Posts Tagged segment
2011 Ford Fiesta Review
Posted on June 18, 2011 | Auto News, Auto Reviews.
Ford recently announced the 2011 Fiesta for India and a select few got to get behind the wheels as well. After driving the new Fiesta, I can confidently say that Ford has a winner. But what is the new Ford vehicle all about? Lets find out!
The new Fiesta is based on the Mazda’s B2E platform. For those not in the know, this platform has won multiple awards for the fantastic balance of ride and handling. But we will come to that a bit later. First lets talk about the looks of the new Fiesta.
Most of us believe, atleast I do, that a car should look good, no matter how it drives. This is the foremost criteria for me to even consider a car. The new Fiesta is a right step over the old Fiesta (now called the Classic). It looks absolutely stunning from the front, slightly bulbous at the side, whereas the rear has a large overhang. What ever said and done, this car is indeed quite attractive. I like it alot.
Getting inside, one will notice the large, yet sloping dashboard. Black colours with chrome inserts are the theme inside, with the seats tremendously supportive. The leg room at the rear is more than average whereas the overall interior feels airy. The car features a segment first, voice activated controls. It basically lets you execute commands without having to press buttons. Simply use your voice to switch on the aircon or change the audio track. Overall the cabin is a comfortable place to be.
Start the 2011 Ford Fiesta and you will immediate realise the fantastic noise vibration and harshness levels (NVH) Very low noise persists in the car and both petrol and diesel motors do an adequate job to get you around city and highway traffic. But the car is no dragster with power clearly being compromised for economy. I would choose the diesel over the petrol anyday and found it be fun to drive. Torque in the TDCi motor is plenty and it never feels devoid of power at any time. However the petrol could have done with some more power, specially when others in the segment like the Honda City and the new Hyundai Verna Fluidic boast of 118bhp and 122bhp respectively.
Ford is yet to launch the new Fiesta, which is set to officially go on sale in July, 2011. Prices are yet to be disclosed either but we suspect the entry level model to cost Rs. 7.99 lakhs with the top end nudging around Rs. 11 lakhs. At these prices, the Fiesta will set the cat among the pigeons.
Maruti Suzuki Eeco – A Perfect Family Car
Posted on June 10, 2011 | Auto News, Auto Reviews.
The Maruti Suzuki Eeco is a perfect family car loaded with ample of features and technologies to beat the tough competition in the market. It is a series of development and advancement that took place since the birth of Maruti Suzuki Omni in India. Omni was certainly one of the most comfortable and spacious car for family outings and vacations. This with better features and innovations was replaced by the Versa in the year 2001 and now the more advanced Eeco is repeating the same success stories like Omni and Versa.
Especially designed for Indian roads and Indian families, the Eeco is a five-door C-segment vehicle available in an option of 5 and 7 seater. The spectrum of colors available like bright red, silky silver, blue maze, midnight black, glistening grey, and superior white is also enticing. The exterior appeal with its spacious volume and trendy graphics makes it stand out on road.
The interior is equally appealing and spacious offering satisfactory levels of comfort and luxury. Moreover, the dual tone shades of beige and grey enhance the ambience along with digital metre cluster featured with amber illumination. Then the ergonomic layout, ample legroom, and spacious sitting in both the front and rear enhance the level of comfort and mobility experience. The equipped air conditioner also comes with an outstanding ability to combat extreme climate changes in a desirable manner and offer a pleasant environment within.
When it comes to performance, the Eeeco is an exciting surprise with advanced technologies and unique features under the hood. All the variants are equipped with a powerful and responsive 1200cc BS IV compliant engine that delivers 73 bhp @ 6000 rpm. Further to that the use of high pressure injection system, knock sensors, compression ratios, crank sensors, and low friction pistons provide outstanding fuel efficiency and driving experience. Moreover, the innovative diagonal shift assistance has been incorporated for smoother gear shifting to ensure maximum driving pleasure.
The advanced engine is mated to the bets-in-class suspension system suited for Indian roads to soak all imperfections and bumps. The front is equipped by a McPherson strut suspension with dual rate coil springs and the rear is fitted with 3-link rigid suspension with progressive rate coil spring to support superior handling, driving comfort, and handling.
With all the functional features and best-in-class technologies, Maruti Suzukli Eeco is certainly one of the best green cars in the C-segment. Perfectly designed to create a work-life balance, the Eeco is a wonderful car.