[linuxmanju]

Originally Posted by itsashishsharma

The Polo/Vento twins are no good handler,

Both are decent handlers if you ignore the awful steering feedback. Infact right up there amongst the best.

That reminds me of one more thread, where people said Vento brakes are bad. At that time I argued that the brakes are fine, except they lack feedback. Recent autocar shootout confirms that the Vento has the shortest stopping distance.

my father's Zest feels much better at triple digit speeds than Polo. For the same money, I could get with that sweet k series engine, it was

Have you driven one long enough mate ?. I am surprised at your comment. In fact, polo feels more solid at higher speeds than most of its counterparts. Including Figo, with its tiny tires.

Handling Figo wins hands down but high-speed stability, I would vote for a polo here.

[nvramsub]

Ford must be thinking about relaunching Fiesta with some changes. There are a few reasons for me to think this way

1. When the current Fiesta was launched, they had clearly set limits on their supply to dealers. The SA at Metro Ford where I bought the car said that they were trying to position it as a niche car and wanted to test how the market is responding. Sales is one way to gauge market response. Another way is social media analytics. Ford being an American company must be using a lot of analytics. On this very forum, there have been thousands of posts written about the car, giving countless suggestions for improvement. We would be naive to believe that they haven't looked at this. If I were to recommend anything based on the comments in this forum, it is to simple find a way to increase rear space, add a more powerful diesel engine, bring a petrol, Ecoboost and an AT option. At least 3 of these are easy to achieve. Ecoboost may be too expensive with an AT option, but may be fine with an MT. Adding rear space may be a challenge. Essentially, the launch of Fiesta in 2014 has given them very specific feedback to improve what is already a great car.

2. Fiesta is a great global brand. Best car in the UK in the segment. Why will Ford not want to offer it in India?

3. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/162389-scoop-ford-testing-fiesta-automatic-transmission.html

Arguably, they didn't market the car. But they never really wanted to go all guns blazing. Yet, they launched and now have taken it off the shelf. Poor sale figures cannot be the reason for pulling it out, because they didn't forecast high numbers in the first place. So, all these seem more like a planned strategy to me.

Well, all this may be wishful thinking and I am totally wrong. I just hope I am not. If I am, then I just need to go and do this:

[jayded]

Originally Posted by linuxmanju

Both are decent handlers if you ignore the awful steering feedback. Infact right up there amongst the best.

Have you driven one long enough mate ?. I am surprised at your comment. In fact, polo feels more solid at higher speeds than most of its counterparts. Including Figo, with its tiny tires.

Handling Figo wins hands down but high-speed stability, I would vote for a polo here.

You are just contradicting yourself by saying the Polo is a decent handler and then saying it's right up there with the best. Punto/Figo are great handling cars, not just decent. Even a Swift is good, not just decent. Polo is good, but not even close to the best handling cars in the segment.

And what tiny tires are you talking about? The Figo comes with 175 section tires and the Polo comes with 185 section from the factory. Polo is only marginally wider.

And lastly, high speed handling/stability is a mix of how the car runs flat, the way the steering weighs up and provides feedback. Sorry to say, but the Polo is behind the Figo on all these counts.

[linuxmanju]

Before you jump at me and say, let me clarify where do I stand in all these.

I currently own two of the cars you mentioned here.

I am an ex owner of a Figo TDCI and first few to book this car as soon as it was available in showroom. I enjoyed every moment of driving it 30K odd KMs before I sold it off as I was about to travel.

My current drive is a TOT remapped 90 HP punto which does some insane top speeds in no time. The car has clocked 33 K Kms. I am currently waiting for my Fiesta titanium to be delivered by this weekend.

To clarify some of the points you mentioned.

Originally Posted by jayded

You are just contradicting yourself by saying the Polo is a decent handler and then saying it's right up there with the best.

To be honest with you Polo handles good, no not in the league of Figo. But it does handle well in comparison to few Korean and Japanese cars. I said right up there with the best, "did not say the best". That includes Figo, swift and Polo. I don't see the contradiction.

And what tiny tires are you talking about? The Figo comes with 175 section tires and the Polo comes with 185 section from the factory. Polo is only marginally wider.

Please ask anyone who has driven 175 and 185 profile at high speeds, there is a huge difference.

And lastly, high speed handling/stability is a mix of how the car runs flat, the way the steering weighs up and provides feedback. Sorry to say, but the Polo is behind the Figo on all these counts.

I beg to differ here. High-speed stability and handling are two different things. And Polo does stay composed at high speeds. I still say, better than most cars.

[jayded]

Originally Posted by linuxmanju

Before you jump at me and say, let me clarify where do I stand in all these.

I currently own two of the cars you mentioned here.

I am an ex owner of a Figo TDCI and first few to book this car as soon as it was available in showroom. I enjoyed every moment of driving it 30K odd KMs before I sold it off as I was about to travel.

My current drive is a TOT remapped 90 HP punto which does some insane top speeds in no time. The car has clocked 33 K Kms. I am currently waiting for my Fiesta titanium to be delivered by this weekend.

To clarify some of the points you mentioned.

And yeah, congrats on the Fiesta. I'm sure you'll enjoy chucking it around.


To be honest with you Polo handles good, no not in the league of Figo. But it does handle well in comparison to few Korean and Japanese cars. I said right up there with the best, "did not say the best". That includes Figo, swift and Polo. I don't see the contradiction.


Please ask anyone who has driven 175 and 185 profile at high speeds, there is a huge difference.


I beg to differ here. High-speed stability and handling are two different things. And Polo does stay composed at high speeds. I still say, better than most cars.

Sorry man, not jumping on you here. Just putting forward my opinion.

Let me clarify where I stand here, as well. I drive a TOT remapped Figo TDCi on 185 section tires. So I really don't need to ask anyone else about the tires now, do I?

I do understand high-speed stability and handling are two different things, but just saying that a wider tire doesn't just make a car better stable. With the vague steering and minimal feedback, I wouldn't call the Polo a better handler or even more stable than a Figo. Than "most cars" yes, I was just replying to your comment comparing it to the Figo. Polo is a good car, not discounting anything from it's positives.

And yeah, congrats on the Fiesta. I'm sure you'll enjoy driving her around.

[linuxmanju]

Originally Posted by jayded

Sorry man, not jumping on you here. Just putting forward my opinion.

No worries mate. Where is the fun without a good debate .

I do understand high-speed stability and handling are two different things, but just saying that a wider tire doesn't just make a car better stable. With the vague steering and minimal feedback, I wouldn't call the Polo a better handler or even more stable than a Figo. Than "most cars" yes, I was just replying to your comment comparing it to the Figo. Polo is a good car, not discounting anything from it's positives.

Looks like someone is spoilt by that soulful Figo's hydraulic steering . I agree that steering feedback makes a huge difference. In my defense, I did say "if you ignore the awful steering feedback", polo does well.

And yeah, congrats on the Fiesta. I'm sure you'll enjoy driving her around.

Thanks, I am sure I will enjoy the car, I can't wait to get my hands on it after two TDs.

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by nvramsub

Ford must be thinking about relaunching Fiesta with some changes. There are a few reasons for me to think this way
...

Well, all this may be wishful thinking and I am totally wrong. I just hope I am not. If I am, then I just need to go and do this:

Sorry to disappoint but Ford doesn't plan to focus on the Fiesta anymore. Reason: poor backseat space (lesser than the Figo Aspire / hatchback). They learnt the hard way and are now channelizing their resources towards more lucrative, mass market products that will be bring them volumes. Just quoting my post from another thread:

Originally Posted by S2!!!

Had a chat with a very senior person from Ford. The company has no plans to revive the sales of the Fiesta and are mulling an all-new +4 m sedan (which is currently being sold in international markets) to replace the Fiesta. However, that will take another year, if not more. Reason being, they've learnt from research that rear leg room and interior room is of utmost importance for a car to sell and even 'that person' admitted that the Figo or the Aspire is going to have relatively more room at the back than this C-segment sedan. As of now, they're primarily focusing on the Aspire, Endeavour and the Figo hatchback.

On the flip-side, seeing the response for the Fiesta's demise on this thread, used Fiesta price tags might go up and like the Palio S10, owners might actually command a premium in the years to come.

[jayded]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

On the flip-side, seeing the response for the Fiesta's demise on this thread, used Fiesta price tags might go up and like the Palio S10, owners might actually command a premium in the years to come.

Highly unlikely in my opinion. The old Fiesta 1.6S, may be yes, but the global Fiesta, not so. The Palio S10/Octavia VRS/1.6S etc. were exclusive cars in their own rights, which stood out from their regular models that were being offered alongside. They had exclusivity written all over them. Ford never bothered to plonk in a more powerful engine in the new Fiesta nor did they release an S version for the enthusiasts. The car is destined to flop in the used car market as well since it's just another car that didn't sell well.

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by jayded

Highly unlikely in my opinion. The old Fiesta 1.6S, may be yes, but the global Fiesta, not so. The Palio S10/Octavia VRS/1.6S etc. were exclusive cars in their own rights, which stood out from their regular models that were being offered alongside. They had exclusivity written all over them. Ford never bothered to plonk in a more powerful engine in the new Fiesta nor did they release an S version for the enthusiasts. The car is destined to flop in the used car market as well since it's just another car that didn't sell well.

For the global Fiesta, it'll be deja vu all over again. It will attract few buyers in the second hand market as well but the majority of them will again be enthusiasts who may not pay a premium but will definitely not shy away from buying one.

Exclusivity is a given with the global Fiesta as they sold very few of them. The S10, vRS and the 1.6S did not set the sales charts on fire either!

I agree it lacks power but suggest you to drive one when you get a chance and you will understand how special a car it is, if you like driving.

[anachronix]

^^ Agree with jayded!

The Global Fiesta like any other Ford will be sought by people who know about the car and want one. Rest wouldn't care! Even the 1.6S when I wanted to sell it there was hardly any demand in the market except for a few not so serious inquiries.

That said, even the hyped up resale value of a Swift was also hard to sell. I know folks who had a hard time selling his pristinely maintained Swift.

[itsashishsharma]

Originally Posted by jayded

Highly unlikely in my opinion. The old Fiesta 1.6S, may be yes, but the global Fiesta, not so. The Palio S10/Octavia VRS/1.6S etc. were exclusive cars in their own rights, which stood out from their regular models that were being offered alongside. They had exclusivity written all over them. Ford never bothered to plonk in a more powerful engine in the new Fiesta nor did they release an S version for the enthusiasts. The car is destined to flop in the used car market as well since it's just another car that didn't sell well.

Couldn't agree more. Though the Fiesta is an exclusive car and best driver's car too this side of 20L, among other things, what made Palio 1.6, Octavia VRS and Old Honda City really special is the engine, and that is where Fiesta loses its ground. Though its a fantastic engine in so many ways, it doesn't have outright raw power.
But then a remapped Fiesta with 115hp and 240Nm will fair better than OHC etc. I am getting mine remapped after it has run 5k KMs. Grinning..

[jayded]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

For the global Fiesta, it'll be deja vu all over again. It will attract few buyers in the second hand market as well but the majority of them will again be enthusiasts who may not pay a premium but will definitely not shy away from buying one.

Exclusivity is a given with the global Fiesta as they sold very few of them. The S10, vRS and the 1.6S did not set the sales charts on fire either!

I agree it lacks power but suggest you to drive one when you get a chance and you will understand how special a car it is, if you like driving.

Agreed with you when you say that an enthusiast would not shy away from one, but all I was saying was that, very few, if not nil, would be searching the classifieds for a used Global Fiesta. They would rather look for a Fiat Linea T-jet, a Polo/Vento TSI etc.

True that the vRS, 1.6S, S10 are cars that sold in few numbers, but their regular versions sold pretty well and had high visibility, unlike the Fiesta which you hardly spot on the road. I see more Jaguars XFs on the road compared to the new Fiesta. The sad truth is that even for an enthusiast looking for a used car, the new Fiesta doesn't just cut it.

[rsm97]

Originally Posted by itsashishsharma

Couldn't agree more. Though the Fiesta is an exclusive car and best driver's car too this side of 20L, among other things, what made Palio 1.6, Octavia VRS and Old Honda City really special is the engine, and that is where Fiesta loses its ground. Though its a fantastic engine in so many ways, it doesn't have outright raw power.
But then a remapped Fiesta with 115hp and 240Nm will fair better than OHC etc. I am getting mine remapped after it has run 5k KMs. Grinning..

It seems that of limited number of Fiesta sold, a good portion is going to be remapped in future. If any fellow member has actually remapped his global Fiesta, I urge him to share the source as well as the outcome.

Also am curious if tdci is a remap happy engine, as came across several conflicting opinions?

I personally will be happy with anything over 100hp and 230Nm.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by rsm97

It seems that of limited number of Fiesta sold, a good portion is going to be remapped in future. If any fellow member has actually remapped his global Fiesta, I urge him to share the source as well as the outcome.

Also am curious if tdci is a remap happy engine, as came across several conflicting opinions?

I personally will be happy with anything over 100hp and 230Nm.

I met Gino Sebastien of Code 6 Tuning who got his global Fiesta remapped. He initially had got it done by Pete's, but had several issues after that. Later he got it done by Code 6 in Bangalore. He was all praises for it. I don't think he's a member here, but is on another forum. I think bhpian tadukuttan can give you further inputs.

[Chuckster]

I had gone to Kairali Ford Trivandrum yesterday to take a look at the figo aspire. While chit-chatting with the sales advisor, I asked him about the discontinuation of the fiesta. He said he was totally unaware of this news and that they did not get any intimation to stop accepting further bookings for the same. So I asked him why ford was not promoting fiesta and he replied that ford fiesta is mainly intended for export. Now I don't if it was a case of dealer ignorance or whether the author of the ET Auto article got it wrong. I mean if the fiesta sedan is being exported why would they halt it's production.