Fiesta - Feast from Ford

Ford India had done 7 years and though they are leading world class car manufacturers, they are yet to make their due mark in India . Therefore, the occasion to launch Fiesta in India saw it’s best preparation and inauguration by none other than Mr. Bill Ford, Jr. (Global Chairman and CEO). Moreover, Fiesta is the first ford car launched in India , which is brand new one. It’s previous entrants were either phased out models or were existing in other global markets. So we read and heard Fiesta since September and then finally got a ride in October end. Here is our experience and review of this New Feast from Ford- Fiesta.


The new Sedan Fiesta follows Ikon, Mondeo, Endeavour and Fusion. The first thing Fiesat counts plus on other models is that it’s been specifically engineered for Indian market. We found Fiesta with a very stylish exterior and it has gone upmarket with posh interiors and lots of standard equipment. Fiesta is undoubtedly an engaging driver’s car and it once again proves the unique handling capacity by Ford engineering. The Fiesta project was undeatken by engineers from India , UK , Germany and Australia . Its feature rich and its colour variants are impressive. It’s available in colours of Flare, Platinum, Moon Dust Silver, Paprika Red, Panther Black, Vitro, Diamond White, Jewel Violet. Overall, the car has a luxury and sporting looks.


Behind the Wheels


The first Fiesta impressions are marked by sound ergonomics, effective seat and wheel adjustment and an acceptable level of quality.


Comfort


Fiesta has more spacious interiors than its predecessors and has a taller body shape. Head and legroom in front are comfortable and so is the sitting at the back sheets. Additionally, the entry and exit is more convenient in the front. Though we realise that it was not equally comfortable for an adult to enter and exit in rear doors.


As we took the test, the AC chilled the car to comfort levels in around 2O seconds.
The independent McPherson struts up front and semi-independent twist beam at the rear have proved good. The cabin noise has considerably reduced when compared to Ikon or even Mondeo. Even then, I think its not as low as in Corolla and Optra.
Equipments


Ornamental fog lamps, bumper, body coloured mirror, large radiator and bumper grilles make Fiesta very stylish. The 1.6 petrol or the diesel version can get equipped with ABS & electronic brake force distribution for around Rs. 25000. Other safety features are tailored for Indian conditions. Its Empty to destination metre fitted on the dashboard is another unique feature. As the car moves, keeping the burn rate into account, this metre constantly displays how many more kilometres the car can go with the amount of fuel in the tank.
Fiesat is available with two Power trains:
Duratorq 1.4 litre TDCi diesel (Turbo Direct Common Rail diesel injection technology)
Duratec petrol 1.6 litre


TDCi is being introduced in any model for the first time in India . And Ford's patented 'Dura' technologies offer advanced combustion technology and surprisingly Duratorq 1.4 TDCi engine weighed mere 98kg. This light wieght powerplant makes the handling superior, and low internal friction makes it better. On Mumbai roads, we easily touched 80 Kmph and realized that we are hardly using any substance of the Fiesta. On fifth gear it moves ahead with full zest and on express highway it goes well beyond 150 Kmph in around 12 seconds. In city traffic, steering was convenient and does not require much effort. And we’ll appreciate that gear shifting was considerably reduced, mainly because the engine produces high torque at low rpm.
Our verdict is that Fiesta’s diesel engine, a 1.4 CRDI (common rail direct injection), is the most driveable in class available on the Indian roads. The proprietary TDCi Duratorq engine is a high pressure common rail system- along with a tiny pilot injection system which injects diesel giving a small early burn that smoothes the big bang. Though it makes the driving a pleasure, the economy offered is Ok. On highways it offers 12kmpl and in city one may get around 7 or 8 kmpl. We have yet to get economy figures from various customers to see whether it can outperform the others in its class, as Ford Dealers claimed.


So will Indian consumers ‘Go Fida’ on Fiesta. Our answer is YES and we predict that this will make the comeback of Ford in India .