Ford Fiesta Classic in India review

Ford Motors are a busy lot these days. They have got so much in their platter that it has literally become chaotic for them. First the launch of the Ford Fiesta Classic and now gearing up for the launch of the 2011 Ford Fiesta . Well, the latter I have already test driven however for the Ford Fiesta Classic in India, there have been many enquiries. People have been wondering as to what exactly is the change and should they go in for this variant or wait for the newer one. Well, using my contacts at Wasan Ford, I happened to get a Ford Fiesta Classic model for a review. The sales person out there tells me that they have received about 30-32 bookings for this car since the time it was announced a few days back. So finally, took the white car out of the showroom and I am ready to vroom off for the review. Check on Road Price

Looks

Ford’s kinetic design philosophy has finally come into forth in this Ford Fiesta Classic edition. It now gets crystal barreled head lamps which have an angular mesh as a nose whereas the air dams also look aggressive. Infact this version looks somewhat closer to the new version which is going to replace it soon. The head lamps also have black inserts around them. This makes them look less fish eyed than the earlier version. There are three variants namely LXI, CLXI, SXI with the latter been the highest trim level available. The SXI variant gets the 14 inch tubeless alloy wheels which are christened hyper alloys by Ford. The turn indicators find a convenient place in the outside rear view mirrors. While the lower end variant gets black ORVM, the top end one gets a chrome scalped one. The rear end doesn’t get too many changes except for the Fiesta Classic badging.

Interiors

The interiors feature a two tone interiors and the LXI as also the CLXI get Ebony and Jasper blue combination, the top end SXI gets camel and Ebony as the option. Fully fabric seats adorn all the trim levels. There is a driver seat height adjust only for the CLXI and SXI trim. The SXI trim however translates into the old Fiesta model with all the bells and whistles. It is now also called as the Fiesta Limited. The steering wheel is now leather adorned with aluminium cuffs. A 2 DIN MP3 player with 6 speakers is available for the top end variant. Seating as with all the Fords is a comfortable affair however the rear seats lack crucial leg room, something which the new generation aims to remedy. Power steering with tilt adjust as also AC with heater and electric recirculation is available on all the models. Unlike the Figo, the Ford Fiesta Classic is offered with power windows on all the three variants. Electric adjustment for the rear view mirrors are however only available on the top end variant. The AC of the Ford however left something to be desired as inspite of having turned it on a good 10 minutes ago, it failed to cool down the cabin sufficiently, not to mention the excess blower noise. There is an electric boot release available on all the variants. Boot space is still the same at 413 liters. It is also easily loadable due to its low loading lip. Moreover, the rear seats are 100 percent foldable and this increases the loading capacity.

Ford Fiesta Classic Photo Gallery

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Handling and ride quality

Ford have done nothing to change the underpinnings of this car and hence they still very much remain the same. The Ford Fiesta in India was the handling benchmark for its class. I do remember that I have called it as the poor man’s BMW once and this comment remains for the Ford Fiesta Classic. The steering is still razor sharp however the bad all around visibility means that maneuvering this car around tight city turns takes a bit getting used to. NVH is also on the lower side. The Independent McPherson struts with offset coil spring in the front plus the semi independent heavy duty twist beam with gas filled shockers mean that this car rides well in the city and at low speeds. Up the speed and the Ford Fiesta Classic would be caught off guard by the occasional bump.

Engine, performance and fuel efficiency

The engine options are carried over from the old Fiesta and the choices are limited to a 1.4 liter diesel and a 1.6 liter petrol engine. The 1.4 liter engine produces 68 Bhp of power at 4000 rpm whereas 1.6 liter SEFI petrol motor makes 101 Bhp. However the torque figure of 160 Nm for the diesel is more than the 146 Nm which the petrol makes. Both the engines are mated to a short throw long rod gearbox. The gearbox is crisp and all it requires is a nudge to shift from one gear to another. The 0-100 figures for the diesel motor stood at 14.4 seconds whereas the one for the petrol motor was 11.3 seconds. These figures are identical to the old Fiesta. Top speed figures of 161 and 169 respectively for the diesel and petrol motors is almost identical to the figures that I had got earlier for the older Fiesta.

Brakes however require more than a shove to show some significant stopping power. ABS and EBD are available only in the top SXI variant. The Ford Fiesta Classic however stops without any hullaboo. Safety features include a collapsible steering column, Passive Anti Theft System or PATS, central locking plus two airbags on the top end version. Fuel efficiency is more or less the same with the diesel returning 16.6 kmpl overall whereas the petrol returned an overall fuel efficiency of 13.45 kmpl.

Verdict

The Ford Fiesta Classic in India is one such product which is just been launched as a replacement for the Ford Ikon and also to make way for the 2011 Ford Fiesta. It has got the same features as were available in the older Fiesta, if not more. It features a slight design change which brings it closer to the 2011 Fiesta but not so close so as to cannibalize sales. What Ford have done is priced it significantly lower than the expected prices of the 2011 Fiesta. The Ford Fiesta Classic price in India for the 1.6 LXI is Rs 6,64377 while the 1.6 CLXI costs Rs 7,22522. The 1.4 LXI model costs Rs 7,71772 and the 1.4 CLXI is available for Rs 8,19411. The 1.6 EXI costs Rs 7,77956, 1.6 ZXI costs Rs 8,21010, 1.6 SXI for Rs 8,93154 and the 1.6S costs Rs 8,93154. All these prices are on road prices for Thane. A scoop revealed that Ford dealers are willing to offer a flat cast discount of Rs 1 lakh on all the SXI models. This is being done since the top end models would be scraped off soon once the new Fiesta comes in. Get latest prices of Ford Fiesta Classic across India.