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BHPian GForceEnjoyer recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
A car is supposed to transport you from A to B in reasonable comfort without a fuss. It is also expected to be reliable and efficient as well as cheap to maintain in the future. On the side, it is supposed to look attractive and fancy enough to look good in front of your neighbours. That’s the definition of a car we’ve evolved to accept as an average Joe, and most cars are designed to cater to just that. Their literal definition is even simpler; Merriam-Webster defines a car as “an object moving on wheels”.
Then there are the people who are different. To whom a car does not provide merely utility, but emotion. To the people for whom cars aren’t just a way to express financial progress, but passion. The ones who live for every rotation of the crankshaft, every rev match, and the feel of having the reins to a beast under your feet and at your fingertips. Some cars cater to them too. Most of them are purpose-built for it and of course purpose-priced for it. This is the story of one that wasn’t, but ended up being exactly that, disguised as your average car.
In September of 2006, my parents started looking for a car to have in addition to the 2004 Ford Ikon 1.3 Flair we had in our garage at the time. The criteria at the time were simply “Sasti, sundar aur tikau”, which when translated from Hindi to English means, “Cheap, beautiful and durable”. What they didn’t fully know yet, was that their new acquisition would have massive shoes to fill. The Ikon had nurtured them to expect character, and whether they knew it or not, ensured that their next acquisition would be a worthy successor. Here is my comprehensive review of the car I came home from the hospital for the first time in, one I am lucky enough to still have in our garage.
Chevrolet Aveo: The car that got the closest to being chosen over the Fiesta. Poor NVH levels and inferior seating comfort were some of the things to swing the decision in the Fiesta’s favour:
Hyundai Elantra: Yes, this car was a segment above the Fiesta, but due to it being the cheapest D1 Segment sedan, a test drive was taken. The poor steering feel, looks and rather floaty suspension worked against its advantage of interior space:
Honda City: Rejected without a test drive due to its looks:
After a lot of hunting for offers around Delhi-NCR, the deal was made with Southcity Ford (now defunct) for just under 7 Lakh rupees. The model chosen was the top end 1.6 SXI with ABS. We actually had to wait for the chosen colour (Paprika Red) to become available, since stock had just started to arrive. Now this is where we made a mistake: not performing a PDI and opting for home delivery of the car. On the original date of delivery, the salesman called about a delay in delivery mere hours before the scheduled time. Then the car was finally delivered after a couple of days and getting caught up in celebration, it went unnoticed that the bumper had been replaced and the paint touched up. So, there was the culprit behind the sudden delay!
Anyways, on to the review:
Those familiar with Fords of the time will immediately spot the resemblance to the larger Mondeo, especially the trapezoidal air dam at the lower half of the bumper flanked by round fog-lamp housings. It is a purposeful and simple look. The contours on the hood flow into the sides of the diamond mesh grille, which has a neat chrome border. The windshield washers though an eyesore, do the job well. A slightly more exciting design would be welcome, but this one definitely isn’t bad either.
The chromed out twin barrel headlights have a separate bulb for the low and high beams, as well as for the parking lights. All bulbs are halogen, including the turn indicator. A black surround instead of the chrome one would look more tasteful according to me. A strange issue has plagued the left headlight for all our time owning this car; the low beam bulb sometimes simply stops working. However, a mild slap on the hood near the headlight almost always resolves the issue.
Remove this little circle to get access to the front towing hook.
The ORVMs are well suited for the size of the car and give great visibility all around. They are electrically adjustable but not foldable.
The side profile has a traditional three-box silhouette and is really well proportioned; this car is a proper three-box sedan. The Fiesta has strongly flared wheel arches, which highlight the rather small 175/65/R14 tires. The wheels remind me of Lincolns from the early 2000s. Anyone else see the resemblance?
A character line runs all the way to the boot, parallel to the gently rising window line. The chrome side moldings seen here are standard on the top end SXI variant only and do embellish the (elegant but otherwise somewhat bland) side profile. The front bumper has unfortunately sustained some scratches in an accident.
The side indicator. Note the Ford logo on the lens.
Pull-type door handles, which were only just beginning to become common in 2006.
The license plate housing is in the center of the boot, as it is traditionally with sedans. The taillights are reminiscent of the W203 Mercedes C Class and gel fantastically with the rest of the boot. The bumper protrudes out a healthy amount and does well to cushion minor impacts, preventing damage to the boot lid. The roof swoops neatly into the C-pillar and the almost Hofmeister-like kink at the base of the rear window.
430 litres of space combined with a pretty usable design means that you can pack in quite a bit of stuff. The rear bench also folds down as a whole. Note the metal seat back; it is to prevent items in the boot ending up in the cabin in the event of a collision.
Exhaust is tucked away neatly.
The wheel arch at the front is fully clad....
...And so is the one at the rear! No cost cutting here, good job Ford.
Ventilated disc brakes (258 mm) at the front.
Drum brakes at the rear.
This car can be turned into a serious looker by adding side skirts, a spoiler and bigger wheels aftermarket… Oh what am I talking about? Ford already did this part with the Fiesta S. Does anyone know if the OEM body kit is available for over-the-counter purchase?
Some parting shots taken near Rachakonda Fort:
Continue reading BHPian GForceEnjoyer's review of his Ford Fiesta 1.6 petrol for: