NEW Ford Fiesta review - Party time

Few people have ever driven a Ford Fiesta 1.6S. Even fewer people own one. To most, it looks like a regular Fiesta with a spoiler and body kit slapped on, but to those discerning few who know it it was the best handling car for under Rs 10 lakh until a few months ago. I was lucky enough to have spent six months in one, and I kid you not, it left an indelible mark in my life. Then Ford rehashed the Fiesta, called it the Fiesta Classic, pushed it down the price band and killed the 1.6S. I’m sure a few people cried over its loss, and I don’t doubt one bit that it has the makings of a cult classic.

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Driving therapy

That’s pretty much the only lament I have, because the new Fiesta is seriously impressive. Ford hasn’t announced prices just yet, but we think it should undercut the new Hyundai Verna and Honda City by some margin, spec-to-spec. It needs to, because the Ford Figo has somewhat cemented Ford’s reputation as a price champion, and it can’t afford to lose all that goodwill now, can it?
It’s the first of eight new cars the American car maker intends to bring to India between now and 2015. And unlike most other cars Ford has sold in this segment to date, this is as modern a car as it gets. Currently on sale in China, Europe and North America, it’s quite handsome, just like the new Verna. A prominent and heavy nose is relieved by stacked headlamps, a large air-dam and neatly integrated fog lamps. When viewed in profile, the rising waistline gives a hint of its hatchback lineage, and it can’t hide the bulk around the rear wheel arch too well, despite the wraparound tail lamps. It’s a fairly tall car that appears a bit narrow when placed next to some of its competition, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have space inside.