Reference Auto

The Ford Classic is not a new car but ride quality is very high as well as its stability and even the handling capabilities are commendable. 

The Classic is offered with a 1.6-litre Duratec petrol engine and 11.4-litre Duratorq diesel engine.

The petrol motor comes with 101 PS on tap and is a hoot to drive. The 68 PS diesel model needed to be a tad more powerful but is highly fuel efficient. 

Although Ford claims that this (the new pricing) was the result of operational efficiencies but the lower prices could be owing to the falling price of spares also.

This is the second innings for the Classic. After rolling out the new Ford Fiesta in the country in 2012, Ford did away with the name Fiesta and made it compete with lower variant sedans in India’s price-sensitive market.

The move came as a breather for Ford although sales weren’t roaring yet. And, with the latest pruning of prices (which is between Rs 70,000 and Rs 1 lakh), the Classic could get a further fillip and sales could be northward bound soon.

The Ford Classic would be taking on cars such as the Maruti Swift Dzire, the most popular car in the basic sedan segment, and Honda Amaze, which is also ramping up numbers in the country.

Ford may be repositioning the Fiesta by some judicious pricing and may scale up numbers in the mid-sedan segment by taking on Honda City, Volkswagen Vento, Skoda Rapid and Hyundai’s Verna, which is the market leader in the category.

“Ford India is committed to delivering on customer aspirations by sustained improvements in the value proposition of its cars,” said Vinay Piparsania, executive director of marketing, sales and service, of the company during the launch. He added, “In line with our global brand promise of ‘Go Further’, our company has repositioned the Classic variant by enhancing efficiencies.”

So, by enhancing its role in the sedan segment, Ford is clearly getting more aggressive in India’s auto market with the Classic.