The Ford Ecosport is quite a popular vehicle in the sub-4 meter SUV segment where it rivals the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300 among others. To let you know, the Ecosport is the vehicle that is credited with popularising the sub-4 meter SUV segment as it was the first such SUV that sold in huge numbers. One of the major reasons behind the success of the Ecosport was its rugged, SUV like looks at a price point which was much less than any other SUV in the market. The Ecosport comes with high ground clearance, rugged body design, black plastic cladding and tailgate-mounted spare wheel/Stepney which are the few elements responsible for its handsome look. However, an Ecosport owner recently got into trouble with the cops who declared the rear-mounted stepney on the Ecosport as an illegal fitment. The short video clip below by Bharat – AutoWheels India shows how the cops mistook the whole case and blamed the Ecosport owner for illegal modification.
As seen in the video here, the Ecosport owner is involved in a scuffle with the traffic police personnel over the tailgate-mounted spare wheel/Stepney of the Ecosport. The video clip is actually quite short and the cops can be seen making gestures to stop the video recording so as to contain the matter. The exact background story of this incident is not clearly known as communication with the owner wasn’t established at the time of writing. However, from what is known, the cops were of the opinion that the step on the tailgate of this Ford Ecosport is an aftermarket modification and hence the owner would be fined for that.
To this, the Ecosport owner gets quite angry and starts an argument with the cops over the same. As seen in the video the Ecosport owner is repeatedly saying that why did the police officer ask him to put the stepney on top of the car. He demanded logic behind the same and told them that this configuration of stepny fitted tailgate came in that way only from the factory itself. He further tells them that he hasn’t done any sort of modification regarding the stepney as that was the way how every Ecosport in the country is sold. The video abruptly ends here and what happens after this is not known. Most probably though, the guy must have gotten through without paying any challan since it was a silly issue to be brought up in the first place.
Also, in a situation where a cop wrongfully gives you a challan, you can always challenge that in court and if you succeed, the court will also direct the authorities to pay you a suitable compensation. To let you know, the Ecosport is the only vehicle in its segment to feature a tailgate-mounted Stepney and it adds a certain bit of macho appeal to the vehicle. Further, any vehicle which is officially on sale in India has to pass certain tests and certifications in order to be compliant to the Indian conditions. If a vehicle has been approved for sale in India by ARAI, the cops can’t allege of any modifications on the car that come straight from the factory itself. However, doing any sort of modification on the vehicle (barring a few things like wrapping etc) is illegal according to our laws but the case here is about a stock Ecosport which does not attract any fine for being built in a particular way.
Also Read: Cops stop Ford Ecosport owner for 'factory fitted stepney': Call it illegal [Video]
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