[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by noopster

You're missing the point by getting defensive. That there are misconceptions in the minds of potential buyers regarding the Fiesta is a fact. What we are trying to analyse is why these exist and why Ford doesn't do anything to address them!

I completely agree with you that there are misconceptions in the minds of the potential buyers. Most of them go by the word of mouth and we all know that its not a nice image that is potrayed. When you have dealers themselves telling people to go for the Ecosport/Classic over the Fiesta, you can imagine how much Ford are interested in setting things straight and I've mentioned this every where I possibly can.
As an owner, I am not being defensive here but trying to project what the car really is and not what it is said to be. If Ford aren't doing anything, then its up to us owners to tell the potential buyers what the car is and what it is not through our reviews.

Compared to the competition -
Lacks rear space - Completely agree.
Anything else? Certainly NOT!

[noopster]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

As an owner, I am not being defensive here but trying to project what the car really is and not what it is said to be. If Ford aren't doing anything, then its up to us owners to tell the potential buyers what the car is and what it is not through our reviews.

Compared to the competition -
Lacks rear space - Completely agree.
Anything else? Certainly NOT!

I'll go a step further (am NOT an owner, mind you) and say the rear space is comparable to the Vento, which I own and is a much higher seller. But unlike you, I don't think the onus is on existing owners to "advertise" the brand- that's Ford's job! I think a lot of the suggestions have already been made earlier in this thread but let me try and put it here as succinctly as possible:

1. Launch full variant set including Petrol & Automatic. Preferably the 1.0 Ecoboost with DCT
2. Train dealers to spot potential Fiesta buyers rather than blindly push EcoSport/Figo on them
3. Ensure stock availability by proper demand forecasting
4. Retire the "Classic" Fiesta- having a previous generation at a much lower price point confuses customers
5. Run a campaign that stresses on how VFM the Fiesta is compared to other C2 competitors- price perception is killing this car
6. Address the "expensive to maintain" image by running a targeted campaign- when we did the test drive of the facelift one Ford executive made an impassioned case of the Fiesta being significantly (40% or so) cheaper to maintain than a VW or Fiat. As a VW owner I was convinced- so why should this be "tacit knowledge" among owners? Spread the word!

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by noopster

I'll go a step further (am NOT an owner, mind you) and say the rear space is comparable to the Vento...

+1. I'm not an owner either, but have driven and been a passenger in the new Fiesta and its direct competitors, and the difference in space is what's called a '19/20 difference' in Hindi. Feature-list again is a mix & match across brands with neither missing anything glaringly obvious.

Absolutely Ford's fault for not bothering to fix the mis-perception (or even selling the car at all), but it does bother a car enthusiast to see a competent car being disparaged and dismissed as irrelevant by people who haven't bothered to check if their perceived 'negatives' are real or imaginary. Disappointing but not really surprising when the majority buys a car based on what the family/neighbors/relatives/friends have or think is best.

[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Disappointing but not really surprising when the majority buys a car based on what the family/neighbors/relatives/friends have or think is best.

Thats is a major factor with most purchases in our country. What other people would say is a big contributing factor when people buy cars. Resale and people's opinion has never bothered me since i love to drive myself and find reasons to go for a drive when ever i can. Most of the cars which are a hoot to drive dont sell in our country and are a "flop" which contributes to their poor resale.

Infact my garage consists of mostly flop cars as you can make out from my signature barring Ecosport but i have never ever regretted owning any of the cars, the car should put a smile on my face when i drive and that is what matters to me. When i bought the facelifted Fiesta, a relative asked me as to why i did not buy a Verna and all i did was smile back at him, he would not even know what handling or a good steering is. All normal individuals care about is looks, features, resale and word of mouth.

For Fiesta, the only negative in the whole car is the lesser rear seat space. The difference is huge if compared to City/Ciaz but not much compared to Linea/Vento/Rapid. It is Ford who should be blamed for killing such a good car, they do not advertise it, not interested in selling it and have brought the car here just to keep the "Fiesta" tag alive which they are slowly strangling to death, they spoiled the pricing earlier and in India once a car is declared a flop, it is almost impossible to change that image.

I also had never considered Fiesta when i was searching for another c segment sedan after Linea and Vento. I did not like the rear looks and knew this car was not selling at all but just 1 test drive sealed the deal for me, took the car on a familiar route and this car just blew my Vento out of the water on all the turns and corners + ride quality was a stunner. The steering, support from bucket seats and chassis balance were mind boggling, had never expected such a huge difference in handling. It is even better than Linea. I was in awe of the drive quality and just booked the car. Pricing was another plus as the car just costed me 10.6 on road Delhi for titanium variant, i had paid 11.1 for Vento 2 years back .

In my case, rear seat is never used be it Vento or Fiesta and i give a damn about them but for most Indians, light steering, soft suspension, flashy interiors, a good looking car, resale and good rear seat space is important where the Fiesta fails miserably and it would not sell, it was targeted towards those who love driving and not every one wants an out right driver's car, they want a car where 5 can sit comfortably and that is not what this car can do, Ford could have easily given thin anorexic seats in front like Ciaz instead of the huge bucket seats and saved a lot of space at rear but am glad they did not do that.

In hatchback segment, only Swift sells which is good to drive, Elite i20 is topping the charts as well. Punto/Polo never sold to their true potential. Figo used to sell since it was priced well by Ford. In C segment, City and Ciaz are topping the charts whereas cars like Linea/Vento/Rapid/Fiesta just dont sell and all 4 are driver's car. In D segment also, Corolla tops the charts whereas Jetta/Octavia sell in small numbers. Brand image and resale takes precedence over drive quality here is what i feel.

[deetjohn]

The first and biggest problem is production and allotment for our market, marketing comes a distant second.

Let's say a buyer is very keen on bringing the Fiesta home, in any colour and ready to pay the cash for it, but the sad fact is Ford cannot even get that done as of now. None of the dealers have any clue when the car will be available. And its not like there is a queue of bookings and a waiting period. There is simply no information. The lower variants are 'relatively' easy to get, but Titanium is fat chance.

So, even if marketing does bring a prospective buyer into the shop, the dealer simply cannot make a sale as of now.

[nvramsub]

A couple of days back I spoke to a friend who had booked the City. After congratulating him for the booking and the choice of what is certainly a good car, I gave a shot at trying to change his mind and book a Fiesta instead. I told him my story of first booking a City and then losing my heart to the Fiesta after taking test drive. He respected my opinion and politely refused. Reasons:

1. He is trying to build his startup and doesn't have much time to research or test derive cars. So tends to pick based on perception.

2. His parents like it better and thought his potential in-laws will like it more.

It is so bad that even Zoomcar that has Figo and Ecosport from the same stable and City and Vento (same segment) doesn't have the Fiesta in its fleet!

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

These guys aren't interested in selling anything. When I bought my Punto- I had checked out both Figo and Classic. They didn't show any interest for a few months and started calling up after my Punto purchase. This was at Chennai.

I totally agree. I made two attempts for Old Fiesta/Classic, first time during Jan/Feb 2011 and next during Jan 2014, but the dealer didn't
show any interest to sell the car on both the occasions.

In fact during my first try it took around 14 days and 5 complaints/request in their website to get a test drive when all I was looking for was to do a test drive and book immediately because we have already finalized on Fiesta. However this experience made sure that we move away from Ford.

Even during my second attempt it took multiple followups for a test drive.

A month back when teambhpian 'speedsatya' contacted the dealer for test drive of the face-lifted new fiesta, the dealer didn't even bother to
call back or schedule a test drive.

Unlike Ecosport, new fiesta requires a push from the dealers to sell the car which unfortunately is not happening.

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by nvramsub

It is so bad that even Zoomcar that has Figo and Ecosport from the same stable and City and Vento (same segment) doesn't have the Fiesta in its fleet!

Maybe they were asked to wait 8 months to a year for a Fiesta as well. You know, in the name of equality, of course.

Top 3 reasons the Fiesta doesn't sell:

First and foremost is availability (6 - 9 months average waiting period)

Second is the dealership experience (snobby, zero thought or follow-up)

Third is a complete lack of marketing (many even don't know)


So even if I accidentally stumble upon a car that I convince myself to buy regardless of what the dealer tells me, I still have to wait half a year to get one.

How can someone buy a car that's perennially not available and then experience it positively? Especially, when there are so many other options.

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

First and foremost is availability (6 - 9 months average waiting period)

So even if I accidentally stumble upon a car that I convince myself to buy regardless of what the dealer tells me, I still have to wait half a year to get one.

I got mine in 15 days.

Second is the dealership experience (snobby, zero thought or follow-up)

I had a very good experience with my dealer. The sales rep Mr Divyakumar, calls me even now to check on the car and my satisfaction levels with it.

Third is a complete lack of marketing (many even don't know)

This I completely agree.

How can someone buy a car that's perennially not available and then experience it positively? Especially, when there are so many other options.

Lathangi Motors, my dealer, had a white Titanium as a test drive car. It was properly maintained and I was fortunate enough to experience a reasonably good test drive.
Regarding the availability, I was told a straight no for the bronze and black colors. But grey and white, they were happy to deliver as soon as the money was put on the table. Of course, the experiences might vary from dealer to dealer but this is what I've been mentioning all along - 'word of mouth'. Couple of bad experiences and that becomes the norm for everyone!
And hey, you have bad dealers for every manufacturer!!!

[Mad Max]

Porschefire - please let us know which marvel character you worship because I'd change my religion to get your luck! just kidding!

haha.. mate, your story is like that one piece which fits everything. The rest of us have to deal with what I mentioned.

The guy at Elite motors, Marathahalli, looked at me like I asked him for his wife. "Er.. no sir..noo. nooo.. NOOOO..we can't do anything you want..!" This for a guy who's loyal to Elite motors (Elite Figo, Elite Vento and not to mention a bunch of friends who got their cars at Elite).

[rsm97]

Hello to everyone in the forum. My first post - on a topic where a number of distinguished members have already expressed opinion.

I own a New Fiesta (Trend - Black) since last three weeks so will wait for few more weeks to talk about its performance. Will briefly describe how I reached to the decision of getting Fiesta in first place. Started looking for a sedan about three months back. Fixed a completely arbitrary criterion of car being non-Asian (absolutely no offence meant to any owner, I myself own a very very Asian Santro and will vouch for its long term reliability). I also decided to be fuel agnostic. Shortlisted Rapid & Linea for test drive. TJet was quick & strong except that found it somewhat uncomfortable to drive. Rapid came out near flawless, but reports about ASS were somewhat bothering and stopping me. All this while, was reading about Fiesta and following its reviews. Finally, decided to go and have a look. Perhaps I was more fortunate than some others and the display cars were readily available with multiple dealers in NCR. The willingness to sell was evident too (maybe due to year ending - but will give then benefit of doubt here). Test drive was arranged soon and found the package of liking. Also spoke to some owners of Eco/Figo and views about ASS were generally satisfactory. Assumed that they will not treat Fiesta owner any different (assumption still to be validated).

Coming to the Fiesta, agree that Ford has a unclear strategy for the car. When even Merc/Audi/BMW are sold in tens of locations, Fiesta is available only in metros and certain large centres. There too, few buyers know about its existence and even fewer about its competence. Everything from Ford's marketing to distribution is questionable here. Dealers obviously are finding it hard to sell so happy focusing on easier products.

My opinion is that like all the cars of its category, Fiesta too has its pluses and minuses. For me, its striking look made a good first impression. Read a lot about rear seat but found it ok. To me, it seems at par with Rapid. Then engine definitely is not a powerhouse and can surely not compete with Linea/Rapid. I am not sure when exactly a car is under-powered, but this one crosses 70kpl by 2000 rpm in top gear. I drive mostly alone but also tested Fiesta with five people sitting and about 20kg in boot, and did not feel any difference in acceleration and speed gain. Unlike a Santro that looses its zippiness in such situation, Fiesta was completely unaffected. Maybe can treat is one test on power passed.

I feel Ford should consider it fortunate that despite their indifference, enthusiasts are still willing to give Fiesta another chance. The tone of some of the postings in the forum atleast says so.

[S2!!!]

A special thanks to D-Bhpian deetjohn for bringing this to our notice.

While 2015 started with price hikes in the automobile industry owing to the excise rebate being lifted off, C-segment sedans have raised their prices by Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 50,000. Ford has gone a step ahead and raised the prices of its Fiesta significantly higher than the rest! After this price hike, the Fiesta is almost Rs. 90,000 dearer than what it was during its launch in June 2014. Current ex-showroom Delhi prices are Rs. 8.50 lakhs, Rs. 9.40 lakhs and Rs. 10.19 lakhs for the Ambiente, Trend and Titanium variant respectively; prices have shot up by Rs. 81,000, Rs. 85,000 and Rs. 90,000! This will result in even higher on-road prices crossing over a lakh.

The 6th gen Fiesta was launched in India in 2011 with a high price tag, making it a flop 5 minutes after its launch. With the 2014 Fiesta refresh, Ford made some serious price corrections, eventually making the Fiesta the cheapest car among the diesel C-segment sedans available in India. Folks at Ford must be still scratching their heads while looking at the dismal sales figures of this car month after month; or are they?

The car commands a waiting period of over 3 months in Mumbai for any variant, not because of demand but because the Fiesta allotments for the Indian market are very low. Driving enthusiasts continue to swear by the Fiesta's driving dynamics and wonder why this car doesn't sell while Ford is satisfied by focusing on exports rather than the domestic market. Not only that, it is available with only a diesel engine in a segment which was once diesel-centric but is more or less balanced between petrol and diesel now. Another missed opportunity here, especially since the car was launched with a 1.5L petrol engine in 2011 and its compact SUV sibling uses the much acclaimed 1.0L EcoBoost unit too.

This car sells ~488 units on an average each month (when combined with sales of the Classic). To put things into perspective, the segment leader, Honda City, sold ~5,240 units per month in the last 6 months. Ford is clearly giving the Fiesta step-motherly treatment and seems like it is no mood to revive sales of the Fiesta in the domestic market. It's a pity seeing the fate of such a competent sedan. The company appears be confused about its Indian operations at the moment and is solely relying on the EcoSport to drive in the profits.

[Parth46]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

A special thanks to D-Bhpian deetjohn for bringing this to our notice.


This car sells ~488 units on an average each month (when combined with sales of the Classic). To put things into perspective, the segment leader, Honda City, sold ~5,240 units per month in the last 6 months. Ford is clearly giving the Fiesta step-motherly treatment and seems like it is no mood to revive sales of the Fiesta in the domestic market. It's a pity seeing the fate of such a competent sedan. The company appears be confused about its Indian operations at the moment and is solely relying on the EcoSport to drive in the profits.

This is plain ridiculous on Ford India's part. It's such a shame that such a car is being reduced to this. Exorbitant pricing + huge waiting period + no interest shown by the manufacturer to sell this product = sad end to the Fiesta!! How long will the EcoSport mania last that too with products like ix25 coming soon? As it is, EcoSport is not generating that much buzz in the market right now. One word, SAD.

[Zubin21]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

A special thanks to D-Bhpian deetjohn for bringing this to our notice.

Ford has gone a step ahead and raised the prices of its Fiesta significantly higher than the rest! After this price hike, the Fiesta is almost Rs. 90,000 dearer than what it was during its launch in June 2014. Current ex-showroom Delhi prices are Rs. 8.50 lakhs, Rs. 9.40 lakhs and Rs. 10.19 lakhs for the Ambiente, Trend and Titanium variant respectively; prices have shot up by Rs. 81,000, Rs. 85,000 and Rs. 90,000! This will result in even higher on-road prices crossing over a lakh. drive in the profits.

I think this is just out of any sane persons imagination. Firstly i experienced the same sales rep attitude, called up AVK ford earlier in the week to see if a test drive vehicle was available, they replied "Yes sir, we have all versions of EcoSport available for TD"!! i told them twice that its for Fiesta, then too he gave me pricing for Eco Sport!! Some how on my third attempt he quoted on-road mumbai price for Titanium Fiesta of 12.9lac I just hung up the phone. No point in buying at these prices, Honda V MT i-DTEC is lower priced!
Few days passed, the sales rep calls me again saying "Sir, where and when should i bring the EcoSport for TD?"!! I just told him sorry i am no longer interested.
I had so much made up my mind to put my money on this car because it just looks so smashing in front of all the sedans put together plus the ride / handling combo, but alas if the manufacturer itself is hell bent on destroying the product, what can someone else do?

[Chetan_Rao]

A lakh dearer?

Might as well stop sales in India and add the already meager numbers to the export lot.