Ford Fiesta has finally landed at nearby showrooms and now it?s time to do some homework about its new interesting features. The new Fiesta came to limelight at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo. The outgoing model was launched under the banner of ?One Ford? policy of the company in June 2011. It was launched with both diesel and petrol guise, while this time, the company ditched the petrol one and offered Fiesta solely with 1.5L 90bhp turbo diesel motor. It has also been drastically changed from outsides while interiors also got some extra treats and standard safety features in an effort to bring it on the path of sales.
The interior of Ford Fiesta sedan is no doubt contemporary and unique but most of the features have been retained from its previous version. The dashboard color has been refined with black at the top and light grey at the bottom which seems to be vivified compared to the old model. The door handles and the central console of the top variant gets Piano Black shade, while the lower variant gets silver inserts. The dashboard is affixed with advance equipments like auto air conditioner and advance stereo system. The back-lit of the instrument console has now been changed to ice blue from red in the previous Fiesta. It also features tachometer, low fuel warning indicator, digital trip meter and driver seat belt alarm.
Talking about the coziness, Ford has provided large amount of features which offer solace to occupants. The base Ambiente variant comes equipped with manually operated Air Conditioner while the upper Trend and Titanium variants gets automatic air conditioning. The major alteration inside the new Fiesta comes in the form of updated SYNC infotainment system with AppLink Connectvity and Emergency Assistance, all borrowed from the EcoSport. The ?SYNC? smartly coordinates with your smartphone to gain access to music, handsfree telephony and several other functionalities with the help of improved voice control system.
Currently available for iOS and Android phones, the system will prompt you to install applications like MapMyIndia, CricInfo and Glympse on your smartphones. Emergency Assistance is a life saving feature which works when airbags are deployed and fuel cut-off is activated in case of any mishap. It then calls the emergency service number – 108 for immediate help and provides exact location of the incident. Besides this the audio system is compatible with USB, Aux-In and CD playback with 6 ?electro-acoustics? for enhancing the music experience. Other smart features in the Fiesta include automatic headlamps, rain sensing wipers, smart-key-less entry with engine start/stop switch, reverse parking sensors, fuel computer, all-four power windows with touch operation, cruise control, guide me headlamps, ambient lightning, etc.
There is more to talk about the utility based features which play an important role inside. These include cup holders, glove box compartment, accessory power outlets, bottle holders, magazine styled pockets, etc. Ford Fiesta also allows ORVMs to be operated electrically with folding capability. The seats are ergonomically designed with integrated headrests and concealed with premium fabric upholstery. While there is little improvement in shoulder space, headroom and legroom space remains the same as the preceding model. To further increase the boot volume of 430 liters, Fiesta comes with 100 percent rear seats folding ability while the front seats are designed for best riding position.
In terms of safety, the standard features include driver airbags, Anti-Lock-Braking system with Electronic-Brake-Distribution, while the Trend and Titanium variants gets dual front airbags. Fiesta also comes loaded with rear defogger for additional safety. The new model with energy absorbing bumpers and collapsing zones with door reinforcements ingesting most of the sudden impact. Besides these, engine immobilizer, central locking system, and rear doors child lock are also incorporated.
Launched at the competitive price tag of INR 7.69 lakh, Ford Fiesta 2014 will lock horns with Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento and Skoda Rapid in the segment. For now, Ford has done its level best to break the deadlock of the sales progress, rest depends on the market reaction.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of the The Financial Express, or any other entity of the Indian Express Group.
