[mxx]

Originally Posted by GTO

I completely agree with this statement. Ford is probably using the Fiesta hatch to tune the powertrain & suspension.

BUT a part of me thinks : What if Ford does an i20? That is, a truly international grade premium hatchback, loaded to the brim with equipment, and a good petrol / diesel lineup? Every other manufacturer has woken up to two runaway successes : The Fortuner and the i20. A 7 lakh rupee hatchback may sell for 2 lakhs more than regular 5 lakh'ers, but the difference in cost of production is 15% tops. Think of the profit margins!

Then, there's inherent long-term benefits for the brand. I mean, the i20 is frequently seen sharing garage space with Mercs & BMWs. Did the i20 raise Hyundai's badge value? You betcha!

True about i20. It is one car that surprised us all with its sales.
But I think i20's case (of it being introduced here) is different. Correct me if I am wrong but isnt chennai plant also an export base? So, hyundai had good reasons to introduce it here.
Fiesta case is different from this.
We would love to have fiesta on our roads for sure. But I think our best bet is fiesta sedan, as per mags. Not complaining, as long as we get atleast one of these.
BTW, why is camouflage mandatory. Did we not have cruze sighted all over the country without camouflage?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by mxx

But I think i20's case (of it being introduced here) is different. Correct me if I am wrong but isnt chennai plant also an export base? So, hyundai had good reasons to introduce it here.

Absolutely. Hyundai was anyways going to export the i20 out of its Chennai plant, so its launching cost in India was minimal.

However, with the i20's current performance (did 5,500 last month), Hyundai would have done very well even WITHOUT the export volumes.

[anachronix]

Which Fiesta is coming first? The hatch or the sedan?

I prefer the looks of the hatch over the Sedan.

[MaserQ]

Maybe Ford does not see the need to camouflage the Fiesta hatch as it has been on sale in other markets for a while now. Having seen the success of the i20, Ford must at least be considering the Fiesta hatch for India.

The hatch design is fresh and sporty. Now, if only they stick in a 1.6 petrol/diesel and price it sensibly, the car has potential for glory.

[indivic]

So far Ford have not launched a product in India which they did not camouflage during tests, this is from my experience of chasing the Fusion, Fiesta, Ikon facelift, Endy (including the latest release) and Figo.

The Ikon and Endy facelifts even though minimal still were masked during the testing.

My guess is that this is only the platform testing for the sedan and engines, even though Mustang indicated that the fiesta hatch is also going to be launched in India.

[Gilead]

Originally Posted by anachronix

I prefer the looks of the hatch over the Sedan.

Me too! Let's skip the new Fiesta and keep an eye on the Focus expected in 2013. What say?

Originally Posted by MaserQ

The hatch design is fresh and sporty. Now, if only they stick in a 1.6 petrol/diesel and price it sensibly, the car has potential for glory.

I don't know about the diesel, but it's definitely coming with a 120 BHP 1.6 petrol. And EPS.

[AbdulRahmanM]

Hi Guys,

I spotted this car today morning, on the GST road, the front looked like i20, but when i saw that the logo was hidden, i asked my fellow passenger to be ready with the mobile camera, and here are the pictures, any guesses anyone? It had a TN registration.








Mods, please merge if a thread is already existing for this.

[AyAn!]

Its the Euro spec Ford Fiesta hatch.Thread already exists.

[sachinj12]

That is supposed to be the new fiesta hatch. Pics of the car were posted in another thread.

[AbdulRahmanM]

Oh, i was the one who posted it earlier too, but this car, looked a bit different from the front, if its the same car, MODS , please merge this. Sorry for the inconvenience

[rajushank84]

Yes that is the Fiesta for sure. So it is like almost confirmed we're getting this car next year!

Reason:
They seem to be doing quite a lot of testing, and this model is already doing well in other countries, so there is no reason they would be testing it here for export reasons. Added to that, the fact that Mustang indicated that Fiesta would be launched here next year AND the guy at MPL told me so too, it is nothing short of obvious that this hot hatch is coming next year!

I wonder how this Fiesta, Swift 2011 and Golf (?) will stack up against each other. Looking forward to 2011! Something tells me we will no longer be talking about i20, Figo, Punto and Polo after 2012.

[acidkill]

Im sure that Ford will consider doing a launch in India, if it plans to manufacture this car for export markets from here. It also seems fairly plausible because both the ikon and the current fiesta are aged products...

After the success of the i20, ANHC, Fortuner and Cruze.. nearly every manufacturer would have started working on business plans to start localized manufacturing of previously CKD assembled products

[rajushank84]

Just learnt that this same Fiesta has been launched in the USA too, because my friend there is considering buying it. A quick google search reveals that most reviewers are delighted with its steering and handling abilities, and they call it "best in class" after comparing it with the Honda Fit.

When launched here next year, methinks it should be a no-brainer for anyone buying a hatch to just go for it. Unless Ford mess up on the pricing, of course.

[prashanthyr]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Just learnt that this same Fiesta has been launched in the USA too, because my friend there is considering buying it. A quick google search reveals that most reviewers are delighted with its steering and handling abilities, and they call it "best in class" after comparing it with the Honda Fit.

When launched here next year, methinks it should be a no-brainer for anyone buying a hatch to just go for it. Unless Ford mess up on the pricing, of course.

Yes, the Fiesta sedan has been launched...and at a price that we cant even dream of in India. The top spec starts at $16,000, with 7 airbags, ABS, AC as standard. Since we pay more than $16,000 for the India current gen Fiesta (Previous generation in the rest of the world), I doubt we'll get it at anything less than Rs 11 L (over $24,000). Of course, this being India, it'll be called VFM by every one concerned.

[karanraheja]

Originally Posted by prashanthyr

Yes, the Fiesta sedan has been launched...and at a price that we cant even dream of in India. The top spec starts at $16,000, with 7 airbags, ABS, AC as standard. Since we pay more than $16,000 for the India current gen Fiesta (Previous generation in the rest of the world), I doubt we'll get it at anything less than Rs 11 L (over $24,000). Of course, this being India, it'll be called VFM by every one concerned.

I doubt if New Fiesta Sedan will be priced at 11-12 lacs. The realistic price for
Fiesta hatch should be 6-7.75 lacs OTR and Sedan 8-10.5 lacs OTR. Anything about this and it could be a blunder !