Ford silently raises Fiesta prices by almost a lakh!

A special thanks to D-Bhpian deetjohn for bringing this to our notice.

While 2015 started with price hikes in the automobile industry owing to the excise rebate being lifted off, C-segment sedans have raised their prices by Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 50,000. Ford has gone a step ahead and raised the prices of its Fiesta significantly higher than the rest! After this price hike, the Fiesta is almost Rs. 90,000 dearer than what it was during its launch in June 2014. Current ex-showroom Delhi prices are Rs. 8.50 lakhs, Rs. 9.40 lakhs and Rs. 10.19 lakhs for the Ambiente, Trend and Titanium variant respectively; prices have shot up by Rs. 81,000, Rs. 85,000 and Rs. 90,000! This will result in even higher on-road prices crossing over a lakh.

The 6th gen Fiesta was launched in India in 2011 with a high price tag, making it a flop 5 minutes after its launch. With the 2014 Fiesta refresh, Ford made some serious price corrections, eventually making the Fiesta the cheapest car among the diesel C-segment sedans available in India. Folks at Ford must be still scratching their heads while looking at the dismal sales figures of this car month after month; or are they?

The car commands a waiting period of over 3 months in Mumbai for any variant, not because of demand but because the Fiesta allotments for the Indian market are very low. Driving enthusiasts continue to swear by the Fiesta's driving dynamics and wonder why this car doesn't sell while Ford is satisfied by focusing on exports rather than the domestic market. Not only that, it is available with only a diesel engine in a segment which was once diesel-centric but is more or less balanced between petrol and diesel now. Another missed opportunity here, especially since the car was launched with a 1.5L petrol engine in 2011 and its compact SUV sibling uses the much acclaimed 1.0L EcoBoost unit too.

This car sells ~488 units on an average each month (when combined with sales of the Classic). To put things into perspective, the segment leader, Honda City, sold ~5,240 units per month in the last 6 months. Ford is clearly giving the Fiesta step-motherly treatment and seems like it is no mood to revive sales of the Fiesta in the domestic market. It's a pity seeing the fate of such a competent sedan. The company appears be confused about its Indian operations at the moment and is solely relying on the EcoSport to drive in the profits.