily. Basically, a sturdily made interior that is hard wearing for the daily knocks of life.
- Spare wheel, preferably full sized.
- Be relatively fuel efficient (less than 8 litres per 100km)
- Be over 4m but less than 4.5m long. Basically, a small cross over that can be nimble in traffic and won't take up too much space when parked in the driveway.
- And lastly all the usual basic mod cons: power steering, electric windows, air con, central locking, alarm, ABS, etc. that are all standard on most entry level cars anyway.
With a strict budget in mind, I narrowed down my final list to the base Suzuki Vitara Brezza 1.5 GL Auto and the base Ford EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente Auto (both used but of 2021 or 2022 vintage). Both these have torque converter autos mated to a 1.5 NA motor. These cars more-or-less meet all my requirements above. There are other, arguably better performing cars, in this bracket, but all the others in this segment are turbo charged or have CVTs. The Toyota Urban Cruisier was also considered, but used ones are still priced too high for me.
2022 Suzuki Brezza 1.5 GL vs 2022 Ford EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente:
The Brezza is a solid gravel road car and the seats feel more premium (more padding) than the Ford. Also, it feels slightly wider in the rear so it can accommodate 3 adults with little pain. The Ford is narrower, so the middle passenger may feel squashed - but the Ford seems to have more rear legroom (I can sit behind myself and feel fine). The Ford is 4.135m long, while the Brezza just hits 4m, or just under.
The tech in the Brezza is better - has Android auto, reverse camera, touch screen system. The Ford has a basic audio system with Bluetooth and no Android auto and no reverse camera. But, the Ford has 6 speakers (incl tweeters) while the Brezza has 4 and no tweeters. Both cars have rear PDC with audio warnings and neat PDC graphical displays.
Both have torque converter autos. The Brezza has a an older 4 speed that makes the engine scream at highway speeds. However, it does have a button to kill 4th gear (so max out at 3rd) as well as the option to change down manually into 2nd or low (1st). The Ford has a more modern 6 speed box (replaced the prefacelift's problematic DCT) that does not strain the engine at higher speeds and is more responsive. However, the Ford does not have a manual override function, besides for 1st gear (low). This means that you need to modulate the accelerator to get the gearbox to change up/down and this can be tricky if you are used to paddle shifters or a Tip shift box. I will give feedback later on how this feels on a long trip.
The Ford has the stronger engine on paper and you can also feel it when driving. 91kw/150Nm from a 3 cylinder 1.5 (replaced the older 4 cylinder 1.5) vs 77kw/138Nm from a 4 cylinder 1.5 in the Brezza. However, the Brezza I drove had a nicely calibrated accelerator pedal - with minimal input, the car moves more eagerly from standstill than the Ford which has a less hair trigger response. As the revs and speed picks up, the Ford responds better and, while vocal, does not scream due to its 2 extra gears.
On gravel, both feel similar, but the Brezza feels slightly more comfortable (noting that both these cars have steel wheels - Brezza has 215/60 R16 and the Ford 205/50 R16), which could be due to the Brezza having a bit more sidewall rubber. On tarmac, the Ford feels like a hatchback - i.e. drives with very little body roll (feels more planted) and the steering feels more responsive to inputs. Bottom line - the Ford feels like a grown up hatch back on the road. Both cars have torsion beam rear suspensions and rear brake drums, but the Ford feels like a more premium handling car - granted, I need to evaluate it over a longer drive. On inclines, the Brezza needed a manual shift down to keep momentum on the test drive, while the Ford just needed a a sharper prod of the accelerator and it responded with sufficient urge.
The interior quality of the Brezza appears slightly better (i.e. does not look that cheap) vs the Ford. There is no hiding the fact that this Ambiente spec (base) EcoSport is built using the lowest cost materials. Everything looks and feels cheap or plasticky in the Ford - apart from some of the main switchgear (column stalks, light and aircon switches) which feel like semi-quality items. However, both cars feel reassuringly solid in their metal bits - all doors and boot close with a solid thud. The steering wheel in both cars is plastic (polyurethane?) and each has audio and phone controls.
As mentioned earlier, the Brezza has the better quality cloth seats. The Ford seats look and feel like government grey school pants. I am fitting aftermarket leather, which will also uplift the interior overall.
On the safety front, the Brezza has 2 airbags, ABS and no stability/traction control. However, it did manage 4 stars in the Global NCAP (crash test for developing or 3rd world cars), which places less stringent requirements on cars for these markets. The Ford has 6 airbags, ABS and stability/traction control and scored 5 stars in an Australian NCAP test. The Ford, like the Brezza, is made in India, and neither have been tested by the European NCAP. I feel that stability control is important in a tall riding vehicle (especially in cross winds) and the Ford takes the win here for me.
The list prices of both cars shows that the EcoSport is significantly more expensive than the Brezza. However, the used and demo market reduces that gap significantly. The EcoSport has been discontinued globally and Ford SA has a lot of stock locally. Basically, there is more supply of 2021-2022 EcoSports than Brezzas and Ford is pushing sales of local stock - it is not clear what will replace the EcoSport, but it seems that they want to clear all that stock soon. I called up Eagle Ford, who have sold me a Ford Focus and Mazda CX5 in 2011 and 2016, respectively, and haggled a bit to get a decent discount on a nearly new (happened to be a neat workshop courtesy) car with under 4,000km. Sweetening the deal, as always with Eagle Ford/Mazda, is 3 years' unlimited car washes from date of sale.
I am not blind to the fact that the EcoSport has had a patchy reliability record since its initial introduction in 2013. I did my research and it seems that the main issues (being primarily DCT gearbox and 1.0 EcoBoost engine related) will not impact my car. There are other issues that impacted the older 4-cylinder 1.5 NA cars but hopefully these have been sorted out with the last facelift. Anyway, the warranty (4 years/120,000km) is there to give me some peace of mind. Another concern is the theft risk on these cars - I am fitting an unusual personalised plate that may mitigate some of that risk, as well as the usual tracking device (which Ford SA has preinstalled in this car).
Besides leather, rubber mats and 35% smash-and-grab tint, I have no plans to make any enhancements to this car. I am happy with the steel wheels and everything else staying as is. Though, I may fit a spare wheel cover (noting that the spare wheel already comes with a neat lock nut as an anti-theft measure).
Anyway, I am looking forward to daily this car and report back on its quirks.
Context:
Firstly, there is no solid financial argument for buying any car, even though we try to rationalise it - it all comes down to personal circumstances and preferences. Anyway, for me it boiled down to finding an alternative to dailying my Cayman on congested and poorly maintained roads. I also travel at night from work, which is not ideal in a low sports car on potholed roads, especially when street lights don't work.
My family car (V60) is not for my daily use and has its own purpose for family and spouse duties. However, with the Volvo being out of maintenance plan and possibly having unexpected maintenance items as the mileage clocks up, my new daily may need to step up to be an occasional family car (so, safety is important) that can also tackle interprovincial travel and gravel roads. This means my original plan of getting a hatchback (Starlet, Baleno, etc) would not work - I need a small cross over instead. This also meant a small bump on my initial runabout budget.
Criteria:
So, with that context I narrowed my search criteria to:
- A new or demo car with warranty and service plan (no real need for maintenance plan at this end of the market). OEM Warranty cover is important, given that I am running naked on my Volvo and that already has the rainy day fund to itself.
- Has over 190mm ground clearance to deal with gravel roads (not real bundu bashing)
- Has decent safety kit (airbags and ESP and good crash ratings)
- Automatic, given the traffic to contend with. But, not a CVT (bloody irritating to drive) and not an AMT or DCT (reliability is not great). Traditional torque converter auto is needed.
- No turbo.
- Decent passenger space for a small, but relatively tall, family. Copious luggage space not a priority.
- High profile tyres. Preferably on steel wheels to keep pothole damage repairs low.
- Can tackle bends at decent speed and not fall over. Also stable at highway speed. This is a must if the car is to be used for the occasional long distance drive. Also, not sound too strained at 120kph.
- Comfortable driving position for 1.8m driver - which means having a seat that can adjust up/down/recline/slide and steering wheel that adjusts for rake and reach (very difficult to find in the budget cross over segment!)
- Bluetooth calling and music streaming. Android auto would be nice.
- Solid enough switchgear at this price point. Nothing soft touch or fancy, but nothing that will break off easily. Basically, a sturdily made interior that is hard wearing for the daily knocks of life.
- Spare wheel, preferably full sized.
- Be relatively fuel efficient (less than 8 litres per 100km)
- Be over 4m but less than 4.5m long. Basically, a small cross over that can be nimble in traffic and won't take up too much space when parked in the driveway.
- And lastly all the usual basic mod cons: power steering, electric windows, air con, central locking, alarm, ABS, etc. that are all standard on most entry level cars anyway.
With a strict budget in mind, I narrowed down my final list to the base Suzuki Vitara Brezza 1.5 GL Auto and the base Ford EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente Auto (both used but of 2021 or 2022 vintage). Both these have torque converter autos mated to a 1.5 NA motor. These cars more-or-less meet all my requirements above. There are other, arguably better performing cars, in this bracket, but all the others in this segment are turbo charged or have CVTs. The Toyota Urban Cruisier was also considered, but used ones are still priced too high for me.
2022 Suzuki Brezza 1.5 GL vs 2022 Ford EcoSport 1.5 Ambiente:
The Brezza is a solid gravel road car and the seats feel more premium (more padding) than the Ford. Also, it feels slightly wider in the rear so it can accommodate 3 adults with little pain. The Ford is narrower, so the middle passenger may feel squashed - but the Ford seems to have more rear legroom (I can sit behind myself and feel fine). The Ford is 4.135m long, while the Brezza just hits 4m, or just under.
The tech in the Brezza is better - has Android auto, reverse camera, touch screen system. The Ford has a basic audio system with Bluetooth and no Android auto and no reverse camera. But, the Ford has 6 speakers (incl tweeters) while the Brezza has 4 and no tweeters. Both cars have rear PDC with audio warnings and neat PDC graphical displays.
Both have torque converter autos. The Brezza has a an older 4 speed that makes the engine scream at highway speeds. However, it does have a button to kill 4th gear (so max out at 3rd) as well as the option to change down manually into 2nd or low (1st). The Ford has a more modern 6 speed box (replaced the prefacelift's problematic DCT) that does not strain the engine at higher speeds and is more responsive. However, the Ford does not have a manual override function, besides for 1st gear (low). This means that you need to modulate the accelerator to get the gearbox to change up/down and this can be tricky if you are used to paddle shifters or a Tip shift box. I will give feedback later on how this feels on a long trip.
The Ford has the stronger engine on paper and you can also feel it when driving. 91kw/150Nm from a 3 cylinder 1.5 (replaced the older 4 cylinder 1.5) vs 77kw/138Nm from a 4 cylinder 1.5 in the Brezza. However, the Brezza I drove had a nicely calibrated accelerator pedal - with minimal input, the car moves more eagerly from standstill than the Ford which has a less hair trigger response. As the revs and speed picks up, the Ford responds better and, while vocal, does not scream due to its 2 extra gears.
On gravel, both feel similar, but the Brezza feels slightly more comfortable (noting that both these cars have steel wheels - Brezza has 215/60 R16 and the Ford 205/50 R16), which could be due to the Brezza having a bit more sidewall rubber. On tarmac, the Ford feels like a hatchback - i.e. drives with very little body roll (feels more planted) and the steering feels more responsive to inputs. Bottom line - the Ford feels like a grown up hatch back on the road. Both cars have torsion beam rear suspensions and rear brake drums, but the Ford feels like a more premium handling car - granted, I need to evaluate it over a longer drive. On inclines, the Brezza needed a manual shift down to keep momentum on the test drive, while the Ford just needed a a sharper prod of the accelerator and it responded with sufficient urge.
The interior quality of the Brezza appears slightly better (i.e. does not look that cheap) vs the Ford. There is no hiding the fact that this Ambiente spec (base) EcoSport is built using the lowest cost materials. Everything looks and feels cheap or plasticky in the Ford - apart from some of the main switchgear (column stalks, light and aircon switches) which feel like semi-quality items. However, both cars feel reassuringly solid in their metal bits - all doors and boot close with a solid thud. The steering wheel in both cars is plastic (polyurethane?) and each has audio and phone controls.
As mentioned earlier, the Brezza has the better quality cloth seats. The Ford seats look and feel like government grey school pants. I am fitting aftermarket leather, which will also uplift the interior overall.
On the safety front, the Brezza has 2 airbags, ABS and no stability/traction control. However, it did manage 4 stars in the Global NCAP (crash test for developing or 3rd world cars), which places less stringent requirements on cars for these markets. The Ford has 6 airbags, ABS and stability/traction control and scored 5 stars in an Australian NCAP test. The Ford, like the Brezza, is made in India, and neither have been tested by the European NCAP. I feel that stability control is important in a tall riding vehicle (especially in cross winds) and the Ford takes the win here for me.
The list prices of both cars shows that the EcoSport is significantly more expensive than the Brezza. However, the used and demo market reduces that gap significantly. The EcoSport has been discontinued globally and Ford SA has a lot of stock locally. Basically, there is more supply of 2021-2022 EcoSports than Brezzas and Ford is pushing sales of local stock - it is not clear what will replace the EcoSport, but it seems that they want to clear all that stock soon. I called up Eagle Ford, who have sold me a Ford Focus and Mazda CX5 in 2011 and 2016, respectively, and haggled a bit to get a decent discount on a nearly new (happened to be a neat workshop courtesy) car with under 4,000km. Sweetening the deal, as always with Eagle Ford/Mazda, is 3 years' unlimited car washes from date of sale.
I am not blind to the fact that the EcoSport has had a patchy reliability record since its initial introduction in 2013. I did my research and it seems that the main issues (being primarily DCT gearbox and 1.0 EcoBoost engine related) will not impact my car. There are other issues that impacted the older 4-cylinder 1.5 NA cars but hopefully these have been sorted out with the last facelift. Anyway, the warranty (4 years/120,000km) is there to give me some peace of mind. Another concern is the theft risk on these cars - I am fitting an unusual personalised plate that may mitigate some of that risk, as well as the usual tracking device (which Ford SA has preinstalled in this car).
Besides leather, rubber mats and 35% smash-and-grab tint, I have no plans to make any enhancements to this car. I am happy with the steel wheels and everything else staying as is. Though, I may fit a spare wheel cover (noting that the spare wheel already comes with a neat lock nut as an anti-theft measure).
Anyway, I am looking forward to daily this car and report back on its quirks.
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///M Individual
Well-known member
MR_Y
Well-known member
Thanks.
The Brezza is the slightly better gravel road car, has more tech and has space for 3 in the back. Even though it only has 2 airbags and no traction control, the Global NCAP did rate the body structure as being strong and able to handle more loads.
Not a driver's car, but definitely a hardy family car. Feels more comfortable too.
Dr Evil
Active member
I think the nice thing about the Brezza is the warranty that you get with buying the Suzuki which the Toyota variant doesn't give you because of the Toyota name.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
r0ckf1re
Well-known member
Agree 100%, and tbh, the Toyota in the similar variants don't feel as decent as the Suzuki.
Ive also got 5 year AA Roadside assistance with the purchase of my Swift. If you keen, DM me and I can put you onto the guy that I got mine from, his pricing was better than other dealers.
Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk
MR_Y
Well-known member
Lousy locks....
Having gone through social media posts on EcoSport issues, I found out that the lock issue has not been fully resolved with the latest generation EcoSport. In summary, most Fords (Fiestas, Figos, EcoSports and certain Ranger models) have a flaw in their alarm systems when the manual lock on the driver's side can be easily unlocked (with what looks like a modified screwdriver) without the alarm going off. There is a syndicate in JHB (and smaller opportunists in the rest of the country) that are targeting these cars - not stealing the cars (since the immobiliser still works), but breaking in and stealing items in the car. There is a dedicated FaceBook page that explains this issue further and has actual accounts of break ins ("My FORD was broken into South Africa"):
www.facebook.com
So, when I had an informal chat with the salesperson on this, they admitted that the latest EcoSport has an improved alarm system but the locks have not been upgraded to avoid the issue experienced on the older cars. In some cases, the alarm has a 12 second delay from the break in. It is only the more expensive Trend and Titanium spec 1.0T current generation EcoSports that have the more advanced double dead locking "Thatcham" system. The base (Ambiente) model does not have that system and is arguably easier to break into.
So, what are the solutions?
1. Ford, since 2019 when Carte Blanche exposed this issue, offer a TVL ("Transit Van Lock") upgrade for about R3,000 that replaces the lock with a stronger and more complicated mechanism. See the picture below - you cannot fit a screwdriver into it and it also requires a seperate key.
2. Matthew Parker (who was also featured on that Carte Blanche episode) has invented a quick R500 fix. He removes the locking pins in the lock barrel, so that when fiddled with it does not unlock the car. He then inserts a metal plate blocker on the keyhole. The only issue with this solution is that if the remote or car battery is flat, then you cannot access the manual lock with the key. His back up (as part of the R500 fix) is to fit an emergency bonnet release system that allows you to access the car battery. However, you will still have an issue if your remote battery is flat (so, I guess you will need to carry spare remote batteries with you?). Anyway, if you visit that FaceBook Page you will that see there are hundreds of happy customers who have this solution.
Where does this leave me?
I am in talks with the dealership to get the TVL lock at a heavily discounted price. Granted, no lock is 100% failproof but it will at least prevent opportunist criminals with a screwdriver from breaking into my car.
Seems that this issue was discussed on this forum too https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/threads/locks-on-ford-vehicles-compromised.90491/
Having gone through social media posts on EcoSport issues, I found out that the lock issue has not been fully resolved with the latest generation EcoSport. In summary, most Fords (Fiestas, Figos, EcoSports and certain Ranger models) have a flaw in their alarm systems when the manual lock on the driver's side can be easily unlocked (with what looks like a modified screwdriver) without the alarm going off. There is a syndicate in JHB (and smaller opportunists in the rest of the country) that are targeting these cars - not stealing the cars (since the immobiliser still works), but breaking in and stealing items in the car. There is a dedicated FaceBook page that explains this issue further and has actual accounts of break ins ("My FORD was broken into South Africa"):
My FORD was broken into South Africa | Facebook
www.facebook.com
So, when I had an informal chat with the salesperson on this, they admitted that the latest EcoSport has an improved alarm system but the locks have not been upgraded to avoid the issue experienced on the older cars. In some cases, the alarm has a 12 second delay from the break in. It is only the more expensive Trend and Titanium spec 1.0T current generation EcoSports that have the more advanced double dead locking "Thatcham" system. The base (Ambiente) model does not have that system and is arguably easier to break into.
So, what are the solutions?
1. Ford, since 2019 when Carte Blanche exposed this issue, offer a TVL ("Transit Van Lock") upgrade for about R3,000 that replaces the lock with a stronger and more complicated mechanism. See the picture below - you cannot fit a screwdriver into it and it also requires a seperate key.
2. Matthew Parker (who was also featured on that Carte Blanche episode) has invented a quick R500 fix. He removes the locking pins in the lock barrel, so that when fiddled with it does not unlock the car. He then inserts a metal plate blocker on the keyhole. The only issue with this solution is that if the remote or car battery is flat, then you cannot access the manual lock with the key. His back up (as part of the R500 fix) is to fit an emergency bonnet release system that allows you to access the car battery. However, you will still have an issue if your remote battery is flat (so, I guess you will need to carry spare remote batteries with you?). Anyway, if you visit that FaceBook Page you will that see there are hundreds of happy customers who have this solution.
Where does this leave me?
I am in talks with the dealership to get the TVL lock at a heavily discounted price. Granted, no lock is 100% failproof but it will at least prevent opportunist criminals with a screwdriver from breaking into my car.
Seems that this issue was discussed on this forum too https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/threads/locks-on-ford-vehicles-compromised.90491/
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MR_Y
Well-known member
Review after a few hundred kilometres of driving...
First, to close off the lousy lock post above. The TVL Lock is scheduled to be fitted on Tuesday. Unfortunately, these locks have gone up in value significantly (probably due to worsening exchange rate and there being very high demand for these locks in SA). Drop me a DM if you want details. The price is a bit eyewatering...
So after driving the car a bit on mixed roads, here are my views:
Interior:
Driver comfort, especially after fitting the leather seats, is decent. The lack of a centre armrest and no padding on the door (hard plastic) for your elbow does make long distance trips a bit uncomfortable. But, nothing too serious. Be warned though that the front seats are not made for larger/wider folks, since they lack side support and the base is a bit narrow. For my size, it is fine but some friends complained and preferred the rear seats. The Suzuki Brezza is more comfortable overall.
The rear passenger legroom and headroom are great. The car can easily accommodate 4 passengers of 1.8m height. The middle rear seat is not for adults over long distances - it is just too narrow and the transmission tunnel interferes with legroom.
The boot space is a joke. Very small. However, the rear seats do fold flat (and can be made totally flat by lifting up the seat bases). With the seats down, this turns into a little van that can accommodate large loads (I heard of someone who fitted a washing machine in there!).
As mentioned earlier, plastics are hard and cheap looking. However, everything seems well put together - no rattles/squeaks even after some gravel road driving at speed. Some local motoring reviews did note that some pieces of trim popped out, but this has not happened to me (still early days though).
The doors, boot and bonnet are heavy and close with a thunk. While this is good, they sometimes need a heavier than normal slam to shut properly. Interestingly, if you try to arm the alarm system with one of the doors not properly closed, the car will hoot twice to warn you. The rubber seals on the doors are thick and seem to be attached firmly - a good sign for dusty gravel road travels.
Tech:
The 6 speaker audio system is really great at this price point (it has 2 tweeters, you can control the mid levels and it has a driver seat focused DSP). Granted, no touch screen or Android Auto unlike its competitors, but sound quality is impressive. I am no audiophile, but the system sounds better than the system on my Porsche Cayman S. Also, no speaker rattles at higher volumes. Bluetooth phone calls and audio streaming are standard. The only negative is that radio reception on some FM stations is not great.
The lights are simple halogens, but there is height control on the beams (not something you see in a base model crossover in this segment). I guess because the car rides high, or maybe because it was built for 3rd world roads in mind, illumination is excellent - nice wide and deep light range. Also (apologies for another Porsche comparison), these lights are better than the xenons on my Cayman in night time driving.
A nice touch is that the park lights stay on for about 20 seconds when you lock or unlock the car in the dark.
Standard fit ESC and TC, as well as 6 airbags, are all welcome at this end of the market.
The aircon and heater are very powerful and do not impact engine performance at all.
Drive:
The 1.5 litre 3 cylinder, naturally aspirated, motor punches out 91kw and 150Nm. Mated to a 6 speed torque converter box, the results are a mixed bag...
The motor sounds terrible when revved - sounds like an old, buzzy vacuum cleaner. Fortunately, the buzz is hidden somewhat by the excellent (for the price) sound system and there are no vibrations that enter the main cabin from this engine. At higher speeds, when cruising in 6th, the motor quietens down significantly - sounds very civilized actually and all you really hear is some minor road noise.
Overtaking, if planned correctly, is relatively effortless and, if you can ignore the buzziness, the pick-up from the motor (and responsiveness from the gearbox) is pretty decent. However, on an upward stretch of highway at 140kmh with a load onboard, do not expect any appreciable forward momentum when planting the throttle to overtake above that speed - that 150Nm is not enough to stretch the laws of physics.
There is no tip shift or paddles for the gearbox (just PRNDL), so you need to adjust your driving style to not feel like you are fighting the engine and gearbox. Some SA reviewers found this box and motor combination to be a pain, which is understandable if you only have a short time to assess the car. The trick (at least, how I see it) is to use the throttle to get the gearbox to play nicely with the engine. To get decent momentum while on the go, squeeze the pedal gently at first and then increase the pressure quickly, but measuredly, to get the motor to rev up and the box to not hold the gear too aggressively. If you plant the throttle too fast (i.e. kick down), you get too much lag before the car moves and the box jumps down 2 gears and sends the revs skyrocketing and out of the optimum torque/power band.
With the measured approach above, you can get good speed and responsiveness. I easily kept up with traffic and performed nippy overtaking moves on the highway. If you plan accordingly and play to the engine and gerabox's strengths, this car is rewarding to drive.
The handling is decent - it feels solid on the road, even though it is a narrow and tall vehicle. You can feel the Fiesta DNA somewhere in its handling traits - it is not a bother to drive at sane speeds through mild twisties. The brakes also feel really good for a rear drum setup (I guess the Goodyear Assurance 205/60 R16s also had a role to play) and I had no issues on a wet highway drive at night.
The ride on gravel is good, but feels a bit firm (I guess the trade off is the batter handling above) but nothing to really complain about. There is a hill descent control which acts like a low range for steep hills.
Closing comments
I have no buyer's remorse on this purchase. It has met my expectations (and exceeded some) at this price point. This write up is meant to show potential buyers what is out there in this class of car. I will wait a while before giving another update/review of this length - next update probably later this year.
Pictures and commentary below.
Water bottle for size reference
Yes, that is no optical illusion. The boot is that small
Cool looking rear door hinges sideways, but it means that reverse parking is not a good idea in a shopping mall
6 speed gearbox is good if you learn how to treat it with this engine. Glad this is not a CVT or a 4 speed
Aftermarket leather seats help lift the mood of the cabin and feels much better than the standard issue grey cloth seats, which were poorly padded anyway
Instrumentation is neat, clear and gives you all what you really need. Glad to see a proper temperature gauge in this class of car. The middle screen below is configurable to show you all the trip computer data.
Basic, but well designed sound system at this price point that punches above its weight
Height control on headlamps is pretty nifty in this segment. Rear fog light included.
Yes, that is a small cubby/glovebox. Pen and cellphone holder as reference
First, to close off the lousy lock post above. The TVL Lock is scheduled to be fitted on Tuesday. Unfortunately, these locks have gone up in value significantly (probably due to worsening exchange rate and there being very high demand for these locks in SA). Drop me a DM if you want details. The price is a bit eyewatering...
So after driving the car a bit on mixed roads, here are my views:
Interior:
Driver comfort, especially after fitting the leather seats, is decent. The lack of a centre armrest and no padding on the door (hard plastic) for your elbow does make long distance trips a bit uncomfortable. But, nothing too serious. Be warned though that the front seats are not made for larger/wider folks, since they lack side support and the base is a bit narrow. For my size, it is fine but some friends complained and preferred the rear seats. The Suzuki Brezza is more comfortable overall.
The rear passenger legroom and headroom are great. The car can easily accommodate 4 passengers of 1.8m height. The middle rear seat is not for adults over long distances - it is just too narrow and the transmission tunnel interferes with legroom.
The boot space is a joke. Very small. However, the rear seats do fold flat (and can be made totally flat by lifting up the seat bases). With the seats down, this turns into a little van that can accommodate large loads (I heard of someone who fitted a washing machine in there!).
As mentioned earlier, plastics are hard and cheap looking. However, everything seems well put together - no rattles/squeaks even after some gravel road driving at speed. Some local motoring reviews did note that some pieces of trim popped out, but this has not happened to me (still early days though).
The doors, boot and bonnet are heavy and close with a thunk. While this is good, they sometimes need a heavier than normal slam to shut properly. Interestingly, if you try to arm the alarm system with one of the doors not properly closed, the car will hoot twice to warn you. The rubber seals on the doors are thick and seem to be attached firmly - a good sign for dusty gravel road travels.
Tech:
The 6 speaker audio system is really great at this price point (it has 2 tweeters, you can control the mid levels and it has a driver seat focused DSP). Granted, no touch screen or Android Auto unlike its competitors, but sound quality is impressive. I am no audiophile, but the system sounds better than the system on my Porsche Cayman S. Also, no speaker rattles at higher volumes. Bluetooth phone calls and audio streaming are standard. The only negative is that radio reception on some FM stations is not great.
The lights are simple halogens, but there is height control on the beams (not something you see in a base model crossover in this segment). I guess because the car rides high, or maybe because it was built for 3rd world roads in mind, illumination is excellent - nice wide and deep light range. Also (apologies for another Porsche comparison), these lights are better than the xenons on my Cayman in night time driving.
A nice touch is that the park lights stay on for about 20 seconds when you lock or unlock the car in the dark.
Standard fit ESC and TC, as well as 6 airbags, are all welcome at this end of the market.
The aircon and heater are very powerful and do not impact engine performance at all.
Drive:
The 1.5 litre 3 cylinder, naturally aspirated, motor punches out 91kw and 150Nm. Mated to a 6 speed torque converter box, the results are a mixed bag...
The motor sounds terrible when revved - sounds like an old, buzzy vacuum cleaner. Fortunately, the buzz is hidden somewhat by the excellent (for the price) sound system and there are no vibrations that enter the main cabin from this engine. At higher speeds, when cruising in 6th, the motor quietens down significantly - sounds very civilized actually and all you really hear is some minor road noise.
Overtaking, if planned correctly, is relatively effortless and, if you can ignore the buzziness, the pick-up from the motor (and responsiveness from the gearbox) is pretty decent. However, on an upward stretch of highway at 140kmh with a load onboard, do not expect any appreciable forward momentum when planting the throttle to overtake above that speed - that 150Nm is not enough to stretch the laws of physics.
There is no tip shift or paddles for the gearbox (just PRNDL), so you need to adjust your driving style to not feel like you are fighting the engine and gearbox. Some SA reviewers found this box and motor combination to be a pain, which is understandable if you only have a short time to assess the car. The trick (at least, how I see it) is to use the throttle to get the gearbox to play nicely with the engine. To get decent momentum while on the go, squeeze the pedal gently at first and then increase the pressure quickly, but measuredly, to get the motor to rev up and the box to not hold the gear too aggressively. If you plant the throttle too fast (i.e. kick down), you get too much lag before the car moves and the box jumps down 2 gears and sends the revs skyrocketing and out of the optimum torque/power band.
With the measured approach above, you can get good speed and responsiveness. I easily kept up with traffic and performed nippy overtaking moves on the highway. If you plan accordingly and play to the engine and gerabox's strengths, this car is rewarding to drive.
The handling is decent - it feels solid on the road, even though it is a narrow and tall vehicle. You can feel the Fiesta DNA somewhere in its handling traits - it is not a bother to drive at sane speeds through mild twisties. The brakes also feel really good for a rear drum setup (I guess the Goodyear Assurance 205/60 R16s also had a role to play) and I had no issues on a wet highway drive at night.
The ride on gravel is good, but feels a bit firm (I guess the trade off is the batter handling above) but nothing to really complain about. There is a hill descent control which acts like a low range for steep hills.
Closing comments
I have no buyer's remorse on this purchase. It has met my expectations (and exceeded some) at this price point. This write up is meant to show potential buyers what is out there in this class of car. I will wait a while before giving another update/review of this length - next update probably later this year.
Pictures and commentary below.
Water bottle for size reference
Yes, that is no optical illusion. The boot is that small
Cool looking rear door hinges sideways, but it means that reverse parking is not a good idea in a shopping mall
6 speed gearbox is good if you learn how to treat it with this engine. Glad this is not a CVT or a 4 speed
Aftermarket leather seats help lift the mood of the cabin and feels much better than the standard issue grey cloth seats, which were poorly padded anyway
Instrumentation is neat, clear and gives you all what you really need. Glad to see a proper temperature gauge in this class of car. The middle screen below is configurable to show you all the trip computer data.
Basic, but well designed sound system at this price point that punches above its weight
Height control on headlamps is pretty nifty in this segment. Rear fog light included.
Yes, that is a small cubby/glovebox. Pen and cellphone holder as reference
Last edited:
MR_Y
Well-known member
The plastic steering wheel is hard to touch (I am spoiled by the other cars), so I ended up getting a Midas fake leather (though feels like the genuine stuff) steering wheel slip-on cover. It fits decently and there is no slippage (the plastic wheel is rough, so there is enough friction, and the the cover grips tightly). I assume the cover may loosen over time, but given that this car is not for track day driving, this not a major concern. For what it's worth (R179), it feels premium enough and nice to touch.
I feel like red furry dice would be the ideal companion to this steering wheel cover, as well as beaded seat covers JJ
I feel like red furry dice would be the ideal companion to this steering wheel cover, as well as beaded seat covers
JJAttachments
Last edited:
r0ckf1re
Well-known member
And tissue boxThe plastic steering wheel is hard to touch (I am spoiled by the other cars), so I ended up getting a Midas fake leather (though feels like the genuine stuff) steering wheel slip-on cover. It fits decently and there is no slippage (the plastic wheel is rough, so there is enough friction, and the the cover grips tightly). I assume the cover may loosen over time, but given that this car is not for track day driving, this not a major concern. For what it's worth (R179), it feels premium enough and nice to touch.
I feel like red furry dice would be the ideal companion to this steering wheel cover, as well as beaded seat covers
View attachment 11516View attachment 11517
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