The Diesel Progression
Till recently, the only automobile manufactures to get maximum mileage out of the fuel price differential were the utility machine makers. So we had the slew of Jeep clones, Telco 207 based machines, and of course the never-say-die Premiers and Ambassadors with their souped-up diesel powerplants, chugging away on the Indian roads. Surprisingly, most of the new contenders in the burgeoning mid-size segment went in for petrol specifications too. And the market leader, MUL, still shies away from Diesel!
Whether it was a case of misreading a potentially volatile fuel price index or a gross underestimation of the latent diesel-vehicle demand, most manufacturers decided to stay put with petrol-powered cars. This resulted in widespread cross-segment migration of buyers the person who wanted to buy an Esteem changed his mind to go in for a Sumo or a Mahindra Commander that gave him versatility and fuel efficiency. The DS could no longer be ignored.
Enter Ford, and its Escort. The Escort Diesel is the first of the diesel-powered mid-sized saloons, and will soon have competition in the form of state-of-the-art diesels from GMI and PAL-Peugeot in the coming months. But if the booking figures are anything to go by, the Escort Diesel has done the job of luring the diesel-hungry potential buyers over to its side in a jiffy. The plant set up at Nasik by Mahindra Ford India Ltd (MFIL) has already started rolling out the Escort Diesels. So round one to Ford over perennial rivals GMI. But will the Escort Diesel live up to to the expectation its sparked off? Can the car hold on to its newly-formed-and-growing diesel constituency? We decided to find out.
The appeal
Market research conducted by Ford most probably found out that giving a diesel monicker does not go very well with the status conscious Indian buyers. What else can explain the lack of external identification that specifies the fuel preference of the car? (It is advisable to have a big D sticker, at least on the fuel tank flap, to avoid those ungainly switches of fuel hoses that may happen. Even the best of unleaded petrol can kill this diesel motor).
Our road test machine a base diesel Escort came in pristine white. Even the base diesel comes with air-conditioning and power steering. Starting from the swoopy grin produced by the grille, the ovoid theme continues all through to the interior. The design is patent European and not American, and traits of famous German marques are evident in the bodywork. Especially so in the tail lamp cluster that takes its cue from the last generation BMWs and the wraparound boot that apes the Mercedes C class of the eighties. The most obvious gaffe is the rear door construction that makes one feel that the additional doors were a definite afterthought. And there are far too many lines that run across the flanks of the car.
But thats nitpicking. The purposeful stance of the car when eyed from the rear three quarter is quite impressive. The car looks much wider than, say, an Esteem, but does not have any of the overly-pretentious looks of the Cielo. The looks of the car, however, grows on you exponentially, till you are left fairly smitten and wondering how others around you can suffer the ignominy of driving around in their three-box contraptions.
The investigation
Get behind the wheel and you will find another reason for the spectacular success of Ford Escort in UK and assorted European countries. The all-new curvaceous interior is pleasing to the eye. The deluxe version of the car offers wood finished vinyl trim that supplements the ergonomically delightful interior. The swooping dashboard blends into an instrument pod that houses only the essential instruments like the speed, fuel and temperature gauges. The air-conditioner comes as standard fitment and has excellent placement with easy-to-operate controls. There is ample leg room for the driver and the front passenger but rear seat is not really equipped to house the six foot plus species. Thats not very surprising if you see to whom Ford sells the Escort elsewhere in the world the Escort is essentially a small-family car; and by the time the kids grow up, its presumed their parents will be ready for a bigger Ford, may be a Mondeo. It is ironical that MFIL has positioned the Escort as a premium car in the Indian market and in that segment a bit more leg room could have helped. It is a tight squeeze for three in the rear seat, though it will be unfair to call it just a four-seater. But given a chance I would dive right in for the drivers seat, thank you very much.
The evidence
The 60 bhp 1800cc motor wakes up with a strong diesel rumble. But once on the move, the noise is drastically reduced, and fades completely with the windows wound up. The car takes nine whole seconds and a spirited soul behind the wheel to reach the magic sixty mark, but from there on it can be great fun. Obviously comparisons with the Fiat Uno DS come to mind. The small Fiat, which we test drove recently, had a better power-to-weight ratio to back it, and was quicker than the Escort Diesel. The Fiat displaced 1700 cc and produced almost as much power as the bigger, heavier Ford. But the Ford motor compensates with a strong mid-range punch that elevates the car to a brief, but tantalising, performance zone.
In fact the quick-shift to the second gear at around 1500 rpm itself can give a fair idea of what is in store. Once it has negotiated to this magic powerband, the Escort becomes a lively road prowler, reacting to the slightest of right leg inputs with energetic bursts. But the ambitious fourth gear run is a definite overreach the car becomes rather tame and carries its 1515 kg bulk in a respectable fashion. But these figures make sense only with the air-conditioner switched off. Its with the AC running that the Escort motor reveals its darker side an engine that is good on lower end torque tends to be sluggish even in the first and second cogs. In a nutshell, the real USP of this engine is its phenomenal fuel efficiency. Stretching any volatile liquid to 17 km is quite an achievement and this Ford can return consistent 15 km averages even with that foot of yours flooring the pedal. Hands down, this is the most economical mid-size saloon of them all.
The cross-examination
The Indian Escort is too softly sprung for comfort. The car sports independent suspension with MacPherson struts and anti-roll bars at the front end, and twist beam units at the rear. While the ride is cushy in lower speed zones, the handling gets rickety at eighty kph or more. The excessive pitching and rolling at three-digit speeds is downright discomforting. It would have been better to have stiffer damping at the rear, which could have given a more taut, controlled feel to the Escort. It will be a great to see MFIL offering a sporty package suspension kit that can do the trick at the dealer level.
Modified front and rear shock absorbers increase ground clearance and do not scrape the underbelly at even the most `murderous bumps. MRF 175/80 Zigma VT radials took a leisurely 700 km to settle in before providing the adhesion levels expected from a car of this price and size.
The Escort has retained the 13 inch wheels, unlike the Astra that comes with larger 14 inch wheels. Front discs and rear drums bite progressively and there was little brake wear during the entire test duration.
The verdict
Full marks for Mahindra Ford India Limiteds decision to go in for a diesel-powered model along with a petrol-powered Escort. As the governments fuel policy takes its own time for any material change to happen, Ford will be able to sell the 25,000 odd Escorts that they plan to make. And as long as the 1300cc petrol powerplant is around there is very little to haunt the manufacturers.
The Escort Diesel impressed with its build quality, the refinement of the engine and the way it dispensed the fuel with rigid economy. But its slightly understated looks and a rather stiff price tag of Rs 7,64,000 on road in Mumbai tantalisingly close to that of the Opel Astra do not gel. The deluxe version looks a surefire winner, but a factory fitted music system could have enhanced the appeal of the package.
After 1000-odd km fling with the car, I have no compunction stating that this is the most refined diesel this side of Mercedes Benz E 250D to hit the Indian roads (we are yet to see the competition thats coming up in the form of the TUD 5-powered Peugeot 309 or the Astra Diesel, though). And that, post-Escort, my DS has reached a point of no return.
In these days of judicial activism, Bijoy Kumar Y holds court to decide on the petition filed by Ford Escort the first mid-size saloon to stake its claim to the Diesel throne
The strong mid-range punch elevates the car to a brief but tantalising performance zone