The Ikon’s big brother has just arrived, and it’s a sensible, high-value, grown-up sedan. Bob Rupani comes away impressed, but rather overfed

Eggs to order, bacon porridge, idlis, paranthas, and orange juice. Followed 30km later by masala milk, samosas, etc etc. At the next pit-stop, again 30km later, sandwiches, chips, cola, and then lunch. Chicken masala, palak paneer, dal makhani, kulchas and pulao, ras malai and gulab jamuns for dessert. And four more pit stops with more food. The Ford Fiesta Delhi-Jaipur-Delhi drive had more halts than a local bus and more food than we eat in a week! But Ford was in a mood to celebrate, and why should I, perpetually trying to lose weight, spoil the party?

After all, Ford was showing the media its newest Indian car, the Fiesta. A car on which its future possibly rests and if a table with a huge spread can help, who am I to complain? Having made a somewhat dull debut in India with the Escort, Ford’s next car the Ikon was branded as the josh machine. It was and is about excitement and driving pleasure and it succeeded in exciting the Indian consumer about Ford products. And now, there’s Fida. They spent a lot of time studying the market and analyzing the Indian consumer and decided to introduce a car with more interior space, appealing but conservative styling, better economy, lighter controls, higher seating, quicker and smoother response, improved drivability, a better ride, superior cooling and refinement.

Enter the Fiesta. A car developed by an international team of 150, including 13 Indian engineers, who together put in 500 man hours of work and tested the car for over 700,000km, in nine countries including India and Australia, with almost 42,000 litres of Indian fuel exported to Australia for testing!

What does all this translate to on the road? The petrol 1.6 which has been remapped and is now called the Duratec delivers 100bhp in a linear, progressive manner. Thanks to electronic throttle control, response is almost immediate, but it has none of the exuberance of the Ikon.

Response is rapid, but power delivery is gradual and spread across a wide rev band. The wild kid has been tamed, and replaced by a mature youth that does not get the blood rushing, but yet gets you there just as quickly. The same is true of the handling. It’s predictable and precise but not as sharp. It’s no longer about turning in sharply and leaning through curves. It’s about expending less energy and going round the corner in a more composed, dignified manner. Not so much fun, but when you grow up, fun takes on an entire different meaning. The brakes are also more linear with better modulation and none of the sudden inertia-arresting attacks of the Ikon. The Fiesta does not grind to a halt; instead it glides to a stop. And on the inside you have lots more space to stretch and better quality materials and controls to operate and feel. And it’s so much more silent and refined. You are insulated from the noise, feel fewer vibrations and lesser harshness. The rough but exciting edges of the Ikon are gone, and a well-cut suit and shiny leather shoes have replaced the track pants and sneakers. And to ensure the mature, thrifty man is not disappointed, the Fiesta has an immensely attractive price tag and engines that’ll drink less and travel more. In fact, the 1.4 Duratorq which has been featured elsewhere in this issue may just set new standards in economy and refinement for diesel powerplants in India.

Kabhi Josh tha, abhi Fida hai, aur Ford ko ‘food fiesta’ ka bahut shauk hai! Shall we go for a bite?