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Ford Fiesta Review
New Fiesta is most feature-rich sedan in its class
Ford Fiesta - Overview
New Ford Fiesta is based on all-new platform and the
interiors are also different with all-new design for central console,
new steering wheel with audio controls on it and also features automatic
climate control system. Ford India has priced the new Fiesta more than
the current generation Fiesta and they will sell both the models
simultaneously. This is the best strategy to cash-in by selling two
generations of cars like Hyundai did with Accent and Skoda did with
Octavia.
Update: Ford India launches Fiesta Automatic Petrol at Rs. 8.99 lakhs
Ford India has kept its promise and has launched the automatic variant of
New Fiesta Petrol at a price tag of Rs. 8.99 lakhs for the style
variant and Rs. 9.70 lakhs for the Titanium variant. The automatic
variant of Ford Fiesta is 6-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox (available in
only petrol). Main features of Fiesta's dual clutch unit are: the car
is much more responsive and shifts are quicker, it comes with a creep
function, which lets you crawl in slow moving traffic without having to
bother depressing the accelerator. Using the brake, one can creep
forward or backwards using the creep function. It requires no
maintenance for 240,000 kilometers, which is almost the lifetime of the
car. The Fiesta Powershift automatic style variant is priced at Rs. 8.99
lakhs while the Titanium variant comes in at Rs. 9.70 lakhs. These
prices are ex-showroom New Delhi.
The tag-line for the Ford Fiesta Automatic: "Convenience of AT for economy of a manual".
Update II: Prices of New Ford Fiesta Slashed, New Variants Introduced (Press Release)
Ford India launches 2012 Ford Fiesta line-up to engage and elevate
customers with its global quality, addictive driving dynamics and
intuitive technology at an attractive price. Ford introduces an all-new
variant – Ambiente to start the new line-up and builds on it with
enriched content on the Style and Titanium+ trims. The simplified 2012 Ford Fiesta line-up
now comprises two petrol, two diesel and two automatic trims. At a
starting price of Rs. 723,000 (ex-Showroom, New Delhi), All-New Fiesta
Ambiente redefines value; the new 2012 Ford Fiesta line-up offers
unmatched value to customers with its segment-leading features and
class-leading fuel-efficiency.
New Ford Fiesta from the Outside – Exteriors
Fords Global Kinetic Design philosophy is carried ahead on the New Ford Fiesta.
Kinetic Design was first used on the Figo for India. What is Kinetic
Design? Kinetic Design according to Ford Design Manager for Asia
Pacific, Andrew Collinson who explains that even when the New Ford
Fiesta is stationary it feels like it is in motion and that is Kinetic
Design. The front is dominated by the swept back multi element headlamps
that look very different for this segment. The headlamps are swept back
to an extent that they nearly touch the A-pillar. The New Fiesta
has a dynamic face with low slung air-dam that has chrome garnish
around it. The large bumper also houses a pair of round fog lamps that
have chrome housings on them. The bonnet has a gentle slope on it which
continues all along the front windshield and the roofline till the roof
line slopes downwards mating with the rear windshield. The sides can be
easily described as muscular and very aggressive with very prominent
wheel arches that seem as if the new Fiesta is flexing its muscles. The
rounding on the muscular front fenders extends down to the front
bumpers. The new Ford Fiesta has a rounded waistline
that slopes upwards and mates with the fluxed tail lamps. The waistline
on the new Ford Fiesta is very prominent when seen from any angle and
gives it a character and adds to the overall muscular design of the car.
As with the waistline that slopes upwards to the boot; the glass area
also slopes upwards from the front quarter glass right through the side
windows and ends on the rear quarter glass, we love cars
having the quarter glass on the front and rear mainly because they get
in more light into the cabin and secondly because they help in
visibility while driving mostly during turning. The wing mirrors are
large and shaped well to gel with the overall body design. These can be
folded electrically and have inbuilt turn lamps on them on this the top
end Titanium Fiesta. The chrome touch continues on the
windows too which get the garnish in chrome on the lower side while the
top area has been blacked out. The rear wheel arches have the same
amount of muscularity and prominence like the front and their
roundedness extend down into the rear bumper.
The rear end of the New Ford Fiesta also looks as interesting as the front and as the sides do. The New Fiesta
has its boot raised up to go with the waistline. The tail lamps have a
unique honeycomb detailing effect to them. The flushed tail lamps have
one-half attached to the boot lid. There is an inbuilt body spoiler made
out as a part of the boot lid. A chrome strip runs across the boot
continuing the chrome effect at the rear. The rear bumper goes right up
to the tail lamps, there are inbuilt stop reflectors housed low down on
the rear bumpers along with the reverse sensors which are in black and
would have looked better if they were in body color.
The New Ford Fiesta with its pleasing front profile sporting Ford’s global face looks very intimidating. Overall, the New Fiesta
has a very appealing exterior design and its shape is very different in
this segment and gets all the attention, especially the Kinetic Blue
shade as the dark color highlights all the body lines and contours very
nicely.
New Ford Fiesta on the Inside (Interiors/Cabin)
Step inside the New Fiesta and you will notice very
different front seats, very different because these seats have extra
bolstering padding to support the back and the thighs, very comfortable
and supportive. The driver’s seat is height-adjustable and the view from
this seat is very commanding and assuring. The front passenger seat is
equally good but lacks the height adjusts. The New Ford Fiesta
gets the multi-function steering which is adjustable for height but not
reach. It has all the needed control buttons for audio controls on the
left while the right side is taken up by the Cruise Control which is the
segment first. The steering feels good to hold and grip. Ford has got
its Electric Power Assist Steering System (EPAS) on the New Ford Fiesta,
now this is something more than the regular Electric Steering which is
calibrated to give different feedback across different speeds. The EPAS
steering also reduces fuel consumption as it only activates itself when
the driver needs its assistance and varies according to speed.
The instrument cluster is placed in two tunnels that have a silver
aluminum finish on them. Between them is the MFD display in red that
reads out the various details like the trip meter, odometer, distance to
empty, average speed and efficiency etc. Instrumentation is clear and
very crisp. The centre console is designed and shaped with a very ‘into
your face’ feel to it. The dash basically is in grey, made of good
plastic material. The center dash has the two AC vents along with the
main control buttons for the CD, Radio, AUC, Phone and a button to go to
the Menu all lined up under each other on one side and the numerical
keypad on the other side of the control dials and the volume dials. The
buttons centre console is designed like a mobile phone. A LCD display
with a red back light reads out all modes that you put the system into.
The New Ford Fiesta has the segment’s first Voice
Controlled Music, Climate and Phone system. You can speak to the car’s
system via voice commands activated by pressing a button on the control
stalk on the left side behind the steering and give it voice commands
such as start the climate control, change fan speeds, change climate
control temperature, toggle through the different modes of the climate
control, change radio stations, change tracks from the CD, toggle
between external devices like iPod or USB drives or simply to dial a
phone number from the phone book of a mobile that’s paired to the car.
Now, this is a very innovative feature that we used a lot during our
time with the new Ford Fiesta and the female voice in
the System followed all our commands very swiftly and the response was
correct most of the times. Moreover, there is silver aluminum theme
inserts around the centre console and the AC vents on either sides of
the dash. Lower below is the Climate control that has 16 degree as the
lowest temperature attainable. This single zone climate control worked
and cooled the large cabin of the New Ford Fiesta quickly, the blower gets a bit noisy on the top two fan speeds but then its cooling efficiency was quick.
The gear shifter also gets the aluminum touch; chunky to grip this
five-speed shifter has very positive shifts and comes to the drivers
grip within good distance. The front door pads have a nice ergonomic
armrest and door handle with the grey aluminum inserts on it. The door
pads can accommodate one-liter bottle in them. The New Ford Fiesta has a
single MP3/Radio combined with a 6-speaker audio system that plays good
decibels of audio. This unit also has an AUX and USB ports to connect
your external devices.
Moving on to the rear, the rear seats are supportive with good amount of
padding and the back rest is inclined to give the passengers a
comfortable ride. There is also a foldable center armrest and two height
adjustable head rests on the rear seat. The rear seat can be folded
down but as one full-part however, what is missing is 40-60 split seats.
The rear door pads don’t have any space to hold bottles for some
reason. Moreover, leg room at the rear is good with good amount of
shoulder and head room.
Overall, the New Ford Fiesta has a nice and roomy
cabin and is loaded with some unheard features like the Voice Controlled
System, Cruise Control and the EPAS Steering in this segment. Ford has
made use of good materials and the fit finish is at par with its rivals
in this segment. The switches work with a nice click action on them
while the cabin looks nice and big thanks to the large glass house on
the New Ford Fiesta.
New Ford Fiesta Technicalities and How it Drives (Engine/Drive/Suspension)
The New Ford Fiesta comes with two engine options
and we drove both of them. The New Ford Fiesta Petrol is powered by a
Ti-VCT 1.5 liter Duratec engine that makes 110 PS @ 6045 rpm and has
140Nm of torque @ 4500 rpm. Whereas the New Ford Fiesta Diesel
is powered by a 1.5 liter TDCi engine that makes 91PS of power and has
204 Nm of torque between the 2000rpm and 2750 rpm mark. Both the engines
have been developed specially for the New Fiesta by Ford and is built at its engine plant at Chennai.
How the New Ford Fiesta Petrol Drives
The Petrol Fiesta is more tuned for in-city drives
and has been calibrated for high efficiency with the tall gearing
ratios. The engine feels very refined and the power band is good once
you get past 30kmph speed. The car feels nimble and much planted at high
speeds that we did. Also, during the in-city drive the Electrical
Steering came to the rescue and helped in getting us a better drive. The
steering feedback is amazing with the EPAS unit with Pull-Drift
compensation working all the time. The ride quality is good and in-fact
much better to a few of its rivals in the segment. The New Ford Fiesta
also benefits from the India specific suspension tuning and the
increased ground clearance as compared to the Fiestas elsewhere. The
ride quality on the Petrol Fiesta is highly refined
with no body roll or over hang. The vehicle surges ahead in a very sane
and dignified manner. Cornering is fun with the EPAS steering reassuring
you and building confidence at all times. Ford claims 17kmpl of fuel
efficiency on the Petrol Fiesta as per ARAI which we will test and
conceive when the New Ford Fiesta is with us for a longer period.
How the New Ford Fiesta Diesel Drives
The New Fiesta Diesel is a more fun to drive than
the petrol sibling. The TDCi Diesel engine is one of the smoothest that
we have seen in the segment, a big part of the credit goes to the super
silent cabin thanks to Ford using some hi-tech cabin insulation
technology leading to highly reduced NHV levels on it. The Diesel Fiesta with the 1.5liter TDCi engine is agile and very responsive once the turbo hits in at the 2000 rpm mark. The Fiesta Diesel
is super fun to drive in straight lines and to throw around corners if
you wish to. The EPAS Steering lightens the effort that the driver has
to put in but does not kill the steering feedback at all speeds. The
Indian tuned suspension felt perfect on the Diesel Fiesta and the car
handled tremendously well. Once you are out of the 2k RPM floor, pedal
to overtake and the response is instant. The suspension feels still
better on the Diesel Fiesta as compared to the Petrol one. Ford claims a
mileage figure of 23.5kmpl as per ARAI on the Diesel Fiesta.
On both the versions of the new Ford Fiesta, the Cruise
control can be activated on the 5th gear and once you start it you can
remove your feet from the accelerator pedal and simple increase the
cruising speed by pressing the + button on the steering or reduce the
cruise speed by pressing the – button on the steering and this worked
perfectly during our highway sprints.
safety features are also high on the New Ford Fiesta with the top end trims coming with front two air bags, ABS with EBD that assure that the safety parameters are high.
So how is the New Ford Fiesta? (Verdict)
Ford India is currently on an all-time high with the Ford Figo’s success and this is the perfect time to get in the new Ford Fiesta.
The European Fiesta is a very good looking car; it’s certainly a head
turner, Ford has got the perfect looking car to take on its rivals in
the segment and the New Fiesta has been Indianised with suspension and other neat touches just for Indian market. The new Ford Fiesta
petrol drives nicely but our pick is the Diesel one which is amazingly
refined and super efficient. Class first features like the cruise
control and the Voice Controlled system, new technology in reducing the
in-cabin NVH levels are amazing and show what Ford is capable of.
Efficiency figures are also high on both the Petrol and the Diesel
Fiestas. Loaded with features and good equipment level, now the key to
success is in the way Ford prices it, that is in July this year when the
New Ford Fiesta is launched for India. Only time will
tell if the New Ford Fiesta can do well in the mid-sized segment just
like what the Ford Figo did in the small car segment. Yes, the New Ford Fiesta has all the needed ingredients and that too in the perfect constituency.
Fast Facts About New Ford Fiesta
- Unveiled on 14th April in New Delhi
- Launched on 14th July in Mumbai
- Is based on all-new platform, Features all new interiors, New design for central console
- Ford India will sell the old Fiesta as Fiesta Classic in India
- Is available in six variants now - 4 of petrol and 2 of diesel (automatic available in only petrol)
- Both engines are of 1.5 litre displacement and are very fuel efficient
- Is available in eight attractive shades
Ford Fiesta -Design and Interior
New Fiesta is seriously a looker, it has got very energetic and dynamic looks. It looks much better in comparison to the last generation model of Fiesta.
The large peeled-back headlamps and wrap-around tail lights give new
Fiesta a very distinct look. The top model of Fiesta will comes with
rear-view mirror integrated turn indicators, seventeen inch alloy
wheels, crystal clear fog lights. The interiors are also all-new with
new design for the instrument cluster, central console and steering
wheel. The top model of new Fiesta will come fully loaded with power
steering, power windows, remote central locking, automatic climate
control system, multimedia display screen above the central console,
cruise control and steering mounted audio controls. The interiors of new
Fiesta are very spacious and comfortable in comparison to the 2010
model of Fiesta. The only drawback is that the rear leg-room is little
less for six feet plus passengers. The mobile phone-inspired controls in
the console and on the steering wheel make it easy to activate Cruise
Control and voice control, while the multifunction LED display gives you
all the information you need. The Voice Control feature allows the use
of one’s voice to take control of multiple devices and to make and
receive calls, change the radio station, climate control settings or
music track, while the music plays through a six-speaker sound system.
Ford Fiesta - Engine Options
- 1.5 litre TiVCT petrol engine - 108 Bhp
- 1.5 litre TDCi diesel engine - 90 Bhp
New Ford Fiesta is available with two engine options - 1 diesel and 1 petrol.
The 1.5 litre petrol engine develops maximum power of 108 Bhp at 6045
rpm with maximum torque of 140 Nm at 4500 rpm. The 1.5 litre diesel
engine develops maximum power of 90 Bhp at 3750 rpm with maximum torque
of 204 Nm at 2000 rpm.
Mileage of New Ford Fiesta
- New Fiesta Petrol - 17 kmpl (ARAI Claimed)
- New Fiesta Petrol Automatic - 16.97 Kmpl (ARAI Certified)
- New Fiesta Diesel - 23.5 kmpl (ARAI Claimed)
Apart from being powerful and reliable, both the engines are very
fuel efficient. The ARAI claimed fuel efficiency figures are 23.5 kmpl
for diesel and 17 kmpl for the petrol version (manual), 16.97 kmpl for
petrol version (automatic).
New Ford Fiesta - Variants
- Petrol Ambiente
- Petrol Style Automatic
- Petrol Titanium+
- Petrol Titanium+ Automatic
- Diesel Style
- Diesel Titanium+
New Ford Fiesta - Shades Available
New Ford Fiesta is available in eight attractive shades:- Sea Grey
- Panther Black
- Diamond White
- Chill Metallic
- Moon Dust Silver
- Kinetic Blue (New Shade)
- Squeeze (New Shade)
- Paprika Red (New Shade)
Ford Fiesta - Safety Features
New Ford Fiesta is a very safe car, even the base variants will come with airbags, ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic
Brake Distribution). The stylish body of new Fiesta has been injected
with ultra high strength boron steel, four times stronger than standard
high strength steel, yet much lighter. New Fiesta creates a strong
safety capsule, reinforced by driver and passenger side airbags, without
compromising on fuel efficiency.
Main Features of New Ford Fiesta
The top variant of new Ford Fiesta comes fully loaded with following features:- ABS (Anti-lock Braking system) and Airbags
- Engine Start/Stop button, Bluetooth music system
- Human machine interface (HMI) LCD atop center console to set music, vehicle settings etc.
- Black and silver interiors, Plum, black and silver confirmed for titanium model
- Automatic climate control, Multimedia Display screen
- Leather seats, Electrically Adjustable and fold-able ORVMs
- Steering mounted audio controls, Music player featuring a keypad to dial numbers
- Power steering, Power windows, Remote central locking
- Electronic Cruise Control system with controls on the steering
- Voice activated control system, Mobile inspired center console
- USB/Aux-in connectivity in dash integrated music system with 6 speakers
- Reverse parking sensors for hassle-free parking
Ford Fiesta Variants Price
- PFord Fiesta 2013 Ambiente1499cc, TiVCTRs. 7,34,000
- PFord Fiesta 2013 Titanium+1499cc, TiVCTRs. 8,99,000
- PFord Fiesta 2013 Style Automatic1499cc, TiVCTRs. 9,13,000
- PFord Fiesta 2013 Titanium+ Automatic1499cc, TiVCTRs. 9,86,000
- DFord Fiesta 2013 Diesel Titanium1498cc, TDCiN/A
- DFord Fiesta 2013 Diesel Trend1498cc, TDCiN/A
- DFord Fiesta 2013 Diesel Style1498cc, TDCiRs. 9,13,000
- DFord Fiesta 2014 1498cc, TDCiRs. 10,00,000
- DFord Fiesta 2013 Diesel Titanium+1498cc, TDCiRs. 10,15,000
diesel eng; 23kmpl
petrol eng; 17kmpl
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