Ford Fiesta 1.6 ZXI: Upgraded ICE, Tires, Lights & now Seats

shajufx · 22nd June 2009, 18:22

This thread is the result of almost a month-long waiting, calls, reviews, clarifications through phone, sms, forums etc. which has come to a conclusion at Fiesta 1.6 ZXI

.

Targets
Comfort, Safety (ABS+EBD a must), decent engine power, less troublesome for 5 years, family of 3 with 2 kids (3 year old and 2 months old). Less than 400 kms in the city, 300 or nil on highway as a monthly average, so naturally a PETROL. Budget 5 to 7 !

Transition of mind from a hatchback to sedan !
My Journey in search of a new car started by the mid of May 2009, although the mental plans were begun in February itself. Waiting for the ownership reviews of i20, launch of Ritz ,grande Punto and honda Jazz were with the intention of owning a hatch back again. This buy would be the 4th in the last 6 years ( Corolla 2003-2005, M800 2006, WagonR 2007-2009 ), and this should remain with me for atleast 5 years by any chance.

After reading i20 reviews for almost 2 weeks and interacting with few owners personally, I went for a TD of the i20. As with most brands, they had only the higher end Asta version for TD. I found the car to be good enough to my liking. Waiting period of 45 days or more was an unhappy thing to hear. There was a Verna on display, I was just curious to get a feel of that too. It was a Petrol 1.6 VTVT given for TD. I was happier to drive the verna around than an i20. So, I came home more confused like any other team-bhpian on the modification threads !

Again the reading and analysing part (me being a EURO analyst, cant avoid the home work

) continued in full swing. Then comes the Honda Jazz review from our dear GTO. After reading that thread, somehow I didnt feel like testing it, although I was willing to stretch my budget slightly. Few days later, I happend to see the Jazz TV ad, it was such a put off, I thought; if advertisements were the reasons to buy a car, I would have bought an Indica Vista. Still, I tried calling up Magnum honda for a TD. Looks like the whole month is booked for TDs. May be its not meant for me.

GO FIDA
So far Verna was ruling my mind because anyway hatchback plan got thrown out the moment I drove the Verna, although not completely, considering the city drive. The sedan spirit continued and led to sedan forums here. I found a minority group of FORD. None of the reviews suggested something which I didnt like. So, the Fiesta started growing over me. When I called up Metro and Lathangi, I was surprised to hear the price part. The fully loaded petrol version of Verna on-road was quoted 8.52. A fully loaded (except leather seats and airbags) Fiesta ZXI was quoted 7.20 on-road after few discounts. WOWW ! I was so happy to save that 1.32 lak because I am very sure, I would salivate on good-looking alloys and meatier tires very soon. So, Fiesta TD was imminent !

Unfortunately, Metro TD car got into an accident and it took 1 full week for getting it back to shape. That gave me ample time to do a detailed reading and comparison of Fiesta to other sedans. Thanks to our member and Fiesta owner Unni for a very cordial interaction, which kept me very happy.

Today was my TD of Fiesta 1.6 (only sports version is available for TD). I tried to rip it through the new airport road, but eventually it ended up in bumber to bumber irritating TD with very few exceptional stretches. Sports version has only the added suspension (stiffer), spoiler and few cosmetic works here and there, engine being the same as other 1.6 versions without any change. Exhaust note is very addictive if you tend to upshift slower than usual, I am sure the mileage will get a down kick too.

So, the final decision is now clear. Its a FIESTA 1.6 ZXI Morello color (introduced 6 months back). I have not seen a single car in this color till today, so I need to visit the St.Marks road showroom and see it in real and book the car on wednesday. Now ZXI comes with ABS, EBD, 2 DIN MP3 player with Aux-in, Roof antenna, 6 speakers, driver seat height adjust, full fabric ebony & camel seat covers, 12 V power out in the front, collapsible & tilt adjustable steering column, body color & electric ORVMs, electric boot release, central locking, PATS (passive anti theft system), keyless entry, front fog lamps, DTE display, tacho, headlamp on, low fuel and door ajar warnings, rear seat centre arm rest with cup holders etc. Really excited and waiting.

'WE DONT CARE BRAND'
Now the other brands that did not care about neither my enquiry nor my TD requests over the phone. First place goes to Maruti's 'claimed to be best' dealer RNS. I called them 4 times in the last 3 weeks. First it was for a TD of dezire. My name, number and address were taken, but nobody called back. Next week I tried calling for a RITZ TD, same process was repeated but nobody called back. Then I thought I would give a try to BIMAL dealer at whitefield. Same process of name, number, address, so far no idea of a TD. Now I have given up on Maruti for sure. Remember I wanted the high-end version with ABS. I had taken my WagonR from RNS mid of 2006. But I heard a lot about the management attitude and related issues that has downgraded this place now. May be they have too many customers and excessive deliveries, who cares !!

Reason for not puntoing !
Looks like this is the best hatchback hard-earned money can buy in India right now. I would have been very happy to own one. I can only blame my location for that. There is not a single showroom nor service centre anywhere in North Bangalore. My closest showroom and service for a FIAT will be Diary circle, that is 20 kms through the most congested city (1 hour off-peak and 2 hours peak traffic time, and 18 hours of a day is peak in this direction). I would have considered it seriously if they had a 24 hours open service centre. Atleast we can drop the car at mid night and pick it up next mid night. Time is money ! I dropped Linea from the list, just because I didnt like the interior fit and finish of my neighbour's car.

Mods: I would like to keep this thread as an ownership review for the future. Please let me know if its in the appropriate section.

More updates on wednesday. Now the only thing to be clarified is the availability of the color (Morello) and the waiting period. Sales chap had told me he can deliver any color within 15 days. Hope that was not just a sales talk pre-booking.

unni.ak · 22nd June 2009, 18:31

Congrats Shaju. Hoping that the delivery of your color choice doesn't take too long. Glad to be of help.

vnabhi · 22nd June 2009, 18:39

Go Fida Shajufx---I am sure you'll be as delighted a customer of the 1.6 as I am.

shajufx · 22nd June 2009, 18:47

Thanks Unni. It was a pleasure to get your help.

Vnabhi, we have some similarity in our upgrades

Hope we can have a show-off thread sooner in the line of proud scorpio, safari, innova owners ! GO FIDA !!

ported_head · 22nd June 2009, 21:03

Great call shaju! I recently got a chance to sample a Fiesta 1.6 over some highways and great country roads, and I absolutely loved it. Handles very well, especially over bumps, even at high speeds. The 1.6 motor, while isn't peaky and urgent like the Dzire 1.3, is linear and has quite some torque low down. Steering is less vague than the Dzire's too. Also, it won't rattle your brain numb, unlike anything from the Swift platform. Your rubber beadings won't look like they have contracted some tropical disease,either. The brakes leave a little to be desired, though.

Mpower · 22nd June 2009, 21:28

Congrats! Fiesta S is the closest thing to a complete sports car in that segment
What is Morello in everyday language?

netarchie · 22nd June 2009, 21:44

Congrats shajufx, Good choice. I am sure the excitement will never die down with that 1.6 motor. Enjoy !

shajufx · 22nd June 2009, 21:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by ported_head

Great call shaju!

Thanks. You bet, I could not find another sedan in this price range (7.20) with the features it comes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mpower

What is Morello in everyday language?

Ford has taken this word in relation to the Morello Cherry with the same colour. Here it is.

Ford Fiesta 1.6 ZXI: Upgraded ICE, Tires, Lights & now Seats-morellocherry.jpg

And this is what ford has given in its website. I have not seen a single one on road so far (launched only 6 months back). Will see it in real on Wednesday. I hope it will be unique on road unless some BPO plans to give all its 1000 staff same color personal car in the future !

Ford Fiesta 1.6 ZXI: Upgraded ICE, Tires, Lights & now Seats-morello.jpg

Thanks netarchie !

ariendj · 22nd June 2009, 21:49

congrats.. im too a proud owner of the ZXi and im loving every bit of it.
i had my time of selecting between the ANHC,linea and SX4 and i ended up with this.no regrets whatsoever...

marathp · 22nd June 2009, 21:57

shajufx,

Exactly my thoughts.. I am also in the market for a sedan and confused between Fiesta, Aveo and Linea.

BTW, you can try one more round of negotiation for Fiesta. Offer to me after all the discounts was 7.09 L OTR in Bangalore

Did you try Aveo by any chance? I want to TD it before finalizing.

Thanks

Jaggu · 22nd June 2009, 22:03

You like low end torque, heavy european build, wholesome handling and good ride. There is nothing to beat the Fiesta. Use the pedal judiciously and you will get decent FE figures also, upgrade the tire by one size in width and you are ready to go.

Go fida! Very good choice, if it was not for oil burner requirement for me i would have picked Fiesta 2 years back.

JayD · 22nd June 2009, 22:20

Congrats on the Fiesta Shaju. Its a brilliant buy. Way better than the verna petrol too. I've been using a ZXi petrol for over two years now, and its a joy to drive. The colour choen is good too. I've seen a few here, and it really stands out! Enjoy your new car! Go Fida!

P.S: How much does the 'S' cost now?

shajufx · 22nd June 2009, 22:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariendj

congrats.. im too a proud owner of the ZXi and im loving every bit of it.

Hi Arien, do you find any difficulty in maintaining the light shade seats ? Have you fixed any accessories like reverse sensor, broader tires etc. ? Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marathp

BTW, you can try one more round of negotiation for Fiesta. Offer to me after all the discounts was 7.09 L OTR in Bangalore
Did you try Aveo by any chance?

Wow, tell me about it buddy. Where you got that quote from ? I still have over 30 hours to negotiate if there is a chance. You can PM me if you prefer. I avoided Aveo from my list because I have 2 in my society itself. Owners are not happy with the rattling and overall handling compared to others in the segment. Have you done TD of Fiesta 1.6 ? If you do, I dont think you will like any other sedans below 8.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Use the pedal judiciously and you will get decent FE figures also, upgrade the tire by one size in width and you are ready to go.

Using the pedal is the most difficult thing to do

. You cant resist the itching on your foot to floor, its a catching temptation which will fix you on seat just like that. I could not resist the exhaust note that came while moving from 2nd to 3rd. I think RPM above 4000 makes that beautiful and addictive exhaust. Yes, I might look for 185/65 tire, not planning to think of 15" though.

Thanks JayD, now I find more Fiesta boys around than expected !

The advantage of present ZXI is, Ford has added ABS, EBD and few other things without changing the cost.

gksunil · 22nd June 2009, 22:58

hi shaju
I test drove a fiesta diesel today; but i want to go for petrol one . For petrol ZXi the price quoted by Metro Ford Hubli is 7.53. They promised to give 10000 exchange bonus and 5000 corporate discount. That would bring it to 7.38! Please tell me the break up of your discounts so that I can tell the same to the manager in Hubli; after all they are a sister concern of the Metro Ford in bangy. Thank you

neotraveller · 22nd June 2009, 23:01

congrats shajufx,

Fiesta is an awesome driver's car.
I had almost finalized Fiesta SXI Morello color, but then I was bowled over by the curves of the Linea!

Infact out of all verna, Linea, SX4 ... Fiesta offers unmatched road visibility and steering feel(=linea).

go fida!

22nd June 2009, 18:22	#1
shajufx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: BLR & Singapore Posts: 1,806 Thanked: 831 Times View My Garage	Ford Fiesta 1.6 ZXI: Upgraded ICE, Tires, Lights & now Seats This thread is the result of almost a month-long waiting, calls, reviews, clarifications through phone, sms, forums etc. which has come to a conclusion at Fiesta 1.6 ZXI . Targets Comfort, Safety (ABS+EBD a must), decent engine power, less troublesome for 5 years, family of 3 with 2 kids (3 year old and 2 months old). Less than 400 kms in the city, 300 or nil on highway as a monthly average, so naturally a PETROL. Budget 5 to 7 ! Transition of mind from a hatchback to sedan ! My Journey in search of a new car started by the mid of May 2009, although the mental plans were begun in February itself. Waiting for the ownership reviews of i20, launch of Ritz ,grande Punto and honda Jazz were with the intention of owning a hatch back again. This buy would be the 4th in the last 6 years ( Corolla 2003-2005, M800 2006, WagonR 2007-2009 ), and this should remain with me for atleast 5 years by any chance. After reading i20 reviews for almost 2 weeks and interacting with few owners personally, I went for a TD of the i20. As with most brands, they had only the higher end Asta version for TD. I found the car to be good enough to my liking. Waiting period of 45 days or more was an unhappy thing to hear. There was a Verna on display, I was just curious to get a feel of that too. It was a Petrol 1.6 VTVT given for TD. I was happier to drive the verna around than an i20. So, I came home more confused like any other team-bhpian on the modification threads ! Again the reading and analysing part (me being a EURO analyst, cant avoid the home work) continued in full swing. Then comes the Honda Jazz review from our dear GTO. After reading that thread, somehow I didnt feel like testing it, although I was willing to stretch my budget slightly. Few days later, I happend to see the Jazz TV ad, it was such a put off, I thought; if advertisements were the reasons to buy a car, I would have bought an Indica Vista. Still, I tried calling up Magnum honda for a TD. Looks like the whole month is booked for TDs. May be its not meant for me. GO FIDA So far Verna was ruling my mind because anyway hatchback plan got thrown out the moment I drove the Verna, although not completely, considering the city drive. The sedan spirit continued and led to sedan forums here. I found a minority group of FORD. None of the reviews suggested something which I didnt like. So, the Fiesta started growing over me. When I called up Metro and Lathangi, I was surprised to hear the price part. The fully loaded petrol version of Verna on-road was quoted 8.52. A fully loaded (except leather seats and airbags) Fiesta ZXI was quoted 7.20 on-road after few discounts. WOWW ! I was so happy to save that 1.32 lak because I am very sure, I would salivate on good-looking alloys and meatier tires very soon. So, Fiesta TD was imminent ! Unfortunately, Metro TD car got into an accident and it took 1 full week for getting it back to shape. That gave me ample time to do a detailed reading and comparison of Fiesta to other sedans. Thanks to our member and Fiesta owner Unni for a very cordial interaction, which kept me very happy. Today was my TD of Fiesta 1.6 (only sports version is available for TD). I tried to rip it through the new airport road, but eventually it ended up in bumber to bumber irritating TD with very few exceptional stretches. Sports version has only the added suspension (stiffer), spoiler and few cosmetic works here and there, engine being the same as other 1.6 versions without any change. Exhaust note is very addictive if you tend to upshift slower than usual, I am sure the mileage will get a down kick too. So, the final decision is now clear. Its a FIESTA 1.6 ZXI Morello color (introduced 6 months back). I have not seen a single car in this color till today, so I need to visit the St.Marks road showroom and see it in real and book the car on wednesday. Now ZXI comes with ABS, EBD, 2 DIN MP3 player with Aux-in, Roof antenna, 6 speakers, driver seat height adjust, full fabric ebony & camel seat covers, 12 V power out in the front, collapsible & tilt adjustable steering column, body color & electric ORVMs, electric boot release, central locking, PATS (passive anti theft system), keyless entry, front fog lamps, DTE display, tacho, headlamp on, low fuel and door ajar warnings, rear seat centre arm rest with cup holders etc. Really excited and waiting. 'WE DONT CARE BRAND' Now the other brands that did not care about neither my enquiry nor my TD requests over the phone. First place goes to Maruti's 'claimed to be best' dealer RNS. I called them 4 times in the last 3 weeks. First it was for a TD of dezire. My name, number and address were taken, but nobody called back. Next week I tried calling for a RITZ TD, same process was repeated but nobody called back. Then I thought I would give a try to BIMAL dealer at whitefield. Same process of name, number, address, so far no idea of a TD. Now I have given up on Maruti for sure. Remember I wanted the high-end version with ABS. I had taken my WagonR from RNS mid of 2006. But I heard a lot about the management attitude and related issues that has downgraded this place now. May be they have too many customers and excessive deliveries, who cares !! Reason for not puntoing ! Looks like this is the best hatchback hard-earned money can buy in India right now. I would have been very happy to own one. I can only blame my location for that. There is not a single showroom nor service centre anywhere in North Bangalore. My closest showroom and service for a FIAT will be Diary circle, that is 20 kms through the most congested city (1 hour off-peak and 2 hours peak traffic time, and 18 hours of a day is peak in this direction). I would have considered it seriously if they had a 24 hours open service centre. Atleast we can drop the car at mid night and pick it up next mid night. Time is money ! I dropped Linea from the list, just because I didnt like the interior fit and finish of my neighbour's car. Mods: I would like to keep this thread as an ownership review for the future. Please let me know if its in the appropriate section. More updates on wednesday. Now the only thing to be clarified is the availability of the color (Morello) and the waiting period. Sales chap had told me he can deliver any color within 15 days. Hope that was not just a sales talk pre-booking.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 18:31	#2
unni.ak BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 777 Thanked: 84 Times View My Garage	Congrats Shaju. Hoping that the delivery of your color choice doesn't take too long. Glad to be of help.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 18:39	#3
vnabhi Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: DC -> DC Posts: 5,958 Thanked: 2,393 Times View My Garage	Go Fida Shajufx---I am sure you'll be as delighted a customer of the 1.6 as I am.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 18:47	#4
shajufx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: BLR & Singapore Posts: 1,806 Thanked: 831 Times View My Garage	Thanks Unni. It was a pleasure to get your help. Vnabhi, we have some similarity in our upgrades Hope we can have a show-off thread sooner in the line of proud scorpio, safari, innova owners ! GO FIDA !!
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 21:03	#5
ported_head Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 2,387 Thanked: 20 Times	Great call shaju! I recently got a chance to sample a Fiesta 1.6 over some highways and great country roads, and I absolutely loved it. Handles very well, especially over bumps, even at high speeds. The 1.6 motor, while isn't peaky and urgent like the Dzire 1.3, is linear and has quite some torque low down. Steering is less vague than the Dzire's too. Also, it won't rattle your brain numb, unlike anything from the Swift platform. Your rubber beadings won't look like they have contracted some tropical disease,either. The brakes leave a little to be desired, though.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 21:28	#6
Mpower Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 10,409 Thanked: 1,730 Times View My Garage	Congrats! Fiesta S is the closest thing to a complete sports car in that segment What is Morello in everyday language? Last edited by Mpower : 23rd June 2009 at 00:58.
	(1) Thanks

22nd June 2009, 21:44	#7
netarchie BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 397 Thanked: 10 Times View My Garage	Congrats shajufx, Good choice. I am sure the excitement will never die down with that 1.6 motor. Enjoy !
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 21:49	#9
ariendj BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sunshine State Posts: 525 Thanked: 156 Times View My Garage	congrats.. im too a proud owner of the ZXi and im loving every bit of it. i had my time of selecting between the ANHC,linea and SX4 and i ended up with this.no regrets whatsoever...
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 21:57	#10
marathp BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 138 Thanked: 35 Times	shajufx, Exactly my thoughts.. I am also in the market for a sedan and confused between Fiesta, Aveo and Linea. BTW, you can try one more round of negotiation for Fiesta. Offer to me after all the discounts was 7.09 L OTR in Bangalore Did you try Aveo by any chance? I want to TD it before finalizing. Thanks
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 22:03	#11
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,215 Thanked: 15,907 Times	You like low end torque, heavy european build, wholesome handling and good ride. There is nothing to beat the Fiesta. Use the pedal judiciously and you will get decent FE figures also, upgrade the tire by one size in width and you are ready to go. Go fida! Very good choice, if it was not for oil burner requirement for me i would have picked Fiesta 2 years back.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 22:20	#12
JayD Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Cochin! At last Posts: 3,236 Thanked: 2,568 Times View My Garage	Congrats on the Fiesta Shaju. Its a brilliant buy. Way better than the verna petrol too. I've been using a ZXi petrol for over two years now, and its a joy to drive. The colour choen is good too. I've seen a few here, and it really stands out! Enjoy your new car! Go Fida! P.S: How much does the 'S' cost now? Last edited by JayD : 22nd June 2009 at 22:22.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 22:58	#14
gksunil BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: karwar Posts: 79 Thanked: 7 Times	hi shaju I test drove a fiesta diesel today; but i want to go for petrol one . For petrol ZXi the price quoted by Metro Ford Hubli is 7.53. They promised to give 10000 exchange bonus and 5000 corporate discount. That would bring it to 7.38! Please tell me the break up of your discounts so that I can tell the same to the manager in Hubli; after all they are a sister concern of the Metro Ford in bangy. Thank you
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 23:01	#15
neotraveller BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 739 Thanked: 0 Times	congrats shajufx, Fiesta is an awesome driver's car. I had almost finalized Fiesta SXI Morello color, but then I was bowled over by the curves of the Linea! Infact out of all verna, Linea, SX4 ... Fiesta offers unmatched road visibility and steering feel(=linea). go fida!
	() Thanks