Ford EcoSport Struggles On Muddy Stretch While Maruti Alto 800 Crosses Easily - VIDEO

Driving on hilly roads is a far tougher challenge than driving on the plains. The poor condition of the tarmac, narrow width and cliff faces that drop straight down to oblivion can make even the most experienced driver tensed. People who drive on these roads regularly are used to tackling these challenging conditions compared to drivers from non-hilly conditions. We came across this video that shows a rented Ford EcoSport from Delhi struggling on a muddy patch on the Kasol-Tosh road. The more intriguing fact is that you can see several Maruti Alto 800s managing to cross this patch with ease, while the Ford needs several minutes to finally get clear of the stretch.

The first reason for Ford EcoSport’s struggle on the muddy patch is the poor condition its tyres are in. They seem to be pretty worn out, which means the grip levels they offer aren’t going to give you the purchase you need to scramble out of the mud. This further reduces the traction you’re getting on a rather slippery patch of road in the first place. We can see in the video that the EcoSport is just getting wheelspin instead of getting any grip on the road. It kills the momentum you would have made and further decreases the tyres’ performance.

Lack of momentum was another reason for the Ford EcoSport to repeatedly fail in clearing the muddy stretch. The Maruti Alto 800s that found it relatively easy to clear the same stretch were visibly moving at a higher speed than the EcoSport. The compact SUV on the flip side doesn’t get enough tarmac to build up speed before entering the muddy patch. Combined with the worn-out state of the tyres, it just exacerbates the problems for the driver of the EcoSport. 

As we had mentioned before, most of the locals have experience tackling such obstacles as it is a familiar route. The Maruti Alto 800s that clear the muddy patch easily seem to be local vehicles. Drivers who are unfamiliar with driving in the hills don’t have the experience to tackle broken and slippery conditions. Also, the Ford EcoSport in the video is a rented vehicle, which means the driver is not used to this vehicle. The end result is that he keeps getting stuck on the slippery, muddy surface, and needs a longer duration to pass through it successfully.