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Ford Fiesta 1.6 SXI Sedan

When the local Ford dealer called me up to inform that the first batch of Fiestas had arrived in the city, I jumped at the opportunity to take the baby out for a test ride! After the sales fiasco of the over-priced Ford Fusion, Ford was expected to leave no stone unturned with their new offering. I was very excited when I landed up at the showroom first thing the next morning.

First Look

I was not at all disappointed when I lay my eyes on the beautiful Fiesta. I was looking at the top end 1.6 SXI DuraTEC version with optional ABS. The Ford Fiesta will not exactly make you drool, but is sure to get you noticed. On the front the Ford Fiesta sports a large bumper and a large radiator grille and very well proportioned twin headlamps. The bonnet lines which end at the radiator grill impart a much understated aggressiveness to the complete look.

From the side the Ford Fiesta looks very well proportioned and the grip type door handles look and feel great. The black B pillar adds character to the look and the raised wheel arches complete the understated aggression look. The rear will fool some into believing that they are looking at a Mercedes. The wrap-around tail lamps are a straight lift from a merc. The chrome strip above the number plate looks good and adds class. So at first look the Ford Fiesta is a winner. Now let’s step inside and see what the Fiesta has in store!

Interiors

As soon I stepped into the driver’s seat and closed the door, I was reassured by the solid thud of the door closing and of the excellent build quality of the car. The interior of the Fiesta has been done in a beautiful and luxurious black and beige scheme. The quality of the trim is excellent and has a very rich feel to it. The interior is very spacious and the driving position is very comfortable with a commanding view of the road. The instrument panel in front of me was impressive. The Ford Fiesta’s instrument panel boasts of a tachometer, a digital trip meter, a fuel gauge, a clock, and an outside temperature display. The silver garnish on the dashboard, AC vents and the leather wrapped steering looks good. There is an ICE (In Car Entertainment) system at your command, which includes a 6 in dash CD player, AM/FM radio and a 6 speaker system. Ford should have included an MP3 player which is the standard in all cars of this segment. The sound quality is good, although not at par with some of the high end systems available in the market. The height adjustable driver’s seat gives the driver a commanding view of the road. The rear view mirrors and the boot lid are electrically operated and are very convenient. However, the bonnet opening latch is very strangely and inconveniently placed on the passenger’s side! At the rear, there is ample legroom, but three passengers may feel a bit cramped. There are reading lights and magazine pockets in the rear for the corporate traveler.

Road Performance

As soon I as I turned the key, the 101 bhp beast came to life silently. I was impressed! The NVH levels in the Ford Fiesta are very low and you will hardly hear the engine until you rev it hard. I turned on the AC and put the car into gear. The Ford Fiesta took off confidently and without any vibration. I could feel the power of the 100 horses under the hood as I accelerated to 35 kmph and shifted to 2nd gear. The Ford Fiesta has excellent low-end torque and city riders will be pleased with the gear ratios. Shifting through the gears was very easy and the big gear knob has excellent feedback. Very soon I was seeing 90 kmph on the dial and it felt as if I was doing only 40kmph! The power steering is very responsive and has a turning radius of 4.9 meters which is very good for a car this size. The steering remained rock steady in a straight line the car did not roll too much in high speed cornering. The Fiesta does feel a little light at high speeds and you feel as if the tyres may lose their grip, but I guess that is because of the alloy rims and tubeless tyres. The suspension of the Ford Fiesta is something to write home about. I took the car on an especially bumpy stretch of road to put the suspension to test, and the suspension literally soaked up the pot holes! I could hardly feel the bumps as the car glided over the trademark bumpy Indian road. Full marks to Ford for an excellent piece of suspension engineering. This baby is made for the Indian roads! Braking is good, although at high speeds you wish that they had put in disc brakes in the rear too. However the optional ABS will make the braking surer. The Ford Fiesta is a driver’s car and it wants you to extract every bit of performance out of it.

Verdict

As compared to the New Honda City 100 bhp VTEC and other cars in its category, the Ford Fiesta feels much solidly built and handles much better on the road. Ford has put together a near complete package in terms of style, comfort, power and reliability. And at a very attractive price tag of under 7.5 lakhs for the top end version, I feel the Ford Fiesta beats the Honda City VTEC and other cars in its class by miles in terms of performance and value for money. With features specially developed for the Indian market, like the 0.45 meter deep water proof capability, typical of Indian monsoons, and the fast cool AC, the Ford Fiesta has an edge over the competition. If the guys at Ford finally put their service network act together, they have a sure winner on their hands. This is by far the best performance car in its category on Indian roads today and has the potential to be No. 1 in its class on Indian roads soon!