[JonSnow]

Originally Posted by RSR

Has the previous generation Fiesta i.e. (Fiesta) Classic been discontinued, now that the new Figo Aspire is about to be launched?

Yes Classic is being discontinued. I had visited the Ford Service Center this weekend and there was a sales guy there trying to promote Figo with some discounts. I enquired about the Fiesta and he said that it is being discontinued. I was a bit surprised about Fiesta being discontinued, but turned out he was referring to the Classic.

I would love to see Ford launch the Fiesta hatchback. In fact I would have preferred if they had launched Fiesta hatchback instead of Aspire, with similar safety features and equipment.

[shankar.balan]

If they launch the Fiesta Hatch with a nice powerful engine under its belt and price it fairly, it will surely give tough competition to the Hyundai Elite and its ilk.

Fords are great to drive and their suspension tuning is pretty good too. The Hyundai has one issue with it, which is the wheezy gutless engine. Else it is a great car.

[vrprabhu]

Originally Posted by BurningHeart

Fiesta hatch back will fail definitely. There will be no takers.

After two years, I think the above will be true.

It could be a case of once bitten, twice shy - Ford had a terrific car in FUSION (probably it was ahead of its times when launched in India) and how many takers it had?

And, remember this one?



With the launch of Optra (and with Corsa / Sail no longer available), the SRV with its 1.6 liter engine was a real hot hatch. How many would have been sold?

Ford must have taken cues from this and the 100 bhp FIATs... and must have decided that a few t-bhpians enthusiasts alone aren't enough to make the numbers for a Fiesta hatch

(PS - I voted yes!)

[BurningHeart]

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

After two years, I think the above will be true.

It could be a case of once bitten, twice shy - Ford had a terrific car in FUSION (probably it was ahead of its times when launched in India) and how many takers it had?

And, remember this one?

Attachment 1391787

With the launch of Optra (and with Corsa / Sail no longer available), the SRV with its 1.6 liter engine was a real hot hatch. How many would have been sold?

Ford must have taken cues from this and the 100 bhp FIATs... and must have decided that a few t-bhpians enthusiasts alone aren't enough to make the numbers for a Fiesta hatch

(PS - I voted yes!)

Thanks VRPrabhu. It has been exactly 18 months since I have logged in to TBHP. I sold my Cruze LTZ (totally burnt my heart!) and left the country and I have never checked TBHP.

But then I am back and this is what I found. So there is a Fiesta Hatch and there are no takers?

BH.

[ckranjan]

Ford should launch the fiesta hatch. Probably they are waiting for their next generation model. Who knows.

Please Ford launch it. It will be the perfect replacement for my i20.

[vrprabhu]

Originally Posted by BurningHeart

I sold my Cruze LTZ (totally burnt my heart!) and left the country and I have never checked TBHP.

But then I am back and this is what I found. So there is a Fiesta Hatch and there are no takers?

Welcome back, BH - back to India and to team bhp!

Another enthusiast, who chose to Cruze (one more example of a fine car not getting the attention it deserves), I presume?

Coming back to Fiesta hatch - there isn't one, yet.

What bhpians are discussing is that the Fiesta sedan may be discontinued, and the hatch be launched in its place.

Your post reminded me of my friend who sold his Ikon 1.6 - the real josh machine - is still ruing it....

and, it precisely the number of 1.6 which got sold is what Ford's execs be weighing if they were to contemplate the launch of Fiesta hatch. (Even Escort, Mondeo which were otherwise a very good cars, didn't make the numbers)

[raghav135]

One of the sales person of ford told that currently it is only figo aspire and ecosport for ford, rest stopped.

[Vid6639]

I think Ford can try something new. The Fiesta hatch is a good option but not very spacious. Plus it will be priced very high and will be too similar to the crossover Ecosport.

If Ford want to take a gamble. They should get the Focus hatchback. yes you read that right, the hatch back. Why?

Simple actually. The D segment is dominated by Skoda Octavia, Jetta, Elantra lead by the Corolla. The focus sedan will sit right in the middle of this pack and will frankly speaking get lost.

The hatch will sit well below these and will pull the strings of those that are interested in self drive but don't want the image of an old man's car (no offence to to anyone ). It's also more practical.

India is warming up to the premium hatchbacks and the S-cross might just be setting a new trend with the grown up hatch looks but crossover branding.

The A-class is doing quite well and this only proves that the market is ready. Why not take the gamble Ford. You could just get a headstart and leave others wondering.

[Sebring]

The Fiesta hatch, being an all rounder, would definitely tick all the boxes for me. It can take on i20 and the Jazz. The sedan was a glaring mistake.

[BurningHeart]

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

Welcome back, BH - back to India and to team bhp!
Your post reminded me of my friend who sold his Ikon 1.6 - the real josh machine - is still ruing it....

I am back to TBHP but not to India yet. I literally ran away from a Bangalore that was wilting away and the roads of the US are one of the best for me. The distances between any two things that you need is an obnoxious multiple of what you would find anywhere else. And you do not have enough public transport and I have a sales job. What more could I ask for?

And Yes, Ikon 1.6 is a break-up you will never get over from. That was one lovely car that had everything going for it. A market that was so hungry for a non-existent sporty sedan, pricing that was so well put together, styling that boys would kill for and handling that you made you a drifter. I had one too in Gurgaon, Cruze in Bangalore wiped away that worry completely.

Originally Posted by Sebring

The Fiesta ... sedan was a glaring mistake.

Well I think the sedan was a good one, I think the price was a glaring mistake. The marketing plans are so botched up at Ford (so had Skoda with running Laura and Octavia for several years) and they should not have ran Ikon, Fiesta, Fiesta 2, etc. Should have just been one car at the same price points. Indian consumer is smart and they are flushed with choices. What were they thinking at Ford? May be they should start watching Hyundai more closely. The new small SUV so brilliant and I am seriously thinking it will be a runaway success in the first two years, till vanity wears off.

But for Ford, it is time to rethink, get some exciting models lined up and then figure out a way. BTW, even in the US, Ford is pretty unappealing. Fiesta hatch and sedan are not selling well. For the segment Fusion/Mondeo are quite under-powered (they are only bought because of the styling). Power trains are not exactly fuel efficient or powerful, cabins are not that refined and handling is in the same league of Toyota, these days.

I had a Fusion as a rental car for a week with 34k miles on it from Avis. It felt so "destroyed and finished" and I was thinking, who will spend money on this car (when compared to a Chevy Malibu or Impala who have significantly higher quality of build).

Before Alan Mullaly, Ford was finished and now that Alan is out and his strategy is no longer in execution, we will wait and see what will happen to Ford globally.

BH.