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Is the new Ford Fiesta 2014 worthy enough to buy?

Ford Fiesta has been one of the most talked about car since its display at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo.

Ford has launched the updated model of Fiesta sedan silently at a compelling price tag of Rs 7.69 lakh. It has been one of the most talked about cars since its display at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo. It now comes with a number of upgrades inside-out. Maintaining Ford’s driving dynamics, now it is the fuel efficiency that comes at par with the top car in the segment, Honda City. With alluring aspects, the ‘Blue Oval’ company is now looking forward to target big sales numbers. Can it do that? Let?s find out.

Ford has studied the market very well this time. The captivating price tag compromises on some aspects as there are no major or tempting upgrades for the 2014 model, yet a few alterations might make buyers change their minds in its favor. Starting from the outside, the car represents company?s second installment of Kinetic design philosophy ? ‘Kinetic 2.0’. The front fascia does get an improvement in the form of new marquee trapezoidal grille with chrome accents that reminds of Aston Martin cars. There is a new set of swept back headlamps while the hood is sculpted to pose a muscular look.

The side outlining is reminiscent to the old one, while it gets new pair of shoes in the form of twin 5-spoke 15-inch alloy wheels and some modification to the wing mirrors. Rear has been tweaked with revamped tail lights showing LED effect and refreshed bumper with chrome inserts. Fiesta is now available in six graceful colors options including two new colors to choose from. Overall, the exteriors have been revitalized to some extent.

Previously also, the interiors of Fiesta were great looking but it now gets updated with subtle changes. The new black piano finishing makes dashboard and the door handles more opulent. The major modification comes in the form of updated Ford?s SYNC infotainment system debuted in the outgoing version along with ‘Applink Connectivity’ and ‘Emergency Assistance’.

The ?SYNC? system synchronizes with your smartphone for music streaming, make calls and operates several other functions, all through voice control panel. The stereo system supports USB, CD and Aux-In playback while music can be enhanced through 6-speakers. The Emergency Assistance system provides instant help by automatically calling to emergency service number 108 via your smartphone in case of any mishap. It provides exact location of the incident.

Other than these, the new Fiesta also comes with automatic air conditioning system, automatic headlamps, smart keyless entry with engine push start/stop button, rain sensing wipers, cruise control, reverse parking sensors, ambient lightning, etc. In terms of safety, ABS with EBD comes standard in all variants, while the top variants get dual front airbags. The car is strengthened with ultra-strong boron steel for improved crash absorbing.

There are no mechanical changes to the car as it sports the same 1.5L TDCi turbocharged diesel engine with inter-cooler. The engine produces 90bhp and torque of 205Nm and is coupled with 5-speed manual transmission system. The superior engine, proficient transmission and improved aerodynamics helps it gain an excellent mileage of 25.01kmpl which is just next to Honda City in the segment. The lack of petrol variant could be disappointment for some car enthusiasts.

The pricing of the car seems to be an astute strategy by the company. Fiesta base price starts from INR7.69 lakh for the Ambient variant, INR 8.55 lakh for the Trend variant and top model Titanium comes at a price tag of INR 9.29 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The C-segment players Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento, Fiat Linea and Skoda Rapid will gainsay Fiesta?s claims. It would be injustice to say something about the car for now, as market will start reacting in a few weeks of time.

Fiesta for quite some time has been losing its luster in India, reasons being the higher price tag and augmentations carried out by other sub-compact cars in the market with similar features at aggressive price tags. The Fiesta sales of 2014 were not so impressive, as American automaker managed to sell only 913 units in Feb-Mar-April, far from Honda City which has been cruising, selling over 7,000 units per month since its re-launch.

Ideally, sales should rise as Ford has tried to fulfill the deficiencies of the car which earlier drove buyers away.

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First published on: 23-06-2014 at 12:28 IST
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