[Govardhansupra]

Pros
+One car do it all
+Exceptional handling
+Great hydraulic steering
+Relatively good audio system for a car of that segment and time
+Sports kit add character
+Amazing 1.6 Duratec which is easy to drive in the city too
+Good gearshifting quality
+Has safety equipment like ABS and Airbags, compared to the other drivers cars at the time (Baleno, VTEC, Lancer)
+Great throttle response for a Drive-by-wire throttle
+Amazing stock intake growl/snarl
+Relatively low maintenance costs


Cons
-Single digit fuel efficiency in the city and while driving hard
-Brakes have bite, but less feedback
-Stock headlights aren't adequate. Upgrade advised
-Seats are not the most comfortable
-A little stiff ride on rough roads at low speeds
-Missing equipment like Rear seat armrest, etc
-Well maintained examples are hard to come by nowadays, and good cars command a premium
(+)Apart from these, the car doesn't have much negatives


Prologue
I’m not a writer, nor a reviewer kinda guy, so I don’t know how to start an ownership review. Anyways, let me start by saying that we were happy owners of a Toyota Corolla Altis GL 2009 Petrol. Now neither the Fiesta nor the Corolla needs any introduction as they are quite popular cars. The corolla was a no-nonsense reliable car which I loved dearly. I had even started writing an ownership review back in 2020 on Team-BHP, but I didn’t complete it and slowly lost interest in writing the review, so I left it at that. Sadly, it will stay in the assembly line until I have the mood to write about it. Since the car is sold now anyways, I may complete the review, but most probably won’t. Eitherways I’ll post a few excerpts from what I had written back then, after deleting a few cringy paragraphs (In my defence, I was a 15 year old kid) to give you guys a clearer idea.


Funnily enough, that would show you about my priorities then, and priorities now.

Hello readers! This is the ownership thread of my pre-owned (definitely not pre-worshipped; more on that later) Toyota Corolla Altis 2009 1.8GL, which you already know from the title. This is my first thread on Team-BHP ( An introduction doesn't count) and I request the mods to go a little easy on me, and also make corrections wherever I messed up. Most of the points covered in a proper ownership thread contains things like driving feel (the steering is not really heavy), brake feel (the bite is less) and other driver-oriented ergonomics of the car, which will be missing here as I do not drive now, and also not willing to drive for two more years! I'm just sixteen. So here it goes!

Prologue
Our 2011 red Toyota Etios G, 4.5 years old, bought new, was running in the best condition ever possible. It had no issues or niggles and the ride quality was good too! It had a nice amount of low-end torque( I can feel it while riding shotgun and it was light-weight too). It was perfect! The 1.5L petrol engine gave a fuel efficiency of around 14 and all was going well. Wondering why we sold it?

The Etios was a base model G with the Power Steering( Dad is to blame. I was a kid.) It didn't have a good ICE, but just a basic Kenwood unit. No buttons on the steering wheel, and no fancy units on the dashboard. It was bare-bones inside. We wanted an upgrade. At the same time, floods in Chennai happened and we were told that refurbished cars go for a very less rate than market-value. So, an upgrade was planned.

Options considered:
Corolla Altis
Corolla Altis
Corolla Altis
It was a Toyota! It was the straight upgrade from the Etios!

Miscellaneous:
A cruze was test-driven. It was suggested by me for two reasons.
1. It had a sunroof.
2. At that time, I read in a few places that cruze has the best torque figures among the cars we could actually buy. And yes I was right, it was the leader in its segment with respect to the Torque specs.

Okay, cut-short, we decided not to buy the car as rumours about Chevrolet ending it's operations in India floated around, and if something unforrunate happened, parts would be an issue. So there goes my sunroof car!

Another great car from another not-so-great company where the after sales support were either a hit or a miss was suggested by me, but it was RAPIDly turned down by my dad because you just won't have a tummy with no butterflies when you go to their service centres. The brand offered a good COMBInation and variety of cars, but most Indians do not consider them after horror stories of receiving YETI-sized bills for minor repairs. But, I must give it to them, they make SUPERB vehicles which are Fun-To-Drive and Value-For-Money too.
(Sorry for that, and I apologise for the same too. Please take no offense)

We started the hunt for a Corolla Altis. We were never involved in any of the money dealing nor vehicle inspection. Everything was managed by a cousin, residing in Chennai. One day, he calls to tell about a Corolla Altis, average condition ( definitely not well-maintained as the body had a lot of dents), fancy number, 1.8GL. Pricing was good and the car was bought! I don't know more details, because that was around five years ago. Sorry!

The car was in Chennai. It had to be picked up. My father insisted on going by himself and picking it from there. I was adamant that I wanted to go too. Two weeks until a Friday was a holiday, so that I didn't have to miss school. It was a long wait! I'm not exaggerating. You all know how your times goes till the delivery date of your vehicle.
So the train was boarded and we were off to Chennai. We were picked up and chauffered. We had breakfast and after that, I saw the car for the first time.

The body had a lot of dents, but the interiors made up for it. And the next day, we brought it home. Our new old brown car! Brown? So much of dust and dirt were collected in the journey by the body and people would actually assume that it was a brown car, when viewed from an angle.
It turned pearl white after a proper wash.



Pros:
Toyota reliability
Good ride quality
Decent interiors
Fuss free locomotion from point A to B
Electrically adjustable drivers seat
Decent rear leg-space
Trouble free motor
Easy to access maintenance spots
(Didnt understand? I replaced the Cabin A/C air filter and engine air filter on my own. Some tools, some oil, some coolant and I can easily drain the consumable liquids and refill them. Same goes for the brake fluid too)

Cons:
Not as involving to drive, compared to others in the segment
Very poor headlights (will be changing soon)
Brakes not up to the mark (Blame it on the brake pads)
Suspension is definitely not tuned for corners (What do you expect from an executive sedan)
Built quality of the body is not to the mark
Her pretty cousin sister, Civic is known for being a better handler
No Hydraulic Power Steering. It uses an Electronic Power Steering

Good:
Electrically Adjustable Driver's seat
Headlamp washer
Good positioned arm rest
Leather seats
Rear Sunblind

Bad:
No USB port
Only 2 airbags
Small door pockets
Small LCD display- The Altis GL (full option) did not get a touch screen head unit. It was only an accessory

Additional:
Front and Rear seats are extremely comfortable
The mirrors (ORVM) are electrically adjustable and provide good visibility
The Air conditioner has an Auto mode and does its job very well
Audio system is a basic unit and has a 6-CD changer. It supports AUX, but not USB.
The sound is nothing great to talk about
The interior is airy and all things are easily visible
The car has several cubby holes inside to keep your belongings
The boot is very large and can gulp many bags without any trouble
One thing which I love the most in the interior is the faux wood insert on the steering wheel

The engine is a 1ZZ-FE 1.8L 1794CC VVT-i unit which is extremely comfortable to drive in the city and the Electronic Power Steering helps it too, although the EPS disappoints enthusiasts. It is a good highway cruiser and can travel comfortably till 140. It is definitely not an enthusiasts engine, but it does all your job inside the city
The gearshifts are smooth and has a medium throw and the clutch is also smooth
The NVH levels are quite acceptable and less sound enters the cabin. The noise starts to come after 150-160km/h, if I have noticed correctly
It has a Fuel efficiency of 9-10 in the city and gives around 11-12 in the highways
The steering is a little big in size, but has a faux wood insert. I have not driven, and cannot comment on the feedback.
The ground clearance is good and doesn't bottom out even with 5 people
The maintenance is quite low. The things which were replaced in our ownership was only the clutch at around 95000 kms. The starter motor was acting up one day, and it was serviced too

Kindly ignore all the stupidity I've written back then. I cringe hard seeing myself wanting a sunroof back then, and also saying that the build quality of the Altis was not upto the mark. I guess I had been trying to imitate expert reviewers here, and throw around phrases randomly.

[Govardhansupra]

After owning the Corolla Altis for a exactly a year more, dad and myself, along with my brother (who also happens to be a car-lover, and causes turmoils regarding car related decisions. More on this later)
At this point of time, I was six months short of turning 18 years old, and Dad knew that once I get my driver's license, it will always be me driving. Along with that, the corolla was beginning to show its age too, and dad wanted a newer car (The irony is that the Corolla was 2009, and the Fiesta is 2008)

The Altis was sold to a guy from TN and I have the final video of the car

https://youtube.com/watch?v=IZ_BvLxqKDM?feature=share

Around this time, I managed to make a few like minded enthusiasts through Instagram and Whatsapp groups. These people had an important role in my life, giving car advices to life advices, to helping in sourcing car parts, helping in maintaining the car and actually bothering to drive all the way to meet a small stupid kid, which is me.

I knew through these friends that Fiesta is a very capable car. Fiesta is kind of a "One car do it all" vehicle, which is exactly what I wanted. It can do the role of a family car, while also being fun-to-drive. Nowadays, Fords are quite easy and economical to maintain too, even after the brand has packed up and left the country. On the other side, my brother wanted the family to buy a Punto Abarth, which is honestly an overkill for the family. Its quite impractical, and being a Fiat product, spares might be an issue. Also, the Fiesta costs less than 2.5L, while an Abarth would costs somewhere near 5L-9L depending on the condition and modifications done. During this phase, it was full of arguments between my brother and myself on which car to buy.

My justifications were the Fiesta was easy to maintain, parts are not a big issue, and the initial purchasing cost was quite less. He wanted an Abarth, so he was like Abarth is a much newer car, no re-test coming up any time soon, etc. Fiesta was a much more sensible option.

I wanted a 1.6S after seeing photos of a friend's car, which is easily the most beautiful 1.6S in India. It has a BMC DIA intake, Eiback lowering springs, Michellin PS4 tyres and 17 inch wheels, which looks like they were made for the Fiesta, due to the PERFECT fitment.
The owner of this car is an expert with Fiestas and keeps track of 1.6S' available.
Here is a picture of his car.

He sent me photos of an extremely clean Paprika Red S for sale, which was owned by his friend. The car had an extremely detailed history, and was clean with no complaints. Since the car was extremely clean, and is owned by a fellow enthusiast, I knew that I had to get it.

Dad liked the car, and the colour. Mom liked it too, she was the one who selected Red colour for our now-sold WagonR and Toyota Etios. We wanted to buy it, but my brother disagreed, because he wanted an Abarth.
He proposed buying a Stage-2 Abarth, tastefully done with Essesse wheels, bumpers, and aftermarket suspension. I put my foot down saying that it was impractical, given the price quoted, and the future maintenance costs. Also, I believe that you should never buy somebody else's modified car, unless you are the owner's friend, and fully aware of the history.
I tried a couple of days to convince him to get an S instead of the Abarth, and I was successful in it too. But, the car got sold by then.

The car was sold to a very close friend, and I was terribly disappointed.
At this point of time, we were without a car. I came to the conclusion that an S is not destined for me. Some things need luck, I told myself.

A few of my friends asked me to get a normal commuter car, something like an Amaze or a Ciaz or an ANHC (Arrowshot city). I considered that option for a while, but decided against it as these cars would cost above 4L, while a normal Fiesta can be had for around 2-2.5L or even cheaper, depending on the condition. Next question was petrol or diesel, and petrol 1.6 was decided since that is the closest thing to an S. Also, my running is extremely short to warrant the need for a diesel.

I started searching OLX and Facebook marketplace for 1.6 SXi for a few days. To my surprise, 1.6 SXi was quite rare, and available examples were either poorly maintained, or were overpriced. I was fed up of searching and finally decided to settle on the ZXi variant (The variant just below SXi). Fiesta Classic Titaniums were also inspected during that time.

I was losing all hope of owning a Fiesta, but one day while searching for Fiesta 1.6 irrespective of the variant (as I had stopped looking specifically for SXi, ZXi etc), I saw an advertisement for a clean Ford Fiesta 1.6S Aquarius Blue in Kochi. I called the owner and asked him a few general things, and hung up. I wasn't too excited or serious, as I had completely left the idea of getting an S. Like I said earlier, I believed that I wasn't destined to own an S. Also earlier, to console myself, I had told myself things like "The suspension of the S is too hard, it has no lane change indicator which the SXi has, it has no rear armrest etc)".

Later that evening, my friend with the black Fiesta came to Thrissur and we met up. I was telling him about all this, and showed him the advertisement on the above said S. Immediately, he fetched me all the details and history of the car that I had to know. It was a re-registered car, and I got to know the details of all the previous owners. It was an odo-rolled car too. This was found out from the thread of BHPian E=mc^2. I'll quote the post from his thread.

Another Blue 1.6 S from Kerala.

Boy oh boy, I almost transferred the token for this car. It had done 59000 km (in the odo) and was owned by someone from Alleppey. The owner sounded very genuine and even opened up that it needed a change of mounts, windshield and the tires would last only until a few kms. He had gotten the car from Maharashtra just 2 months back and he also paid the road tax to get it registered in Kerala (Allappey RTO). Upon asking why a quick sale, he stated some personal reasons. 3.0 Lacs was his quote and the best was 2.9 Lacs. Price seemed fair. He assured me that it was serviced by Ford throughout by the first owner and he himself cross checked the odo reading at the time when he bought it, although he now can't recall which dealership he went to. I believed it.

In between, there was a discussion on the registration process, during when he sent me a copy of its NOC. It had the car's chassis number printed. The thing with Ford dealerships is that they can't pull the details of a car just with the registration number which was serviced with a different dealership unless you tell them the chassis number. I called up Harry Ford and passed the chassis number of the car, only to know that the last service of the car was done at 93000 km . I didn't utter a word and slid away from the deal.

After my friend helped me get the history, he left to his place.
This is how he left

https://youtu.be/RGhmmBgzMrc

Now I decided that I have to get this S. I also decided that I will save up money and install a BMC DIA filter whenever possible.

I was adviced to not buy this car because it was odo-rolled. I called up the owner and gave him all this information. He was unaware of the odo-rolled meter too. Anyways he assured me that the car is in extremely good condition and was only serviced from Ford during his ownership. The service history proved his words true. Both the previous owners had done the maintenance from Ford, and all recalls were duly done, and parts like the Timing Belt and Water Pump was replaced too. This gave me enough courage to proceed with the deal. Armed with the history, I negotiated and got a good deal.

[Govardhansupra]

These were the pictures that was posted in the OLX advertisement

I wired a token to the seller, and went to his place with my Dad and brother later that day. Inspected the car, transferred the rest of the money and brought the car home. A very satisfying day it was!

Stopped to have food

About the car
There are multiple posts on the Fiesta 1.6S on Team-BHP, so I won't be going in detail on that. My car came with brand new 195-55-15 Yokohama S-Drives. The car has good steering feel and feedback. It keeps on chattering and lets you know the road surface. Car has good grip and is fun through corners.

The interior was designed specifically for the S, and it had different seat stitching design, a few panels were different in colour, the lower interior was black-blue, unlike the normal Fiestas with dual tone colour. The instrument cluster is the best part, with a different design. The S variant has cool sporty pedals too. It did not have a rear armrest though.

The car has a body kit (spoiler, side skirts etc) and it looks cool. The 15 inch wheels also came in the S variant only. The Aquarius Blue colour was limited to the S variant. The S variant came in all other colours that the normal Fiesta came in too.

The engine is a good unit, 1596cc 16V DOHC, with ample torque lower down and good power in the mid-range. It isn't a screamer above 5000rpm though. It is easy to drive around the city, and it pulls quite easily from lower speeds in higher gears, even when fully loaded. It is just not a high revving unit like the OHC VTEC. Gearlever has kind of a short throw, which is smooth and easy to slot. No complaints there, except that the engine should have had a couple more horses, or maybe it should have had a better top end and revved higher.

A few places where the car disappoints is the brakes. It has sufficient bite, but lacks feedback. Seats are not the best seats either, and the same can be said for the headlamps too. Headlight upgrades coming soon! Fortunately, the brakes and seats can be improved later on too, as long as you have the money for it.

That's it. That's my review of the car. I am too lazy to repeat what has already been raved about the 1.6S all these years. It was the best driver's car under 10 lakhs back in the day. It is still fun to drive, now that all new cars are computers on wheels, with no character. The car has 2 airbags, interior is modern, sharp handling, and can do it all, be it transporting the family, or when you want to have fun by yourself. No touchscreens, no unwanted electronics, just what is needed. I wish the 1.6S had a cable operated throttle body, instead of drive-by-wire, eventhough its very responsive. Naturally Aspirated, Hydraulic power steering, they just don't make them anymore.

You can just drive all day, and the only thing that will come in your way is the dismal fuel efficiency. Apart from the single digit fuel efficiency, this is a great car with a few little compromises here and there. But the best part is everything is forgotten once you're behind the wheel and you're driving through corners and smooth tarmac.

[Govardhansupra]

After my brother and me saving up money for a few months, we managed to save up enough for a BMC DIA. It was procured with the help of a friend, who is also a BHPian.
Installation was done by ourselves. The hose used was a generic 2.25 inch hose, and was connected to the DIA using the reducer that was supplied. The hose costed 1000rs, but you can source a similar Mahindra part for around 250 odd bucks. Breather filter was 800rs from Amazon, and a Maruti pipe costing 43rs was used to connect the breather.

It sounds bloody awesome, and I feel every Fiesta 1.6 owner should have one.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=BurMUE3N...SIkaIECMiOmarE

Ignore the dirty engine bay in the pictures.

The Fiesta has gone through a few services and part replacements, which I shall be updating soon. Meanwhile, enjoy random pictures.

He photobombed, but I'm not complaining

CCTV Visual

Custom made keychain gifted by a friend


Shell Helix Ultra 5W-40 Full Synthetic oil going in


Enroute somewhere

That's it for now guys, currently the car has gone for Valve cover gasket/packing replacement and a few other items. I will update the thread as and when I can.

[Aditya]

\Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Govardhansupra

That's it. That's my review of the car. I am too lazy to repeat what has already been raved about the 1.6S all these years. It was the best driver's car under 10 lakhs back in the day. It is still fun to drive, now that all new cars are computers on wheels, with no character. The car has 2 airbags, interior is modern, sharp handling, and can do it all, be it transporting the family, or when you want to have fun by yourself. No touchscreens, no unwanted electronics, just what is needed. I wish the 1.6S had a cable operated throttle body, instead of drive-by-wire, eventhough its very responsive. Naturally Aspirated, Hydraulic power steering, they just don't make them anymore.
.

Very nice review of an iconic fairly underrated car. A car I always wanted to buy in the past each time I was upgrading to my next pre-owned car. Never worked out and over the years that wish diminished. Glad you went with your heart and was able to find a fairly good example.

Totally agree with your comment above. Wish you many miles of happy ownership.

[Kottayamkaran]

Originally Posted by Gova



After my friend helped me get the history, he left to his place.
This is how he left:cool:
[URL="https://Youtu.be/RGhmmBgzMrc"

https://Youtu.be/RGhmmBgzMrc[/url]

I am also a big fan of this black fiesta S. If I remember correctly this is a CBE car and this guy has another rare Honda. He also had a crazy Amby wagon project going on. Not sure of its present status. He had a M800 that he had modded extensively with 14 inch wheels. I always watch his reels about his driving in the hills. Some crazy ass driving

[AdhikR]

Great review. We had a Duratorq Diesel in the mid-aughts and I remember it being really fun to drive. Great low end for a diesel and an incredibly connected steering.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by Govardhansupra

After my brother and me saving up money for a few months, we managed to save up enough for a BMC DIA. It was procured with the help of a friend, who is also a BHPian.
Installation was done by ourselves. The hose used was a generic 2.25 inch hose, and was connected to the DIA using the reducer that was supplied. The hose costed 1000rs, but you can source a similar Mahindra part for around 250 odd bucks. Breather filter was 800rs from Amazon, and a Maruti pipe costing 43rs was used to connect the breather.

.

That Cold air intake setup will be more like a hot air intake in the current position that it is in.
I had a Figo 1.2 with the same BMC filter and cold air intake set up from Red Rooster Performance. It was called DIA and came as a set along with the BMC filter.
Initially, the intake pipe was beside the header facing down and I realized I was losing power and fuel while driving in the heat, especially in traffic. You can make out the engine is not happy. I got another extension pipe from them and re-routed it to the front grille where there is an opening for the stock air intake. Shown in the image below. This made it much better and I drove with this setup for a long time. The negative about this was that the filter gets dirty very fast and once it does, the engine NVH increases.

I went back to the stock setup a few months before I sold off the car, and nothing beats that when it comes to low-down torque and smoothness. The performance air filter is useful if you have all the other mods in the car to make it a complete package and is advantageous if you are going to the track often and not for daily use.

[Govardhansupra]

Originally Posted by tharian

That Cold air intake setup will be more like a hot air intake in the current position that it is in.
I had a Figo 1.2 with the same BMC filter and cold air intake set up from Red Rooster Performance. It was called DIA and came as a set along with the BMC filter.
Initially, the intake pipe was beside the header facing down and I realized I was losing power and fuel while driving in the heat, especially in traffic. You can make out the engine is not happy. I got another extension pipe from them and re-routed it to the front grille where there is an opening for the stock air intake. Shown in the image below. This made it much better and I drove with this setup for a long time. The negative about this was that the filter gets dirty very fast and once it does, the engine NVH increases.

I went back to the stock setup a few months before I sold off the car, and nothing beats that when it comes to low-down torque and smoothness. The performance air filter is useful if you have all the other mods in the car to make it a complete package and is advantageous if you are going to the track often and not for daily use.

Hey, I guess I have the exact same intake as yours. I'm aware of the positioning and the side effects. I have the flexible hose lying around, which is used to redirect cold air to the intake. I'll cut and make changes accordingly and route it to somewhere near the left headlights as and when I get time.

I haven't fixed it till now because I lost the plastic piece which is used to connect the DIA and the flexible hose. Also, the ECU is blocking me from connecting it too, so I'll cut the hose, move the DIA a little bit towards the left (closer to the throttle body, and away from the ECU) and then I can fix the flexible hose to the DIA and route it.

Hope you've understood what I've tried to convey!
I'll probably take pictures and mark them using arrows, and then post it here.

I am also a big fan of this black fiesta S. If I remember correctly this is a CBE car and this guy has another rare Honda. He also had a crazy Amby wagon project going on. Not sure of its present status. He had a M800 that he had modded extensively with 14 inch wheels. I always watch his reels about his driving in the hills. Some crazy ass driving

Hey, it's the same CBE car, although I can't figure out which Honda you're talking about. What he has now is a rare Toyota. The Amby wagon project is called "Ambytion". And yes, he is a crazy driver!

[dolphinjazz]

Nice ownership review.
This car was an excellent performer for the car enthusiasts. It handled brilliantly, very well built, suspension was very good and no wards for the surprising fuel efficiency (Diesel). This car was ahead of its time. I have seen many examples of this car doing duty over 2lakhs+ km.

[krishnaprasadgg]

Congrats on the lovely acquisition @Govardhansupra !!
I always had a soft spot for the 1.6S, especially in this shade. Having driven one that belonged to a friend(a mutual friend as we came to find out recently.)

Looking forward to more updates and mods on the car! Wishing you many more happy miles with the S.

Cheers
Krishna

[FiFo_]

Well written. I own a 1.6S myself and i love it. I can't part with the car and the very thought depresses me. It's a no nonsense car and you have perfectly summarised my impressions. Wish you many more miles with your lovely ride.

[Shreyfiesta]

Wonderful review Govardhan! Concise, precise, to the point and at the same time covered all relevant points quite elaborately. Wish you miles and miles of happy driving.

[DocwithFiesta]

Originally Posted by Govardhansupra

These were the pictures that was posted in the OLX advertisement

Attachment 2418715
Attachment 2418711
Attachment 2418712
Attachment 2418710
Attachment 2418714
Attachment 2418713

I wired a token to the seller, and went to his place with my Dad and brother later that day. Inspected the car, transferred the rest of the money and brought the car home. A very satisfying day it was!

Attachment 2418716

Stopped to have food

Attachment 2418718

About the car
There are multiple posts on the Fiesta 1.6S on Team-BHP, so I won't be going in detail on that. My car came with brand new 195-55-15 Yokohama S-Drives. The car has good steering feel and feedback. It keeps on chattering and lets you know the road surface. Car has good grip and is fun through corners.

The interior was designed specifically for the S, and it had different seat stitching design, a few panels were different in colour, the lower interior was black-blue, unlike the normal Fiestas with dual tone colour. The instrument cluster is the best part, with a different design. The S variant has cool sporty pedals too. It did not have a rear armrest though.

The car has a body kit (spoiler, side skirts etc) and it looks cool. The 15 inch wheels also came in the S variant only. The Aquarius Blue colour was limited to the S variant. The S variant came in all other colours that the normal Fiesta came in too.

The engine is a good unit, 1596cc 16V DOHC, with ample torque lower down and good power in the mid-range. It isn't a screamer above 5000rpm though. It is easy to drive around the city, and it pulls quite easily from lower speeds in higher gears, even when fully loaded. It is just not a high revving unit like the OHC VTEC. Gearlever has kind of a short throw, which is smooth and easy to slot. No complaints there, except that the engine should have had a couple more horses, or maybe it should have had a better top end and revved higher.

A few places where the car disappoints is the brakes. It has sufficient bite, but lacks feedback. Seats are not the best seats either, and the same can be said for the headlamps too. Headlight upgrades coming soon! Fortunately, the brakes and seats can be improved later on too, as long as you have the money for it.

That's it. That's my review of the car. I am too lazy to repeat what has already been raved about the 1.6S all these years. It was the best driver's car under 10 lakhs back in the day. It is still fun to drive, now that all new cars are computers on wheels, with no character. The car has 2 airbags, interior is modern, sharp handling, and can do it all, be it transporting the family, or when you want to have fun by yourself. No touchscreens, no unwanted electronics, just what is needed. I wish the 1.6S had a cable operated throttle body, instead of drive-by-wire, eventhough its very responsive. Naturally Aspirated, Hydraulic power steering, they just don't make them anymore.

You can just drive all day, and the only thing that will come in your way is the dismal fuel efficiency. Apart from the single digit fuel efficiency, this is a great car with a few little compromises here and there. But the best part is everything is forgotten once you're behind the wheel and you're driving through corners and smooth tarmac.

Congratulations on your new Fiesta 1.6S! Very well and aptly written about the car.

We own a Fiesta 1.6 SXi for over a decade now, and I can confirm the observations you made in such few days of owning the car, are absolutely right.

Poor brakes and appalling fuel economy are the only two major downsides of the car. I do not remember when I last got double digit mileage out of this car in the city, infact there were few instances where I got a mileage of 5kmpl and even less.



My dad bought this car back when I was a kid, and I remember I badly wanted a S. But due to lack of rear seat armrest and few other missing features in the S, we got the SXi.
Our car has covered almost 90k kms till now, it's a 2010 car.

The Fiesta is a wonderful car to live with, hope you have a good time with it in the days to come!


Our car has covered almost 90k kms till now, it's a 2010 car.

And before I sign off, I would like to say "Cars like the Fiesta must be preserved for future generations to admire and respect".

Thanks.