Ford’s Fiesta sedan had a less that
satisfactory showing when it was first launched in India. Let us see if the
latest 2014 version of the Fiesta has the potential to pose a stronger
challenge
I’m behind the wheel of the 2014 Ford
Fiesta, a facelift in truth, but then again, there wasn’t too much wrong with
the original power mill on the Fiesta, and Ford seem to have followed the ‘if
it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ policy. The Fiesta has retained its fun factor
from the previous generation of the car, but not a lot else has remained the
same.
The
Fiesta is without doubt the most fun to drive car in its class, it’s the best
looking too
I had the key to the top-end Titanium trim,
and I have to start with the one factor that glares in the face: the Fiesta’s
face itself. They weren’t kidding when Ford announced the ‘facelift’ I guess,
because that front grille isn’t something you see on a Ford often, and is
rather reminiscent of a certain British luxury sports car maker, the one that
James Bond seems to have a particular affinity for. In my eyes it looks
fantastic; especially when the shiny chrome of the front grille is played off
against this particular shade of Golden Bronze (it comes in five other colour
options too). The headlights too have been given a massive upgrade, and they
look sharper and more angular, further accentuated by the slightly vaulted hood
they flank. From the sides, the Fiesta doesn’t look anything different from its
predecessor. At the rear too, the changes are minimal, only the tail-lamps get
a little makeover to match the eyes of the car, along with a slight reshape of
the bumper. There is, however, one issue with the exterior of the car despite
the Fiesta’s time ‘under the knife’. Panel gaps are evident, particularly at
the confluence of the hood and the bumper.
The
use of piano black on the centre console and door handles looks super cool
Climb inside the cabin, and the first thing
you’ll notice is that everything feels a little cramped. The second thing
you’ll notice is the two-tone dash, all-black centre console and beige seats
that are very easy on the eye. The seats, however, aren’t easy on the back.
Allow me to elaborate. Now I’m a big guy, which means the flared arches of the
seat, rather than providing support to my sides, pokes into my back instead,
which can be quite disconcerting and more than a little uncomfortable,
especially when covering long distances. The irony of Ford being an American
company wasn’t lost on me at this point, and the cramping is only intensified
when you climb into the back seat, because the rear leg-room is woefully
inadequate, despite Ford’s efforts at reshuffling the interior pack to amend
this shortcoming. The rising shoulder line means that the rear window tapers
sharply at the back, which only adds to the feeling of constriction at the
back. Comfort wise, the rear seat doesn’t fare too well either, and the
repositioned headrest makes the installation of a child seat inconvenient. The
plastic used in the interior, although an improvement on the Fiestas of the
past, hasn’t yet achieved optimal quality levels, and still feels a little
chintzy. Boot space stands at 430 litres, which is par the course for a
C-segment car.
The
SYNC is smart when it comes to recognizing the Indian accent, but how often
will it be used?
All this is partly assuaged by the wicked
gadgetry that Ford have crammed into the Fiesta, though. Push button start,
steering-mounted audio controls, and automatic wipers and headlamps are present
and correct with the latter a particular luxury given the segment the Fiesta falls
in. What truly sets the Fiesta apart, though, is the sound system with
Microsoft Sync, voice command, and AppLink. The sound system is bass-tastic,
and in a good way too. Voice command works perfectly well, whether it’s asking
the system to place phone calls or requesting a particular song or artist to be
selected from the USB drive.
