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Old 23rd January 2014, 20:22   #121
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

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Originally Posted by arunphilip View Post
I believe that the dashboard plastics are now of the Figo quality and texture, and are not as premium as it was about 4 years ago.

I've also heard (though not had it confirmed) that the rear suspension of the Classic is now shared with the Figo, while the earlier one was a different one. I'm not sure about the front suspension. Steering is unchanged.
I've only peeped into the interior of the Titanium model. The faux wood on the dash put me off, but there could be some who like it. I'm not sure of the other stuff that you mentioned though, as initially it was the Figo that inherited the Fiesta's characteristics.

But one improvement that cannot go un-noticed is the ICE, which is similar to the Figo. It plays mp3 Cds and also has Aux and Bluetooth connection.My Sxi lacks these features, though it has a 6-CD player with 6 speakers, that sounds better than the one on the Figo.

@Ishanian, you can peep into my car and then take a look at the Classic in the showroom.
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Old 23rd January 2014, 22:15   #122
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

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Originally Posted by i74js View Post
- Present owners (barring the few who liked the driving dynamics of Ford) are not happy with Ford's petrol motor due to its poor milage
- The quality of classic has gone down and thus it does not bring smile on the face of owner (I have seen one of my friends being critical about it)
Quote:
Originally Posted by vnabhi View Post
Who are they, may I ask? Most comments, unfortunately, come from non-owners. There are several ownership threads on this forum that say that the FE in city ranges from 10 to 12, which is great for a 1.6 engine. I get the same figures from my 1 liter WagonR, and a lot more than my neighbour who owns an automatic I10.

I agree with vnabhi!! Some statements are so baseless.

I'm owner of a 2 year old Fiesta Classic 1.6 Clxi. The mileage I get in city is around 10.5 kmpl, which is too good for Bangalore's bumper to bumper traffic.

Regarding the quality, my car is driven for 30000kms on Bangalore's infamouse pot hole driven roads and I can vouch that there is zero rattles till date and no niggles whatsoever!!

Service, well, after owning two Maruti cars - 800 and Alto, I can say Ford's Service is on par or may be better than A.S.S. The Rear twist Beam on my car was changed without any fuss from the dealer.

Being a FIATian, having driven T-Jet a lot, I can say that the Duratec's engine is absolutely brilliant, needless to say about the handling and dynamics.

I bet no Classic owner would crib on any of the points mentioned by i74js!

Here's my super brilliant Fiesta!
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Old 23rd January 2014, 22:57   #123
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

Its the interior plastics, the dashboard and plastic panels that could be shared with the Figo. Everything else have to be re-engineered and its additional cost for Ford.

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Originally Posted by IshaanIan View Post
Anyway, could someone please shed some more light on what everyone means when they say that the quality of the Fiesta has been lost over the years in transition to its Classic moniker? Is it interior-wise or exterior-wise (or both)? Has the plastic quality itself gone down (in what manner)? Or has the build, fit and finish levels gone down?
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Old 24th January 2014, 09:16   #124
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

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Originally Posted by anachronix View Post
Its the interior plastics, the dashboard and plastic panels that could be shared with the Figo. Everything else have to be re-engineered and its additional cost for Ford.
Please have a look at the Ford recall

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...a-classic.html

Even parts under the hood are shared to a great extent. It is normal for any manufacturer to find out cost cutting opportunity. Ford has done it in a fashion, which cannot be discovered easily.

Cheers
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Old 24th January 2014, 09:22   #125
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

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Originally Posted by Karthik1100 View Post
...Being a FIATian, having driven T-Jet a lot, I can say that the Duratec's engine is absolutely brilliant, needless to say about the handling and dynamics...
That would make an interesting comparo! Mind sharing us your detailed thoughts on both these cars in all angles. I would love to read more on those.
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Old 24th January 2014, 09:50   #126
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

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Originally Posted by Karthik1100 View Post
I agree with vnabhi!! Some statements are so baseless.


Service, well, after owning two Maruti cars - 800 and Alto, I can say Ford's Service is on par or may be better than A.S.S. The Rear twist Beam on my car was changed without any fuss from the dealer.


I bet no Classic owner would crib on any of the points mentioned by i74js!
+1

I also have an Alto and from my experience Ford has turned out to be cheaper than Maruti to maintain as their A.S.S does not push unnecessary things to be done. Also, the quick lane is a nice initiative and allows you to see what is being done on the car.


Quote:
Originally Posted by i74js View Post
Please have a look at the Ford recall

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...a-classic.html

Even parts under the hood are shared to a great extent. It is normal for any manufacturer to find out cost cutting opportunity.
Mine is a 2010 Fiesta (not classic) and it was also part of the recall for rear twist beam. Hence the suspension setup is same for the classic and Fiesta.
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Old 24th January 2014, 10:01   #127
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

For me,the classic looks to be a good overall package. Fantastic VFM.
I have owned the Ford Ikon TDCI in the past and was a huge fan of the engine until the SUV bug hit me.
The Classic is much more refined and for the money it is being offered at,the car sure should clock some numbers.
My only worry is that Ford will probably overhaul their existing line of products except Ecosport,Figo and Fiesta.
Another quick pointer. Ford's ASS is much much better that what it was in the early days. I would stick my neck out and say that they are giving Maruti and Hyundai a run for their money as far as service is concerned
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Old 24th January 2014, 10:08   #128
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

This is definitely a good news for new car buyers as the car is more VFM now after the recent price reduction.

But for existing car owners like me, this is kind of bad news. This price reduction will further bring down the used car value :(

Nevertheless, One wont be disappointed with this car. Having driven 1,07,000 KMs so far, this car is a GEM.
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Old 24th January 2014, 10:29   #129
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

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Originally Posted by arunphilip View Post
I believe that the dashboard plastics are now of the Figo quality and texture, and are not as premium as it was about 4 years ago.
That is correct. I recall the plastics in the "S" variant, which I believe was no different from the standard Fiesta. It was soft touch and by that I mean, you could push down hard on the plastic dashboard surface and it would go in like a stiff sponge. The Fiesta Classic has the same hard to touch plastics of the Figo. Durable no doubt, just appears a little cheap and tacky.
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Old 24th January 2014, 10:39   #130
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

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Originally Posted by Karthik1100 View Post
I agree with vnabhi!! Some statements are so baseless.

I'm owner of a 2 year old Fiesta Classic 1.6 Clxi. The mileage I get in city is around 10.5 kmpl, which is too good for Bangalore's bumper to bumper traffic.

Regarding the quality, my car is driven for 30000kms on Bangalore's infamouse pot hole driven roads and I can vouch that there is zero rattles till date and no niggles whatsoever!!


Being a FIATian, having driven T-Jet a lot, I can say that the Duratec's engine is absolutely brilliant, needless to say about the handling and dynamics.

I bet no Classic owner would crib on any of the points mentioned by i74js!
I agree with you on this Karthik. Ford has not compromised in the build quality at all, the doors still shut with a thud unlike Etios and Marutis. For the interiors dash quality I would say is changed and not degraded. However there is a cost cutting in the plastics used to encircle the AC vents, but that's all. The car feels solid and has a vault like build. Although cannot compare the thud of door with that of a Linea or a Punto.
In this price Fiesta 1.6 Duratec is a steal now. No other sedan in <10L OTR can match it's performance. It is mouth watering.
And I do not think that anyone going for this car should care for the mileage, I mean, come on, you are buying a "sports car" and you are worrying about it's mileage
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Old 24th January 2014, 11:22   #131
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

Quote:
Originally Posted by i74js View Post
Present issues:

- Its a dated product in terms of engine as well as body shell design. The "Fiesta" even as name has been given to the new model, thus this product is 2 generations old
- Present owners (barring the few who liked the driving dynamics of Ford) are not happy with Ford's petrol motor due to its poor milage
- The quality of classic has gone down and thus it does not bring smile on the face of owner (I have seen one of my friends being critical about it)
- The behaviour of Ford and its dealers has changed post launch of Ecosport and is not taken well by buyers

Let's wait and watch the monthly sales figure of classic for next couple of months to see if any major change happens.
Cheers
Dated Product:
- Agree it's a dated product but I find it new compared to 'made for India' sedans like Amaze, Etios, Verito.
Classic scores in both the exterior looks and the interiors quality over these.

Petrol Motors:
- Ford's 1.2 petrol motor is made strictly for the city driving and lacks everything, punch, mileage, fun factor, you name it and it doesn't have anything but that meagre low end torque.
But 1.6 is a gem and with this price cut one cannot have a reason to not consider it while buying an entry level sedan.

Quality:
- It brings a big smile on my face when I compare it with the other entry level sedans.

Ford's behavior:
- It happened with Hyundai after the launch of Verna.

I am a happy Fiesta classic owner
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Old 24th January 2014, 11:38   #132
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

Both are from the same platform and they share over 70% parts under the skiin, I was talking about the bad bits that came from the Figo to the Classic.

I have a 2009 Fiesta and a 2012 Figo, its the pathetic plastics used in the Figo that hurts really bad.

Quote:
Originally Posted by i74js View Post
Please have a look at the Ford recall

Even parts under the hood are shared to a great extent. It is normal for any manufacturer to find out cost cutting opportunity. Ford has done it in a fashion, which cannot be discovered easily.
If its a Non-Profit organization that we are talking about, you definitely have a point.

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Originally Posted by i74js View Post
Someone in Ford India is playing hard and in a fashion wherein significant gains to the company are not expected even after the product has been repositioned. The off market difference / premium on diesel is uncalled for when the company wants to push a specific product. At present the market is biased for diesel motors and thus there should have been a justification as to why this gap is about 1.5 lacs between diesel and petrol.
The Santro that is still raking in numbers for Hyundai is over 2 decades old, whats the harm as long as the car is built to last.

Quote:
- Its a dated product in terms of engine as well as body shell design. The "Fiesta" even as name has been given to the new model, thus this product is 2 generations old
I dont have any complaints. Mine is a Fiesta 1.6S, in the painful traffic of Chennai I get an average of 9.8KMPL with AC. I also owned a Jazz for an year before I sold it, the FE was around 11.9 in the same conditions. It lacked power and the dynamics of the Fiesta. I have now sold the Jazz now and bought a Fiesta again, I can compromise couple KMs in FE and its not making a big difference in my monthly fuel bills either. That again is for my personal requirement!

And most of the owners have confirmed that they are happy with their cars here, its the non-owners who always have this trouble with FE.

Quote:
- Present owners (barring the few who liked the driving dynamics of Ford) are not happy with Ford's petrol motor due to its poor milage
Interior plastics, yes. Everything else is almost the same as it was albeit with more localization. What else do you mean by let down in quality?

Quote:
- The quality of classic has gone down and thus it does not bring smile on the face of owner (I have seen one of my friends being critical about it)
Some dealers, yes.

Quote:
- The behaviour of Ford and its dealers has changed post launch of Ecosport and is not taken well by buyers

Last edited by anachronix : 24th January 2014 at 11:53.
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Old 24th January 2014, 11:52   #133
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

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Originally Posted by Karthik1100 View Post
I'm owner of a 2 year old Fiesta Classic 1.6 Clxi. The mileage I get in city is around 10.5 kmpl, which is too good for Bangalore's bumper to bumper traffic.

Service, well, after owning two Maruti cars - 800 and Alto, I can say Ford's Service is on par or may be better than A.S.S. The Rear twist Beam on my car was changed without any fuss from the dealer.
I just met a Classic owner in Mumbai at a tea stall. On probling further, I inquired if he knew of the price reduction and he replied affirmative. Asked him for his mileage and he quoted roughly 9 kmpl single driver in urban traffic with AC third-fourth gears and an occasional fifth. We chatted further and he revealed that he also has a Swift 1.2 which returns around 12kmpl on the same strech. He though commented that the Fiesta is very powerful after 2000 rpm.

On the service front he spends about 5000+ every 6 months on the Ford and he said Maruti is cheaper. With a 10000 km/per year the fuel costs run over 30000 per year compared to Swift which may be hard to ignore in the budget segment.

Quote:
Originally Posted by amiya.c View Post
Dated Product:
- Agree it's a dated product but I find it new compared to 'made for India' sedans like Amaze, Etios, Verito.
Classic scores in both the exterior looks and the interiors quality over these.
Quality:
- It brings a big smile on my face when I compare it with the other entry level sedans.
I am a happy Fiesta classic owner
In terms of space, the Amaze rear seat eats everything. The Fiesta interiors feel outdated to look at when compared to the Dzire.

Overall, the Ford is great at the price if one can ignore the old outdated model tag.

Last edited by dipen : 24th January 2014 at 12:00.
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Old 24th January 2014, 14:14   #134
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

Outdated is a term that you would use for products that are not fit to be sold in the current era. In the case of the Classic, it neither looks dated nor inferior in performance to any of the recently launched cars. That it has been around for 8+ years does not make it dated. It looks and feels much more modern than the likes of Etios, Amaze and Dzire.

Coming to FE 9 kmpl from a 1.6L scorcher is any day better than 12 kmpl from the Swift 1.2. That ain't a fair comparison. An Alto 800 may give you 18 kmpl, but what's the point?

However, since Ford is re-positioning the Classic as an entry level sedan, Ford could have replaced the 1.6 engine with the 1.4 that once used to do duty in the Fiesta. Would have been a better value proposition for the VFM seekers.
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Old 24th January 2014, 15:14   #135
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Re: Ford India cuts Classic price by up to 1 Lakh

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Originally Posted by blacksport View Post

However, since Ford is re-positioning the Classic as an entry level sedan, Ford could have replaced the 1.6 engine with the 1.4 that once used to do duty in the Fiesta. Would have been a better value proposition for the VFM seekers.
The scheme is for present unsold inventory and not for 2014 models. Ford could not have changed 1.6 with 1.4 engine in this case.

This has been confirmed by one of my friends who is in GM now but was with Ford until Nov. Basically the parked unsold inventory at dealership and with manufacturer.
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