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Old 30th June 2014, 16:21   #196
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

Me too saw the car in person and had a test drive yesterday.

Coming from Beat and Figo this car is a premium one. Exterior is flamboyant as stated elsewhere. Interior is nicely put together. Me and wifey equally liked it. Equipments and features are to the brim sans ESP. Rear seat was not at all a problem for me and wifey. I am 5'8" and she is 5'6". Boot is huge.

Now about test drive. Kudos to Sales manager Janesh. The slot booked by me was at 11.30 am at Vasant Kunj showroom. We reached at 1.30 pm due to some other urgency. We were then forwarded to Bhikaji Cama Place showroom. The TD car was parked in the narrow street in front of the showroom with many Ecosports parked both sides. Mr. Janesh revealed that their was 30 deliveries yesterday and the whole showroom and surrounding was jam packed.

Car was lying there for couple of hours in 42 degree under the sun and it was like an oven. But the ACC take care of it in few minutes. AC is really powerful.

It was easy like my Beat to navigate through that busy street with just few cms clearance on both sides.

With front seats huge travel range, hight adjustment and tilt steering it hardly took 1 minute to find the comfortable seating position. Ergonomics are well sorted to my liking and most controls (sans over the dash buttons of ICE) were falling handy. There is a lag under 2000 RPM but it was not that bothering even with three people on-board. I little bit floor the pedal and car zoom past 2000 RPM and then their was a power surge. For me the city drive-ability (in b2b) was ok with adequate power. Steering is excellent in feel and feedback. At parking it resembled Beat Diesel's EPS (so light). But once start moving it weighed up nicely. Ride is well sorted and handling . Took a bump with decent speed and the belly didn't scrape like our Figo.

The engine and boot is well insulated and from inside it is hard to distinguish as a diesel car.

Over all we both like the car. White and Silver top model is readily available for next day delivery and Sea Grey (I like this colour) has a waiting period of 1 month.

Just waiting for Avventura and New Punto to finalise. I guess it will be between Avventura and Fiesta and later is almost sold on me.

Cheers!

Vinu
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Old 1st July 2014, 11:51   #197
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

I personally loved the looks from all angles except the rear. It is pretty a VFM pricing considering all aspects.

Would definitely wish to upgrade to one some day.
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Old 2nd July 2014, 01:29   #198
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Quote:
Originally Posted by itsashishsharma View Post
Hasn't anybody booked this car yet? I mean someone on team-bhp or somebody known to a t-bhpian? If somebody has, could we please see a comment here from them?
I booked the Fiesta diesel ambiente model, white colour yesterday. Expected date of delivery by 7th July.
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Old 2nd July 2014, 08:51   #199
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

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Originally Posted by D4d-maniac View Post
I booked the Fiesta diesel ambiente model, white colour yesterday. Expected date of delivery by 7th July.
Congrats! It's a lovely buy. Please share some snaps of the exterior, interiors and especially the dash and the front seats. There are quite a few differences between the variants and so far all the photos have been of Titanium variant.
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Old 2nd July 2014, 10:20   #200
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The Trend/Ambient variant gets the smoked effect on the headlamps, too bad the Titanium gets the full chrome type. The headlight looks awesome in the Trend with Smoke Gray color.
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Old 2nd July 2014, 12:04   #201
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

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Originally Posted by itsashishsharma View Post
Looks like we can officialy declare back seat space as one of the short comings of the new Fiesta. If I was in market, I would definitely consider it as I really don't need any back seat space.
So, what I would request all of you to come up with more relevant points. More pluses and minuses of the car, as you felt in person. E.g. I think nobody has commented on the ICE quality, thats the area to be explored and there would be so much more.
But are things like ICE quality and any electric folding mirror, xyz feature more relevant than the backseat space, for a person buying a sedan? If one just needs great driving dynamics and not rear seat space, why target the Fiesta? (surely it's not the only dynamic vehicle to drive in the country).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vid6639 View Post
I definitely agree with you that the rear space is not great and we mentioned it in the review as well. It hasn't really changed so it's known.

That said there is one thing to note. The Fiesta's front seats have a huge range of adjustment. The front seats are allowed to go so far back that they almost touch the rear seats and when a 6 footer like me gets in to the driver's seat, I find it too far back. Same for height adjustment, they can be set really low and the lower you go, it also pushes the seat backwards a bit. This doesn't help the cause at all, and the already cramped rear seat seems even more cramped due to the front seat adjustment range.

The Honda city has huge legroom which is further exaggerated by the front seats not going all the way back. While I can sit comfortably in the City's driver seat, I felt it would have been better if it went back by a couple of notches.

In general the tendency is to move the front seat all the way back and then see if you can get into the back which is where Fiesta loses out even more.

Maruti had done this with the Alto. They claimed rear legroom improved. Having an owned an Alto, I knew the rear legroom was bad made even worse by the drivers seat that used to go back so much that I was able to drive it easily. But, when I checked out the facelifted Alto K10, I found myself unable to fit into the driver's seat but decent space at the back. Basically Maruti removed 2-3 steps in the front seat movement and labelled it as improvement in rear legroom.



Yup, back seat space is definitely not in the Fiesta's Forte but that was already known from the previous car.

A person looking for the Fiesta would consider it only if he was self driving and does not mind rear seat space over driving dynamics.

A person looking at Polo GT TDI over compact sedan like Amaze or Xcent or someone looking at the Jetta over Altis. Target segment is not the guy who wants to go from point A to point B in full comfort and space. It's the person who enjoys driving.
Vidyut, valid point regarding car demographics but again, guy who wants to enjoy driving without care of rear seat comfort, would he necessarily have to go in for the Fiesta only?

I'm 5"9 and very heavily built. Having set the front seat for my height, my friend with similar height and I found the rear foot space very limited.. Great driving sedan it may be for sure but its purpose as a sedan is definitely defeated. May work well for really not-tall people.

A little strange Ford didn't think it was important to fix the rear seat space in the sedan (some members here have commented even Figo's rear seat has more foot space when compared to the Fiesta).
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Old 2nd July 2014, 12:25   #202
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

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Originally Posted by k_ajay View Post
Vidyut, valid point regarding car demographics but again, guy who wants to enjoy driving without care of rear seat comfort, would he necessarily have to go in for the Fiesta only?
For a lot of buyers, like me, rear space is not a consideration at all. Our back seat is seldom occupied. And that is true with a lot of nuclear families, for whom at best, it would be a kid or two, which occupies the back seat.
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Old 2nd July 2014, 12:28   #203
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

Fiesta right from the time of inception never had superior rear seat space.
I remember sitting in the 1st Gen Fiesta and was owning another sibling from the same company(Ford Ikon).

Could compare directly with the Ikon and the rear seating space was much more in the Ikon than the Fiesta.

The same has been carried on to the new gen Fiesta.
Like Ajay pointed out, Fiesta should have released a little more rear seat comfort but then that may not be a make or break point for someone looking at a sub 10 lac car.

In all probabilities, this will not be a chauffeur driven car and the owner profile is typically of a person who enjoys to drive a sporty car.

Fiesta was and remains a great driver's car and for a person whose main intention is to enjoy the drive, the rear seat will not act as a deterrent.
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Old 2nd July 2014, 12:40   #204
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

Quote:
Originally Posted by k_ajay View Post
But are things like ICE quality and any electric folding mirror, xyz feature more relevant than the backseat space, for a person buying a sedan? If one just needs great driving dynamics and not rear seat space, why target the Fiesta? (surely it's not the only dynamic vehicle to drive in the country).
How did you deduce this from my comment?
I just said that now that we all know/understand here that the rear backseat space is worst in the segment, let us just try exploring other aspects of the car. Most comments here involve the driving dynamics to be great, and backseat space to be poor, but there are so many other things about a car which any prospective buyer would like to know about. ICE is also one of them, as is ORVM size and the electric folding and electric adjustable features.
It wasn't me who said these features had more importance than rear seat space, well, that is entirely possible for somebody like me who have just one person in city in the name of family.
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Old 2nd July 2014, 12:53   #205
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

Quote:
Originally Posted by k_ajay View Post

Vidyut, valid point regarding car demographics but again, guy who wants to enjoy driving without care of rear seat comfort, would he necessarily have to go in for the Fiesta only?

A little strange Ford didn't think it was important to fix the rear seat space in the sedan (some members here have commented even Figo's rear seat has more foot space when compared to the Fiesta).
Yeah but rear seat space is something that is not tangible. So either you look at another option or live with the lack of seat space.

It's not something they can redesign and get space out of. It's a global design and they can only do so much. This is unlike the ikon which was designed for India with a comfortable back seat.

It's like the Polo, super cramped at the back or the Swift or Jetta. Compare rear legroom in Jetta vs the Altis and you will feel the difference.

No car is perfect. If you look at the Honda city, it doesn't feel anywhere as well built as the Fiesta and the dynamics are no where near. Same as NVH.

It depends on what compromise you can make.
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Old 2nd July 2014, 13:16   #206
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

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Originally Posted by Vid6639 View Post
No car is perfect. If you look at the Honda city, it doesn't feel anywhere as well built as the Fiesta and the dynamics are no where near. Same as NVH.

It depends on what compromise you can make.
Couldnt agree more. No car is perfect and it all boils down to your priorities, when you buy a car.

As a proud and happy owner of the older version of the Fiesta (now Classic), I have always cared more for my driving experience - and the Fiesta is absolutely top-notch at that - involved driving, awesome hydraulic steering, great handling, respectable ride quality. Its certainly NOT a car for the guy who likes to be seated in the backseat. In any case, none of my family are more than 5 9" and in the back seat, they care more about ride quality, planted feel more than just leg space.

As for the much-vaunted Honda City, I know a lot of folks especially from the Northern part of the country who consider the City as a status symbol and would be least bothered about minor things like 'driving dynamics'. The Honda badge and the back seat is enough to get them to buy the car.

No one is right or wrong - just different priorities/ reasons to buy a car.

The only reason for me to pen this post is that I feel 'back seat space' as a reason to buy or reject a car is quite over-hyped !!! After all, you dont buy a car imagining to play football in the back seat area

Last edited by RoadTiger : 2nd July 2014 at 13:22.
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Old 2nd July 2014, 13:27   #207
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

I test drove the car some days back. It more feels like a hatch overall; the dimensions are quite small and not for 5'11+. Some where I was not feeling comfortable with the car don't know what was wrong. I liked the build quality and suspension though. The seats are too small to accommodate a more than average frame. Its too buckety and if I get sweat on my lumbar now I am going to get the sweats on the sides too, its that hugging.

My pick would be any-day an Ecosport over Fiesta. It gives a big car feel and have almost same level of build quality with better GC and with car like handling. Even after pricing right I don't see the car is going to appeal the Indian crowd.

Last edited by sudeep.pandya : 2nd July 2014 at 13:32. Reason: Some corrections
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Old 2nd July 2014, 13:51   #208
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

Had been to collect the mudflaps for my GT TDI last weekend and just for the feel, test drove the All New Fiesta, which happens to share its premises with VW.

Here are my observations from a 4Km drive:

- Drive was not long enough for me to test the dynamics but on one sweeping curve near 'High Grounds Police station', I felt my GT TDI had a lesser body roll than Fiesta at the same speed. Not sure if this due to the dynamics, design or purely the 205 section tyres under my GT.

- Fiesta will not take you to your destination in a jiffy. It is not slow but just not fast enough for its segment. Not that I am comparing it to my GT, but I genuinely felt it was slower than the 1.4 CRDI Verna, which a friend owns.

- This might sound ridiculous but I somehow felt that the interior space and the spacing between the seats was identical to GT. No, it is not as cramped as on a Polo but surely not as 'Big Car' kinds like, say on a Verna or Linea.

This has been discussed a zillion times and everybody here knows this, but I somehow feel that until Ford gets the Ecoboost on Figo & Fiesta, they cannot create the 'Fun Factor' that they had with Ikon & Fiesta 1.6 S.

Last edited by Vik0728 : 2nd July 2014 at 13:53.
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Old 2nd July 2014, 13:52   #209
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Re: 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift : A Close Look

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Originally Posted by blacksport View Post
For a lot of buyers, like me, rear space is not a consideration at all. Our back seat is seldom occupied. And that is true with a lot of nuclear families, for whom at best, it would be a kid or two, which occupies the back seat.
That's fair enough and understandable, but when rear seat is seldom occupied and is not even a consideration, why the sedan? Only for driving dynamics? If yes, aren't there any hatchbacks which have equally good driving dynamics? Just trying to understand. I thought sedans were primary for more space for passengers and/or more luggage carrying capacity in the boot. And like many members have claimed in many other threads, maybe as for status symbol? Majority of comments here makes me believe my thinking so far, has been wrong (hence the need to clarify and/or re-understand).

Quote:
Originally Posted by itsashishsharma View Post
How did you deduce this from my comment?
I just said that now that we all know/understand here that the rear backseat space is worst in the segment, let us just try exploring other aspects of the car. Most comments here involve the driving dynamics to be great, and backseat space to be poor, but there are so many other things about a car which any prospective buyer would like to know about. ICE is also one of them, as is ORVM size and the electric folding and electric adjustable features.
It wasn't me who said these features had more importance than rear seat space, well, that is entirely possible for somebody like me who have just one person in city in the name of family.
Well, when you asked for members to 'come up with more relevant points' compared to seat space and driving dynamics, I thought you were claiming there are things like ICE and others that are 'more relevant' to rear seating space in a sedan. Those 2 words being the trigger for my post. I understand now that it's your requirement to learn more about other features beyond of these 2 points that you've established already.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vid6639 View Post
Yeah but rear seat space is something that is not tangible. So either you look at another option or live with the lack of seat space.
Agree about seeing other options or making a compromise, based on buyer requirement. But why is rear seat space not tangible? Can you expand for clarity? [If rear seat space in car-a is more than in car-b, with few other related parameters remaining comparable, why can't the excess or less space be tangibe?]

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Originally Posted by RoadTiger View Post
Couldnt agree more. No car is perfect and it all boils down to your priorities, when you buy a car.

No one is right or wrong - just different priorities/ reasons to buy a car.

The only reason for me to pen this post is that I feel 'back seat space' as a reason to buy or reject a car is quite over-hyped !!! After all, you dont buy a car imagining to play football in the back seat area
I hope you aren't contradicting yourself when you say requirements boils down to priorities and then also say back seat space as a reason to buy/reject a car is over-hyped.. It can't be over-hyped as backseat space is be one of the key criteria in upgrading from a hatchback to a sedan. (I'll speak for myself here) - As a person who is looking to buy a sedan, I'm sensible in not looking for a football field-like space in the back seat area but I'm also sensible in not considering a sedan whose rear seat will give me equal to or lesser comfort than being seated in the three wheeler auto. I'm buying the sedan so my family can also sit in some comfort, that's better than taking an auto (not just for me to experience a dynamic drive. I hope i am making sense). That and then the best driving dynamics.

Last edited by k_ajay : 2nd July 2014 at 14:09. Reason: Adding response to another post.
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Old 2nd July 2014, 13:56   #210
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Originally Posted by sudeep.pandya View Post
The seats are too small to accommodate a more than average frame. Its too buckety and if I get sweat on my lumbar now I am going to get the sweats on the sides too, its that hugging.
This is the first time I have heard this. The Fiesta front seats are the best in sub 20L segment. The hugging and side bolstering is something you WANT in a good seat. It's what supports the shoulders and side from moving around when driving in hill section. That's the best part of the car. It needs to be a bucket seat that you sink into. The Ecosport is exactly the opposite. Less thigh support, no bucket feeling and not as supportive as the Fiesta's.

Quote:
Originally Posted by k_ajay View Post
Agree about seeing other options or making a compromise, based on buyer requirement. But why is rear seat space not tangible? Can you expand for clarity? [If rear seat space in car-a is more than in car-b, with few other related parameters remaining comparable, why can't the excess or less space be tangibe?]
I don't mean it as tangible difference between cars. I mean it's something specific to the Fiesta that is intangible i.e. it will never change cause it's design is the limiting factor.

Last edited by Vid6639 : 2nd July 2014 at 14:02.
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