CarToq Sources – 2014 Ford Fiesta Facelift weeks away from launch

A leading Ford dealer in Maharashtra has confirmed to CarToq that the facelifted Fiesta is just weeks away from launch. The car is likely to be launched in June 2014, with deliveries to begin soon after. Even as Ford India unveiled the facelifted Fiesta on Indian shores at the 2014 Auto Expo, the American automaker has suspended sales of the C-Segment sedan from the beginning of the year in anticipation of the new model. The additional production capacity was diverted towards the production of the EcoSport, a crossover saddled with long waiting periods.

Coming to the facelifted Fiesta, the car is likely to adopt a diesel-only model range for the Indian car market. Diesel cars continue to outsell petrol engined cars in the C-Segment sedan space and Ford’s strategy of going with a diesel-only approach with the Fiesta Facelift is likely to exploit this advantage. Also, the new Fiesta sedan has been a poor seller in India, ever since its introduction in 2011, with the petrol variants accounting for less than 10 % of the car’s total sales. Given the low volumes, a petrol powered Fiesta Facelift doesn’t make much sense, especially in a scenario where Ford can divert the additional capacity towards the EcoSport.

Coming to the facelift itself, the car features a revamped front end, featuring Ford’s new global design language. At the rear, things remain largely unchanged. On the inside, a piano black finish for the center console is the major change while a feature or two is expected to be added. The Ford SYNC infotainment system gets a refresh too. The car, known for its sporty ride and handling dynamics, will be powered by a 1.5 liter TDCI turbo diesel engine that is rated at 89 Bhp-205 Nm. A five speed manual gearbox drives the front wheels of the diesel engined Fiesta Facelift. Twin airbags and ABS+EBD will be offered on the top end variant.