Team-BHP - Ford Fiesta : Test Drive & Review

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Quote:

Originally Posted by vb-san (Post 2445117)

The GC bit is updated in Page 1 of this thread. Its 168mm. Pretty good for a car with taut suspension setup.

The sales guy told me 156mm. I guess their training program leaves quite a bit to be desired. Though he also did mention that they had taken the car out with 5 people in it and didn't face any problems on potholes and speed breakers.

After reading most of the comments I feel relieved not to have waited for the new Fiesta.
I am previous owner of earlier Ford Fiesta ZXI and a Ford Fusion +, both with the duratorq engines.
A disappointing factor is the option(or lack ) of interiors. I dont prefer black/grey interiors. Its a personal choice. Its sad that Ford isn't offering beige interiors even as an option in the higher models. They do have beige interiors in the Fiesta in China.
Surprising that they have decided not to offer that trim in India, where beige is preferred by people specially in the 10+ segment.
I was really looking forward to continuing my loyalty with Ford, but feature for feature, I would say the Fluidic Verna is a better option for me, the lack of driving dynamics and not-so-great handling on the highway be damned.
I feel it offers better VFM for me and have booked the 1.6 SX(o) auto variant.
Ford, you have lost a loyal fan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phenomonstar (Post 2445763)

I was really looking forward to continuing my loyalty with Ford, but feature for feature, I would say the Fluidic Verna is a better option for me, the lack of driving dynamics and not-so-great handling on the highway be damned.
I feel it offers better VFM for me and have booked the 1.6 SX(o) auto variant.
Ford, you have lost a loyal fan.

If you are not in a hurry and if the budget permits, you may want to wait for Focus which is supposed to be going through testing and may be launched very soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fusion2006 (Post 2445406)

The sales guy should be wrong in this case. The update was from our official review team. And I am sure about the correctness of the information.

I test drove both the petrol and diesel variants today.

* Excellent handling. Could ride over speed breakers potholes with minimum fuss and it was very comfortable. If at all I buy this car my body will definitely bless me :)
* No cabin noise
* Very easy to driver in bumper to bumper traffic near cauvery theatre junction
* Good response from steering wheel
* Linear delivery of power in diesel. Did not feel any turbo lag
* Seating was very comfortable (I am 5'6)
* Did not face any problem while reversing. The 2 rear view mirrors and central mirror are more than sufficient. I dont think reverse sensor is a must for this car.
* AC was pretty effective.
* Bluetooth pairing was instant, and voice clarity excellent.
* Yes it is not a rocket. Diesel version better than Petrol. But if you look at Petrol independently it is not bad for mostly city drives and occasional highway drives.
* The controls are overwhelming. Maybe one will get used to it.
* Dead pedal could have been better.
* Back seat suited for 2 normal adults + 1 kid max. Does not look like a 12L car when seated at the back.
* Both petrol and diesel cars had half full tank. DTE in petrol was 144, and 280 in Diesel!
* The red lights for the MID are quite harsh. Not sure if the contrast can be dimmed?
* Gear shift is pretty smooth.

P.S. All these are strictly my opinion based on the 144 km driven petrol and 500 km driven diesel car at Metro Ford, Palace cross, Bangalore :)

Got the chance to explore the new Fiesta today, My inferences below:
* The key I came across was the fold type key fob, that was curved and hence fit my hands perfectly, very comfortable to hold it!
* The key hole was crudely finished, looked like it was sand cast! Was disappointed by it :(
*Space was sufficient for my height of 5'8. Front seats and steering were superb!
*The hood inner structure, lower grill, AC vents inner sides, tail lamps, all had the honey comb structure! Thats some character :)
*Cabin was very well insulated.
*Music system was great!

Quote:

Originally Posted by vb-san (Post 2445117)

The GC bit is updated in Page 1 of this thread.
-------------------------
The above mentioned points are good enough for a sensible buy. I feel the 1.5/1.6 case is more about expectations. But the original 1.6 (120ps) would have made a huge difference in the petrol car scene. Petrol anyway is the low volume segment, and hence they would have ditched the tuned for FE philosophy.
-------------------------
I feel the biggest deterrent still is the price. Even folks who have booked the car are going for a cancellation without doing a TD.

Thanks for the update and link on the GC, @Vb.

When I say letdown, it really is not limited to the sales. And given that our expectations change based on what we pay, to me, the engine really didn't feel up there with the price; as you may have read.

About people giving up the car without a TD may be based on:

1. People booking this over the Verna based on expectations of a low price
(please keep in mind that we are talking about people who are sharing their views on Tbhp)

2. Given all the talk about the engine not being good enough, it would have made expectations of an even lower price. More talk about the engine not feeling powerful enough after other's test drives too would have been discouraging. Also consider some people live in places where it may not be easy to take TDs.

3. The other things were largely known, except the price. People may have accepted other drawbacks expecting a Figo like VFM, which really didn't happen.

The above three points are quite similar really.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyrotek (Post 2445193)

On the whole, I am afraid this car has no idea who it needs to target. It just stands out for feeling fresh and different, but once that dies down, the going could get tough. The interiors are simply deplorable. I can safely say some parts of it were even worse than my Punto!

This car costs as much (or slightly more) than a City of comparable spec. In my view, the Trend Variant is as loaded as the City V. Yet, if I had to choose between the two, I would be severely tempted to go with the City. if only then can work some magic with the Fiesta's interior quality, and I might tilt the ball in its favour, just so slightly.

About whom this car is for/targets, am quoting from the TD report on the Driven! thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poitive (Post 2441575)

But that doesn’t sum it up enough. So who is this car for?
A family which doesn’t have tall people or is a couple with a kids and wants a car with some FTD, is looking for a car with some sense of style, image and good FE. Something the neighbors will look at. Someone who does go on highways and enjoys driving and still wants to stay away from Tata service.

If there aren’t tall people pushing the seats back, the rear bench should surely feel better than the Verna. The Verna may feel better if there are more tall people, as basic legroom is something one needs – an airy feel and under-thigh support is what one can relatively do without.

About the petrol, the City seems to be a more practical choice, even though I haven't done a 'proper' TD of the City or the NFF Petrol. It is just that the cabin of the City is so much better and the NFF only seems to score on the handling front. Worse in most other significant aspects (not talking gadgets here).

Quote:

Originally Posted by prabhuferrari (Post 2446174)

* Excellent handling. Could ride over speed breakers potholes with minimum fuss and it was very comfortable. If at all I buy this car my body will definitely bless me :)

After testing (all?) the cars in this segment, after the Optra, I think my marks would go to the NFF for a composed ride across various speeds. (Again after the Optra) has an excellent package of ride and handling - very mature.

Edit: @aravind, Did you not tell the Ford chaps about your tag line on Tbhp: Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. -Henry Ford. ;) LOL

Happened to see two white new ford fiesta's running down the highway. They looked terribly small with very less road presence. I think Hyundai has done a much better job in making the car look much bigger. Really doubt the actual sales figures would meet the targets at this price point.

Leaving the NFS, finally I took delivery of my Fiesta 1.4 SXI (Moondust Silver) yesterday. It drives so good and comfortable! The dealer yesterday told me confirmed that SXI will continue to come as Classic SXI as otherwise there is no vehicle in Ford now between CLXI of the Classic and the Style of the NFS--a huge price gap. So the NFS can be treated as a car above the existing one, as dealers used to maintain before its launch and push the old Fiesta.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poitive (Post 2446455)

Edit: @aravind, Did you not tell the Ford chaps about your tag line on Tbhp: Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. -Henry Ford. ;) LOL

Ha ha ha ha! Good one Poitive :D
On a more serious note, I just hope the Ford strategy of launching Global models here, does not bump up the pricing. The Fiesta is the first of the 8 new models before 2015 right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by gemithomas (Post 2447094)

The NFF, it seemed very small to me too. We even had a discussion about it's size as compared to the Fluidic on this or the older NFF thread. But if you see pictures of it with someone standing next to it, it starts to feel much bigger.

The design of the Fluidic is more of instant appeal. If such designs are there in big numbers, they can easily boring and loose appeal. Relative to that, the design of the NFF is more sedate and may possibly have a longer term appeal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aravind.anand (Post 2447610)

Aah! So we ask for 'global pricing' and want 'desi prices' LOL

I am a bit more for 'Made for India' cars, with more space in them. Manza, Etios and the likes. We do need a better and more consistent finish and a 'bit' of a premium feel to them. The NFF is hugely cramped when compared to those Made for India cars.

As @Vb has said on another thread, the Ikon from Ford, was a good example of a Made for India car.

A little OT on a test drive thread -

My colleague who cancelled his booking with chennai ford, received the refund cheque today and 2k has been deducted as the cancellation charges. This is inspite of the SA telling him he will not be charged any penalities for cancellation.

Surprise/Jammy -Can you clarify if you had to pay this with chennai ford?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surprise (Post 2442081)

Did they mention any cancellation charges?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jammy28 (Post 2443412)

I too booked at Chennai Ford and when I booked the car, the SA promised to refund full amount in case of cancellation. He confirmed again today that there will not be any cancellation charges.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poitive (Post 2447893)

I agree. The NFF visually appears more narrow an compact as compared to the Verna.

The dark interiors make the inner space appear more cramped too than it actually is.

I dont know if others were expecting much less from FORD and not be disappointed. The NFF is truly disappointing IMHO. I would prefer the Classic Fiesta even though its old. It still looks good and has a good engine.

If they are going to come out with such products/strategies they might not require a second plant in Gujarat.

My friend who had booked the NFF needs to wait till august 3rd week for delivery of this car. Surely not worth the wait. He is now itching to cancel the booking. Any suggestions here?

I suggested he go in for the Optra Magnum as per the suggestions by @Poitive. Truly more car for the money spent. But, how good is the A.S.S of GM?

Assuming this has not been posted before.

Price List(Chennai) from the MPL Ford.

The NFF was parked in the Office premises yesterday to catch a lot of eyeballs. And today reps came from the showrooms to give a demo of the car's features.