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-   -   Ford Fusion @ 5.8 Lacs. And a car shopping sunday (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/7484-ford-fusion-5-8-lacs-car-shopping-sunday.html)

My brother is looking out for a daily driver in the 6 - 7 lac range, so the entire sunday was spent at a variety of car showrooms (translated the perfect sunday!). Heres a brief summary:

Mahindra showroom at Marine Drive

Presentation and the first impression can either make it or break it for a business. This is where Mahindra sucks. When we arrived at the Marine Drive showroom, the shutter was half down and there wasnt a SINGLE sales person. No one knew what was happening - including the watchman and many customers. Finally and after a lot of chaos, we got to know that the ONLY salesperson who turned up on a Sunday was out for a test drive and we had to wait about 30 minutes for her to get back. Once she was back, we plonked ourselves in the Scorpio and headed out on an empty and wet marine drive (absolutely anti-scorpio conditions). According to the emission norms, you can now only register the CRDe Scorpio in Mumbai and at 8 lacs on the road - Its an absolute waste. The fit and finish is just not upto the mark even though Mahindra have had plenty opportunities to improve it in the 3 years since launch. The older Scorpio at 6.5 lacs was a steal - but the 8 lac price tag really kills the deal. The final nail on the Scorpios coffin was the lack of mid-bench room and that my 6.0 ft friend could not fit comfortably in the drivers seat. Yes, there was an additional 45 minute wait when we got back to the showroom, for the price lists and brochures.

Chevy Optra 1.6

Walking into the Chevy showroom right after the Mahindra experience made us feel like we had walked into heaven. There was certainly more than 1 sales person, and all 10 of them were extremely co-operative. The Optra 1.6 is a dream and is available at 7.8 Lacs after discounts and On the road including tax, insurance and registration . For a black Optra with beige interiors and most power options (windows, steering, mirrors etc.), this price is an absolute steal. The Optra impressed with its size, interior room and comfort, ride quality and sheer value. This is a car that competes with the Octavia and Corolla!

Ford Ikon

Fords Josh machine was a blast to drive on the sea-face. High-revving up and down and attacking the corners with unbelievable aplomb, this car feels much faster than it actually is. The Ikon scored the most on smiles per mile. 5.8 lacs on the road all inclusive for the well-equipped EXI version. The rear seat was surprisingly comfortable.

Ford Fusion

Yes, the Fusion! It was not even a contender since I have always seen it as a 7 lac hatchback. Butttttttttttttttttt theres a whopping 1 lac rupee discount on the Fusion now. Orinally the Fusion cost about 6.8 Lac on the road in Bombay. At 5.8 lac rupees on the road after discounts, the Fusion suddenly looked different. We drove it hard, and revving it until 7,000 rpm (Yes, 7000) was an absolute delight. The interiors are light years ahead of the Ikon, and this car really reminds you of the Mondeo in many ways - The engine sound, the braking, gearshift....heck, even the ignition key is identical to that of the Mondeo. Butttttttttttttt it looks like a sissy (no offence to anyone), and my friend instantly eliminated it for the looks and the unconventional approach.

Ford Endeavour

Yes, I know its not in the 7 lac budget but whats the harm in testdriving one! In Euro 3 form, the Ford SUV has some more horses and this showed in the distinct improve in driveability. But old grouses like a TATA 407 ride quality and horrible interiors still remain. Its again a waste at 16.8 Lacs on the road in Mumbai. But the Ford is incredibly tough and well-built. It feels like the first rattle will probably come at the million kilometer mark. I think its the perfect SUV for someone who lives in the rural mountains, but certainly not for urban conditions.

My friends wife eliminated the Baleno without even a second thought. The wife said its either her or the Baleno! So no point talking to her about the superior engineering etc. I would have considered the Petra but my friend is not ready to take the risk due to the shaky future of Fiat India.

There were some other misc. test-drives but I will leave that for later.

GTO

Wow .. enviable Sunday !

Which variant of the Fusion was this ?

Nice one there.....so did you shortlist any yet or will there be more such Sundays :-)

Well at the price which Chevrolet is giving Optra i think thats the best deal. BUT it will slightly exceed your budget.

The Ikon is going for a face lift md next year so no point considering that.

Fusion Kuch Nahi Karega! Really a poor car, at that price as well. Getz is a better buy then the fusion. Also did the vehicle have ABS? Poor Aero, Ground Clearance of the vehicle wont let you unleash horses at 7000RPM!

Ford is no competition to the CRV, with the last row of seats almost non exsistant!!

Scorpio again a bit overpriced.

SO now i guess your friend should settle for the Optra!!

Spoke to Ford here today ...

Fusion base model prices : (before nego)

Ex-Showroom : 623000
Insurance : 23345
Regn : 34800
---------------------------
Base OTR : 681145


Discounts
Insurance : 23345
Regn : 34800
Finance : 15000 (@3% for a 5 L loan)
Corporate: 5500
---------------------------
Discounts : 78645


Net OTR : Rs. 602500

Now the Q is how good is it at this price ?
Say compared to the Baleno LXi (~ 5.7 OTR) and the Petra ELX (~6.1 OTR) ?

Call Saurabh at Shaman Ford. Tell him the two mad guys from Sunday evening gave you the reference. Normal version of the Ford Fusion at 5.8 Lacs on the road. Fully loaded ABS version at 6.8 lacs on the road.

Where did you get that Baleno price of 5.7 Lacs?

GTO

@GTO ... Those are Kolkata prices ! Your post had me really interested, hence I called up Ford !

They said OTR was 6.81 for the base version and I went .. Huh ?!?

I then mentioned to the Ford guys that someone I know at Mumbai had got a quote of 5.8 .. and they started drowning me in discounts immediately !!

A sunday really well spent . With the possibility of govt. reducing taxes on small size vehicles, there will be a different pricing policy post budget for bigger vehicles.

"Wait and thou shall receive a better deal!!"

The plot thickens. The Ikon dealer called and is offering a further 20,000 discount on the Ikon 1.6 EXI. And we can register it ex-thana since my bro has an investment home outside octroi limits.

That means, a Ford Ikon 1.6 for 5.4 Lacs on the road and keys in your hand

GTO

friggin hell...what's he waiting for!

Man oh man...mumbai is "Indian" motoring heaven...

@ GTO - Touring - Whats the price of the ZXi you getting. Try hard i am sure you can get a better discount on the ZXi since the car is not selling much. All potential Ikon Zxi fans have shifted base to the Baleno. Ikon mainly sells in 1.3 form nowadays. I am sure the Zxi version will command a higher discount as well as resale!

Cheers!

Yes, I guess the discount will be more than the 86,000 we are currently getting (plus octroi benefits because of the outstation house)

Buttttttttttttttttttt he wants to put his own choice of after market alloys on the car. And an upgraded music system.

GTO

That is an amazing deal on a very nice car. Got get it.

GTO...

which dealer is that man ?