DriveBlog

Ford Fiesta rolls on

Things really do seem to be happening fast for the much-vaunted Ford Fiesta since its national launch only a couple of days ago. Observe, if you will, this sequence of developments that have since unfolded:

• Ford launches the Fiesta amidst much excitement and anticipation. The sedan has been in the news for being their 'global car' launch for developing markets, and India is admittedly one that is very high on their priority. The Fiesta is being seen as pitted against such deserving rivals on Indian roads as the Honda City, the Hyundai Accent, the Maruti Baleno and Esteem and the Chevrolet Optra. From what I've seen of the car so far, it seems like it's more than just your regular sedan and I tend to agree that it would be unfair to pit it against the more entry-level sedan options like the Ikon and the Esteem. The ones that should be worrying are the likes of the Honda City.  Moving on, retail sales are expected to kick in by mid-December with expectations of about 2000 units of the car going off the shelves every month. With sales of the Ikon dipping over the past few months and the Fusion failing to set the market afire, the Fiesta probably couldn't have come at a better time for Ford.
• They then proceed to knock almost everyone off their feet with the price announcements - the base (1.4 litre) petrol version can be yours for a little over 5 and half lakh rupees. That's not much higher than the base version of the Ford warhorse, the Ikon and definitely cheaper than their recently-launched super-hatch, the Fusion. A case of cannibalism? No, say Ford.
• They get current Bollywood wunderkind Abhishek Bachchan to 'Go Fida' over the Fiesta.
• And now, the announcement that the sticker tag on the Fiesta will go up by about Rs. 25000 more in the months to come as the prices being touted right now are only introductory prices.

Well, Ford's never been one to take new launches lightly, so methinks there's going to be plenty to hear from them in the days to come.

Now you know: In the market for a new car and with a budget of between Rs. 5 and 6 lakhs, you'd currently have about 30 options to choose from.

Tum dono judwa ho kya?

Ah, I was beginning to wonder when they would work the 'versatility' angle.

Love it or loathe it? Either way, if you want to, you could say something about it.

Also see:
'Innovaamir'.

Getz, Set, Match!

Sania Mirza has been signed on as the new brand ambassador for the Hyundai Getz. Sania will endorse the Korean hatchback in India for the next 3 years and is claimed to be making quite a packet for it. Such a packet, in fact, that immediately after signing on Sania, they decided to hike the price of the Getz. =)

However, Hyundai must think it's money well spent as they hope that Sania will do for the Getz what Shahrukh did for the Santro.

And close on the heels of the endorsement deal are the obligatory newsbytes.

Also see:
Aamir Khan, the face of Innova

Maruti gets webwise

Maruti Udyog will partner with Akamai Technologies for better content delivery from off their 16 websites. The launch of the Swift evidently took Maruti's web traffic through the roof and the new tie-up is being seen as a step towards making their websites more accessible to the consumer. (Link via ContentSutra)

Clearly, Maruti seems to have understood how important the website is as part of a company's marketing arsenal. Fiat India could learn a whole lot from them.

Also see:
www.marutiswift.com
When the Getz website was unearthed

Boot-ylicious!

[Found via the excellent Creative Criminal]

Innova Bol!

Indian filmdom's 'Mr. Perfect' will now endorse the Toyota Innova and will be the 'human face' of the values that the MPV stands for, namely 'perfection, innovation, versatility and performance' (Ahem!). In a break from convention, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited [hereinafter referred to as 'TKM' -I've always wanted to say that! =)] will for the first time use star power to help sell one of their brands.

Not that it looks like they need any help at the moment - the Innova's been scorching itself a rather enviable trail of sales figures since its launch earlier this year - and what's more, it shows no signs of stopping. Who did you say was missing the Qualis? And what's surprising is that the Innova has been performing better at the premium end of its own variant scale rather than in the economy segment.

Now you know: Aamir Khan can now count himself in the same league of such luminaries as Brad Pitt and Britney Spears who endorse Toyota brands globally.

Also see:
Joe Public reviews the Toyota Innova.

Out of the blue(s)?

Yes, quite unexpectedly, Fiat India launches another car in an(other?) attempt to get back on track. I guess they needed something for the new Managing Director to speak about at his first meeting with the press. The following may have been overheard in the Fiat India washroom earlier this April:

Person 1: "Hey, we can't have him standing there just by himself. He's gotta have something to say, right?"
Person 2: Duhuhh...
Person 1: Hey, why don't we launch another car and then market it like a bunch of dribbling retards?"
Person 2: (zipping up) Hey, how come we didn't think of that before?

The new car is the dubiously named Adventure Sport, which by the looks of it seems like a rebadged Palio Weekend, not by far one of the models that's been scorching their sales charts. Well, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt as we always do and we'll wait and watch as we always do. And whatever else the new MD plans on taking up on a war footing, we're hoping getting that dratted website back on again is right up there on his list.

Moving along swiftly

As I type this post, the number of Swift bookings made so far could safely be at the 15000 mark, going by the numbers it's been chugging since launch last week. Pretty much enough to have the folks at MUL leaning back in their chairs and grinning, I reckon. And not just for all the money that the Swift is going to make them, but possibly more for what the car promises to do for Maruti's image. There are of course, the naysayers who predict that the new kid on the block will now eat into the sales, or for that matter, the existence itself of some of the older inhabitants of the Maruti stables. But MUL's having none of that.

With what's being now looked at as a two-month waiting period and with people willing to pay up to Rs. 25000 up front to make sure they get it sooner, it looks like the Swift has lived up to all the hype that preceded its arrival.

Do we hear the Koreans shaking in their boots or worse, buckling at the knees? Hardly, as Hyundai doesn't even consider the Swift as being in the same segment as the Getz. It'd rather have it do business with the Santro for now!

Also see:
The Hindu reviews the Swift