My Ford EcoSport is still more engaging to drive, more so because it’s a manual.
BHPian Chugh_H recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Since there are not too many delivery updates on the thread, let me share a pic of my GTX+ that I received on the 1st of this month. I haven’t driven much yet as I had an outstation trip planned but early impressions echo the views and sentiments that most people have talked about on the forum.
- In my view, the car looks great from the outside. I wish Kia would not have added the excessive chrome though, especially on the door handles and the window line. Once inside, it is true that the all-black interiors might make a few folks feel claustrophobic but things do lighten up a little once you open the roof liner.
- Most of my first 100 km went into understanding all the warnings and chimes the car threw at me. By default, all the ADAS features were switched on, plus an audio warning to notify the driver of children crossing on the road (switched off via Navigation). I switched off all ADAS / assist features except the auto parking sensor switch, blind spot warning, and rear cross-traffic emergency braking. I’ll switch off the emergency braking to tomorrow as the braking action is too sudden.
- The other car in my garage is a 2018 Ecosport with 17″ wheels so I am not the best person to comment on ride quality, nothing can disappoint me in this regard.
- In comparison to Ecosport, the handling dynamics aren’t bad, neither is the steering. That said, the Ford is still more engaging to drive, more so because it’s a manual.
- There is definitely a DCT lag at low speeds. Also, this isn’t a smooth gearbox < 20kmph. Since I am moving from a manual, it's pronounced for me.
- But if you are in the mood to pick up some speed, it’s effortless in this car. Things change significantly when you move the gearbox to S mode. With the whole dials changing colour drama when you do so, and the gearbox keeping the engine above 2k rpm, you ought to get a smile on your face if you are coming from a smaller car.
- The car is feature-loaded to the T, but they somehow managed to skip a request sensor on the passenger side door. Also, the sensor is a button type rather than a capacitive one you get with Ford (or even Hondas). Makes me appreciate my Ford even more.
- If you are really lazy, the stop-and-go cruise control actually is useable on 2+ lane roads. There are options to dial how quickly and smoothly the system will react. Also, in one instance it failed to recognise a bike which dived in between me and the leading car. The lane keep assist also worked fine when I tried, I don’t trust the system yet so didn’t try for a long time. I think I’d never get a chance to use it anyway. The blind spot warning is, well, a warning in your ORVM, until you actually turn on either indicator and then it beeps thrice or so if it senses an object, this is Ford / VW-level smartness that I wasn’t expecting in a KIA. I am not sure if this is how it is with all blind spot warning systems.
- The autohold is a godsend feature. If you tap the brake lightly and come to a stop, it won’t engage. Press the brake hard once and it will hold the car.
Let me know if there are specific questions that I can help answer for those who are waiting for their deliveries / unsure of something.
Keyword: 9 observations made after taking delivery of my Seltos GTX+ facelift