[Rtech]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]It's a pretty big car and hence a price range of 6.5 to 7.5 lakhs seems adequate.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]hatch??...the car looks like a small suv to me! and all these days i was under that impression

Well, actually while the car seems large in the pictures, when you see it on the road only then do you realize that its really quite small. The SUVish looks you see in the pics dont translate out into the real world, where the Fusion ends up looking like a mix between tall boy hatch and a station wagon.

In other words, not a car to appeal to us enthusiasts, but, with the right pricing, it just may be a winner in the market.

Rt

[dipen]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (rtech @ Aug. 21 2004,11:46)]not a car to appeal to us enthusiasts, but, with the right pricing, it just may be a winner in the market.

Rt

I dont think 6.5 to 7 laks ex showroom will be the right price for it.

as fellow team mates say , at this price ppl want dikky wali gadi , no matter that the cargo sapce in the fusion will be more than the dikky wala gadi.

And the looks are nothing to die for neither the 1.3 engine anything great to talk abt , only thing is the enegine is smooth,
even the 1.8 diesel is pathetic,

its high time they get better technology diesels as hyundai is doing .( really respect hundai for its innovativeness and its ability to bring newer model in a short span of time with some great engines and looks ( elantra excluded , though not a bad looking car)

[GTO]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]I feel the price is pretty good. It's a pretty big car and hence a price range of 6.5 to 7.5 lakhs seems adequate. But, i am not sure if ordinary indians are gonna consider it mouth watering and aggressive. Most are going to feel the car is too expensive for a hatcback! so instead majority of ppl who go to the showroom to check out the fusion will instead buy the cheaper ikon flair cuz after all it's a big car - dikki walli gaadi hai- thats what indians will say. Over here, cars are only small (hatchbacks) or big (sedans or dikki walli).

I doubt that Hyundai with its Getz and Ford with the Fusion are looking at huge numbers (a la Santro & Alto) from their premium "hatches". Its a totally different positioning...people buy the Alto & Santro cos thats the most they can get out of 3 odd lac rupees. The Getz and the Fusion are for the segment which has 6 lac rupees and still wants a hatchback, not a sedan....or a "dikki wali gadi"

GTO

[amit]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]The Getz and the Fusion are for the segment which has 6 lac rupees and still wants a hatchback, not a sedan....or a "dikki wali gadi"

I do hope i am proved wrong! We really need big hatchbacks now. BUt i seriously doubt that there are ppl here who have 6 lakhs and want a hatchback. Even if they have no place to drive sedans they will still go in for one. Sedan's are status cars here - never understood how and why but maybe i am just a weirdo! for example, i had a santro and upgraded to a palio 1.6. In my books, it was a fair upgrade. I got a bigger car with a more powerfull engine. But ppl in india ALWAYS upgrade from a small car(hatch) to a big car(sedan) - shows ur moving up in life i guess! There were many ppl who wondered if i had gone bonkers. Why another hatch when u had one they asked. It's time to upgrade to a bigger car. Some suggested a ikon fliar too. I got tired of explaining to them that the palio was better cuz it had a bigger engine and more power etc etc. And guess what the counter agruement was? " but it's not a big car" thats what i heard every single time!

[ajmat]

Well, look at it this way, has the Viva - a big hatch set the roads alight or is the normal saloon outselling the viva model for model (i.e crdi and GTX)

[X-Machine]

Finally,sumthin for back-up after Ikon.
Way to go Ford.

[neverclever]

Ford expects that customers considering the Hyundai Accent, the Honda City or even the upper end Ford Ikon might be tempted by the Fusion.

Honestly, at a price tag of around 7L ex-showroom, why would they even consider such temptation? And like other TBHPians have stated earlier, the specs aren't that hot either.

Are there that many die-hard hatchback lovers out there?

[Rtech]

Some more info on the Fusion launch:
Ford Fusion

Rt

[GTO]

Read in the "Times Drive" this morning that the Fusion is going to have a 1.6 Petrol churning out a 100 horses. It sure looked nice and clean.

GTO

[satish_appasani]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]And guess what the counter agruement was? " but it's not a big car" thats what i heard every single time!

Same situation for me too when I drived my new Palio to work. I did not say a word. I just kicked everybody in to the rear seat and took them for a spin with AC fully blowing. Next, they don't have a word...

[neverclever]

Spot the differences:

One company tantalisingly invites enquiries to a car that they plan to launch only a few months down the line.
The other company strangely still has nothing to say about a car they have already launched a few weeks ago.

Enough said.

[lamborghini]

lol
well said... gotta agree with u there neverclever
well i have filled up the form and lets see what happens cause i really want to see it from inside....
maybe ford should launch the new fiesta also....
saw it recently and kinda liked it

[GTO]

Hahahaha, Neverclever. Well put!

Your statement really outlines how theres one dud of a marketing incumbent...and the other is in a complete "Josh"

GTO

[amit]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Read in the "Times Drive" this morning that the Fusion is going to have a 1.6 Petrol churning out a 100 horses.

ya i read that too but i think they have the specs of the european model listed. There are 2 reasons why i dont think the fusion will have a 100hp engine:
1. I doubt ford will bring in a hatcback thats more powerfull than a sedan. It would be a launch blunder. Ok i know that the fusion is as big as a sedan but 99.99% of indians will look at it like a hatchback.
2. more power means less FE - will indians accept a hatcback with sedan level of mileage? Also, i guess the car will be heavier than the ikon considering that it's also sold in europe. another reason for FE to go down a bit.
IF i was a part of the ford management i would suggest the engineers to tinker with the ECU and give the car about 88 to 90hp - read that as less than ikon.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Spot the differences:

One company tantalisingly invites enquiries to a car that they plan to launch only a few months down the line.
The other company strangely still has nothing to say about a car they have already launched a few weeks ago.

well said never clever. Amazing that fiat announces grandly that they are going at marketing in a big way and they miss out on something so basic. IF fiat is not gonna move it's A*S fast then even the palio's days are numbered. I have a feeling that the Getz and fusion will drive the last nail in palio's coffin soon.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]
IF i was a part of the ford management i would suggest the engineers to tinker with the ECU and give the car about 88 to 90hp - read that as less than ikon.

A la New Honda City? They sure have taught us a thing or two about marketing.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]
1. I doubt ford will bring in a hatcback thats more powerfull than a sedan. It would be a launch blunder. Ok i know that the fusion is as big as a sedan but 99.99% of indians will look at it like a hatchback.

Read somewhere that HM is going to supply the "new" engines too. Probably upgrade the 1.6 to 100 bhp in even the Ikon. Its in desperate need of some rejuvenation.

GTO