Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

By now, many urban dwelling Malaysians and readers of this blog would have heard of or have seen the new Ford Fiesta. Ford distributor Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC) started drumming up awareness very early for this upcoming model, and as of today have received around 500 bookings, which is a decent sum.

The Fiesta should have its official launch in October but we have driven it in Thailand, where it rolls off the AutoAlliance plant alongside the Mazda2. We reckon that the Fiesta is a very impressive package, so much so that the observations you read after the jump are from a potential buyer – I really can see myself happy with one of these!

Continue reading the report after the jump.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

As previously announced, the B-segment Fiesta will come in both five-door hatchback and four-door sedan format, like platform buddy Mazda2. We will get an entry 1.4-litre manual hatchback, mid spec 1.6-litre sedan and the range topping 1.6-litre hatchback with all the bells and whistles. The engines of the latter two are Ford’s new Ti-VCT unit (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing) with 118 bhp (120 PS) and 152 Nm paired to a six-speed Powershift dual clutch gearbox. When it’s launched, the Fiesta will be the most affordable car in Malaysia with a twin-clutch transmission.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive ReviewAs a more enthusiastic driver, I asked Stefan Muenzinger, Head of Vehicle Integration for Ford Asia Pacific, why doesn’t the Fiesta come with manual override for its Powershift box, and the simple answer given was that “it’s a gimmick”. Apparently, Ford conducted studies on this and came up with the conclusion that owners don’t really use manual mode after playing with it for awhile, initially. Potential owners, what say you?

As for me, I reckon that a twin-clutch box is so much more than just an automatic replacement. If done right, it can be satisfying to row through the gears manually, like how one does in a DSG equipped VW; and when driving harder, it’s good to have veto power in your hands.

It’s OK if an affordable car doesn’t come with steering shift paddles, but the lack of Tiptronic style manual mode means those who enjoy a bit more involvement now and then are robbed of the pleasure. Here, it’s twin clutch for the efficiency without the fun. Should have been both, in my humble opinion.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

Now that I’ve got that off my chest, this Powershift unit isn’t the same box as the one in the Focus TDCi, but a smaller and lighter (by 13 kg) dry clutch unit for less torque demanding applications (below 250 Nm). This Getrag made unit (Ford is the only user at the moment) is the equivalent of VW’s 7-speed DSG, but like its Powershift siblings (Volvo uses them too) it’s not as slick as DSG in decision making and shifts are not as lightning quick. Still a very good option over a torque converter auto though, especially when the Fiesta 1.6’s fuel economy is rated at 16.4 km/l (6.1L/100 km) combined.

There’s a “sport” button to hold revs (works like OD off) as well as Hill Launch Assist, which holds the car for up to three seconds on a slope once you take your foot off the gas. Neutral Coast Down disengages the clutches when the car rolls to a stop, boosting fuel efficiency. The sealed transmission requires no maintenance, according to Ford.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review
Click to enlarge slide. The VW Polo here is the Mk4 version

By the way, compared to Europe, US and China, Thailand is the last to start Fiesta production, and it’s a good thing in this case. Being the last in line, our Asia Pacific spec car incorporates many improvements that Ford “learned along the way” from introduction elsewhere. This effectively means that at present, we can buy a better Fiesta than Europeans and Americans, who will eventually get the enhancements.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review
Click to enlarge slide

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive ReviewFor now, things like a stiffer suspension bush attachment bracket and better sealing are unique to the Thai made car, which will replace the European sourced Fiesta in countries like Australia and Singapore. Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) is one area that’s been improved over the European car. The front styling is also slightly different from region to region – our Fiesta gets extra chrome elements next to the foglamps.

The 1.6-litre Ti-VCT unit has decent pick up and acceleration, and power is well spread throughout the rev range, evident as the tacho needle sweeps into the second half. Doesn’t sound too strained at high revs too, and certainly much less buzzy and noisy than in the 1.5-litre Mazda2. The Ford does 110 km/h at a relaxed 2,500 rpm, and cruisng at this speed is very serene. Wind and tyre noise are expertly kept out – only at about 150 km/h did we hear some wind rustle, and that was because we were actively looking out for it.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive ReviewMy second stint was in a 1.4 manual, which was surprisingly impressive. The Duratec unit was free revving and felt as sweet to extend (if not better) than the 1.6. I brought it pass 6,500 rpm without feeling like torture and with the stick shift, it didn’t feel much less perky than the 1.6 – so much so that I had to confirm with the engineers that it was indeed the 95 bhp/128 Nm 1.4 I was driving. Before you laugh, open the bonnets and you’ll find two identical looking engines save for a discreet VVT module – no logos or badging. By the way, the manual’s shift action is precise and the clutch is light and easy to use.

The highlight of the dashboard is the centre stack that was inspired by among other things, mobile phones, and the 1.6 gets a full phone keypad on the wing closer to the driver. Everything is displayed on a shared screen on the dash top, which has a fixed menu on the left side, lighting up the mode it’s in. There are also “soft keys” to complete the mobile phone image. Sounds complicated, but anyone using a modern mobile phone should have no problems navigating through.

Unlike the European spec, our Fiesta doesn’t come with padded plastics on the dash and door caps, as one would find in the Focus. But the texture of the plastic used here feels good, and the knuckle rap test doesn’t reveal hollow sounds. It’s something that I personally don’t mind, although some bright trim on the door handles would provide a more upmarket impression.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive ReviewThere’s a party trick called Voice Control where you press a button on the right stalk (the one that controls the signal lights) and speak out to command the stereo and climate control, like Mercedes’ Linguatronic. On a perfect day, a female voice would spell out your options and repeat your command. It’s akin to speaking with a automated phone operator when booking cinema tickets or banking.

While cool, personally, I think that this is more of a gimmick than gearbox manual override. It’s much faster thumbing a few buttons for sure, although you do get to keep your eyes on the road ahead with VC. Also, I say “on a perfect day” because my few attempts at speaking to the system didn’t work. Maybe she just didn’t like me.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

Predictably, the 1.4 doesn’t get Voice Control. It also misses out on the Bluetooth phone function although iPods and music players can be plugged in. The central screen is also a smaller unit with only two lines of text. I like the fact that although the centre stack has less functions on the 1.4, it doesn’t look so because there are no blank buttons; Ford cleverly replaced the “Phone” button with “Sound” for instance, and took out the soft keys, so you won’t be constantly reminded that you bought the entry level car.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review
1.4 (right) lacks Bluetooth and Voice Control, but there are no blank buttons – a nice touch

Other differences are the lack of leather wrap on the steering and sport seats, although the latter is still very comfortable and is above par. Speaking about that, despite not having telescopic adjustment for the steering, the driving position is great for this writer thanks to a wide range of seat adjustments. Visibility is great except for a compromised off the shoulder rear view to accommodate the C-pillar design.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

That leads us to the Fiesta’s cool design. Along with the Mazda2, this is the trendiest looking car in its class, but I’m more inclined to the sharper lines of the Ford. The antithesis of the VW Polo’s classy but super sober design, the Fiesta is adventurous and dynamic in outlook. The tapering roofline (accentuated here by the 1.6’s rear spoiler) and details such as the long, swept back headlights plus the prominent side character line that shoots upwards see to this. Following a hatchback on the move, me and my drive partner noticed the Fiesta’s wider and more squat stance compared to the Mazda2.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive ReviewA look at the dimensions show that the Fiesta hatch is indeed wider than the Mazda, by 27 mm. At 3,950 mm, the Ford is also 55 mm longer than the Japanese car, although both share the same 2,490 mm wheelbase. Crucially for the Fiesta, rear headroom in the hatchback is much better than in the Mazda, which is constricting for this 175 cm writer. The hatchback’s boot will take in 281 litres, expandable to 961 litres with the rear seats folded. The sedan, which has the same width and height but is 341 mm longer at 4,291 mm, has a 430-litre boot. The lip is quite high, but the load area is deep and square.

Ford says that the Fiesta represents the “truest and most expressive form of Kinetic Design” to date, and while they have a design language to follow, there’s a brief to avoid a “Russian doll effect” where the same look is duplicated across the range (Audi comes to mind). The supermini also survived the transformation from concept (Verve concept from the 2007 Frankfurt show) to production largely unchanged.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

However, what’s good about the hatchback isn’t always fully translated to the sedan, which is often the case in the B-segment. The Mazda2 is a good case study. Its upswept window line looks great on the hatchback but leads to a seriously tall boot on the sedan. Couple that with a narrow body (the Mitsubishi Lancer looks fine, for instance) and you’ll get a gawky looking car with ungainly proportions. Mazda designers also didn’t put any elements on the boot lid to “break up” the high rump visual.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

Ford did though, by locating the number plate and other elements on the boot lid. It doesn’t alter the awkward proportions, but they do help neutralise the effect a little. They also seeked to give the Fiesta sedan a “mini Mondeo” look with the taillight design and arrangement.

So it looks the part, but is the Fiesta as dynamic to drive as its looks suggest? Very much so. The ingredients are there: Ford is famous for great to drive cars, and this Thai made car is no dumbed down low cost model. We get customised spring and shock rates to suit the region’s roads, but roll characteristics are identical to the Euro spec car, so is torsional stiffness, which is higher than the Chinese market car.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

The tuning of our top range Fiesta’s “sport tuned suspension” (front struts, rear twist beam) is said to be in between Europe’s normal and Sport tunes (90% of European cars are on the standard set up); the latter is lowered and “totally not appropriate” for our conditions. Although the sedan gets unique spring/shock rates to accommodate the potentially heavier rear load, it’s tuned for the same feel as the hatchback. Bear in mind that suspension tuning is equally as important (if not more) than the hardware itself, which explains why some cars drive brilliantly with “just a rear torsion beam”.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

If you’ve driven a Focus or Mondeo, the Fiesta’s pleasing dynamics come as no surprise. While it flows nicely along an uneven B-road, we won’t call this “European feel” because not all Continental cars are made the same. The Fiesta’s suspension has been given “room to breathe” across undulations and ride comfort is good, both primary and low speed. The nice damping and good body control work well with the steering for a package that’s good to drive enthusiastically.

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive Review

Following the efficiency trend, the steering ditches hydraulic assistance for an electric setup. The EPAS steering is light and isn’t exactly dripping with feel, but is very precise. There’s no slack or freeplay and the response is very linear as you wind on lock. I also like the feel of the brake pedal, which isn’t too sensitive or over assisted. Also, 1.6 models have the latest version of ESP as standard kit (Europe to get it soon).

Ford Fiesta 1.4 and 1.6 Ti-VCT Test Drive ReviewSo the handling is good. The Mazda2 and Suzuki Swift has can be described as such too, but the Ford’s talents run deeper. It’s better on more roads and in more conditions. Perhaps it may lack the rather amazing front end grip of the Suzuki, losing a bit of the “go kart feel”, but go karts aren’t known for their comfort or ability on less than smooth surfaces!

We’re looking forward to a longer local drive to reinforce/debunk these first impressions, but from the looks of it, Ford has a good all rounder in its hands, and this is a seductive package in my view. The price? RM73,888 for the 1.4 manual hatch, RM79,888 for the 1.6 sedan and RM84,888 for the 1.6 Sport. These attractive prices are on the road with insurance.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • Rhys Millen on Aug 30, 2010 at 5:49 pm

    Definately will run down a Mazda 2 anyday.

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    • mr_3m on Aug 30, 2010 at 8:45 pm

      but they are non-identical twins….. they are even built along the same line…
      i guess its a case of sibling rivalry then…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • but mazda after sales service is miles better than ford?

        and mazda is definitely able to hold their price.

        Look how cheap pre-own ford focus can be.

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        • Lim Kopi on Aug 31, 2010 at 2:28 am

          yes u are right kaka….

          i am one of those idiots whos owning one ….

          resale is really one of the worse I have seen ….

          Service is not great , parts expensive …

          luckily it handles well, and not too problematic ….

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          • its sime’s fault. they are glc, hence the attitude

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          • izit an open secret that sime darby sucks??? how come i donow leh
            i juz cancelled my fiesta order this evening, really disappointed coz the salesman (specifically named Isham-sdb jln ipoh KL) made lots of promises but broke every single of it. he really sucks. arghhhh!!!!

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
          • Roll out from same plan as Mazda 2 but one thing for sure, quality is definitely different. Saw that Fiesta in 1U and really disappointed with the quality. More functions but using really cheap quality plastics.

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  • Bob_B78 on Aug 30, 2010 at 5:51 pm

    If im not mistaken, the 1.6 sports hatchback model for Ford Fiesta offers only drum brakes
    Can anybody clarify this?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
    • Danny Tan (Member) on Aug 30, 2010 at 5:56 pm

      Front ventilated discs and rear drums for all variants

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      • mactan22 on Oct 24, 2010 at 11:54 pm

        I think drum brakes are passe in this day and age, especially if you boast of traction control etc. They just don’t match up. I test drove the car today and honestly it doesn’t match the specs on torque etc. :( deeply dissappointed.

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        • Jeremy on Dec 06, 2010 at 11:13 pm

          seriously , the Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive , braking in the front is only important , because if the brake is an all wheel brake , the car’s back would be sliding away , the drum brakes are meant to be economical (the car is 80K+ what would you expect?!) and the drum brakes are only used for the handbrakes , nothing else , if its an all wheel brake with a back drum brake , thats low quality

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    • zoepound on Aug 31, 2010 at 12:17 pm

      the rear brake drum u can change to disc brake at halfcut.. using the volvo brake.. the wheel pcd for ford fiesta is 108.. u can get a aftermarket wheel spacer to chanfe the pcd from 108 to 114.3… i definitely going to get the 1.4 manual and ready to boost up the fiesta.. and change the ecu too… it give more power and looks fast heheheh…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
      • kingkong on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:25 pm

        save some money and buy focus tdci , with good handling and good power.

        trying to pimp the fiesta is like trying to pimp a kancil with turbo. it will spoilt every effort that the engineers put into tuning the car. and you think u and the ah beng shop can out do them? think straight bro.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
        • Jeremy on Dec 06, 2010 at 2:45 am

          Dude , do you know who’s Ken Block? He’s one a professional rally driver and his Ford Fiesta has been modded into an all wheel drive all the way up to 500bhp , so do some research about what you’re gonna say , the fiesta isn’t as cheap quality as a kancil

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
          • I agree wif Jeremy.I think king kong dont have better job.he simply write without any research bground.haha…sounds damn funny…

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      • kingko on Sep 01, 2010 at 9:13 pm

        buy evo to mod la, boy. buy fiesta to mod? u wear a skirt?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 3
        • junaidi on Sep 02, 2010 at 8:33 am

          Lots of boys out there buy myvi’s and mod. they wear skirts too?

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
        • zoepound on Sep 02, 2010 at 11:08 am

          hahaha… y must buy evo to mod??? btw… evo is boring to many people using it… and plus malaysian people think evo is actually proton… so y waste money buy an evo.. just buy proton instead…. hahahah…. don’t u think evo wear a skirt too?? hahahaha

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
          • evo is proton???only dum people think of that

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
        • Jeremy on Dec 06, 2010 at 11:21 pm

          Have you ever heard of Ken Block? have you seen his 500bhp Fiesta? does he wear a skirt? why in the world are you so not open minded?

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • ProTip on Sep 07, 2010 at 12:20 pm

      Only drum brakes? What’s wrong with drum brakes for the rear? They’re perfectly fine for normal driving.

      I’ve gone down mountains in Australia with a 1.6 ton car with “only” drum brakes, no engine braking, left it at D all the way, and never once had issues or saw smoke coming out.

      I’d say the car manufacturers know better than us at designing cars, ya?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • ericlee on Oct 05, 2010 at 3:05 pm

      cut cost….

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • akupunya on Aug 30, 2010 at 5:57 pm

    please come to malaysia immediately..
    I reckon that F2 will beat M2.
    hahahaha….

    come on guys..change ur car now..

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  • wolfsburg on Aug 30, 2010 at 6:02 pm

    The 1.6 sedan only features one airbag, which is a very big dissapointment for a more family-oriented variant.

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    • losaa on Aug 30, 2010 at 8:23 pm

      seriously, gonna get either honda city(2 airbag) or forte 2.0(6 airbag) or forte 1.6sx(4 airbag)

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      • losaa on Aug 30, 2010 at 8:31 pm

        it has less airbag than myvi……….1 airbag for sedan? sedan is their bread and butter, come on.

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        • MoFaz on Aug 31, 2010 at 4:47 am

          hahaha..
          all this while the bashers keep saying that Proton assume your life is cheap…

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
          • Rokuth on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:23 pm

            The Fiesta will be available in the USA with 6 airbags. Over there if the car has only 2 airbags, it’ll be shunned. If it only has 1 airbag, it’ll be considered a deathtrap. We Malaysians seem to be at least 10 years behind the Western/1st World countries as far as Safety is concerned.
            I was selling cars in the US and it’s all a matter of consumer demand. If we all went to Ford dealerships, and laughed at the salesperson when he/she starts talking about the 1 airbag, and leave saying we’re going to buy a Forte (or any other car of your choice) because it has 6 airbags, I think Ford would get the message very quickly. However, because Malaysia is a relatively small market, it usually is the bottom line that wins out, and since it’s cheaper to build it with 1 airbag…

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          • oldwira on Sep 01, 2010 at 5:31 pm

            Cmon, car safety is not only how many airbags put in the car, its more than that. Pls bear in mind that fiesta acquired 5 star in Euro NCAP thanks to it built and chassis and how the chassis absorbs force in an event of collision.

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          • artworkz on Oct 07, 2010 at 8:18 pm

            the 5 star was base on 6 airbag.

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        • JonLing on Sep 01, 2010 at 8:46 am

          unfortunately, sometimes that’s exactly what a car manufacturer would do, since they know it will sell no matter what, and by doing so, they can 1) earn more and 2) provide a clearer differentiation than the top of the range car, in this case, the 1.6 hatchback.

          Not to say that I endorse such an arrangement, but it’s just how they do business. And it’s not that many of their target customers would be complaining much anyway, just look at how many Toyota Vios with only 1 airbag are on the road now.

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      • Correction..Forte 1.6SX only got 2 airbags

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        • gangully on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:35 am

          Correction!

          why you comparing a Forte to a FIesta?

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          • oldwira on Sep 01, 2010 at 5:36 pm

            Right, forte is a C-segment car, fiesta is a B-segment, see C is not B, got it?

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      • kadajawi on Nov 20, 2011 at 3:31 pm

        But Fiesta Sedan has 7 airbags.

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    • west meets east on Dec 11, 2010 at 2:04 pm

      The USA spec Fiesta sedans are better, with more airbags than ASEAN ones.

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  • engdau on Aug 30, 2010 at 6:03 pm

    However, the brand name is as “hot” as T & H. Can u see how many Ford Focus on our main road? In fact, I have not seen any Focus 2.0 Tdci at all.

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    • Ford Pick Up got quite a number~

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    • Tiadaid on Aug 30, 2010 at 8:55 pm

      That doesn’t mean it’s better. Give me a Ford over a Honda or Toyota anyday.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • losaa on Aug 30, 2010 at 10:44 pm

        put your money where your mouth is. Go buy a ford focus.

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        • Tiadaid on Aug 31, 2010 at 9:53 am

          I would if I could, but Focus outta my price range for now. Fortunately Fiesta’s not.

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          • kingkong on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:26 pm

            pre owned ford focus is around 80-90k, go SDAC and ask, no bs.

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        • oldwira on Sep 01, 2010 at 5:40 pm

          You know mat, in the same B-segment cars, fiesta will smoke vios TRD “racing wanabe” anytime, anywhere, study the features of both cars first dude

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        • engdau on Sep 02, 2010 at 12:46 pm

          Imagine you that if you have previous edition of Focus, year 2003, fully imported and the price was estimated RM 100K. If you wanted to sell it now, I bet nobody has the interest to buy. The current resale value is less than RM 35K. 7 years different with a total loss of RM RM 65K. Almost Rm 10K depreciation a year.

          Moreover, Can u easily get Focus replacement parts at any spare parts shop out of Klang Valley?

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      • Richard on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:30 pm

        I’m with you on that Tiadaid. Have been driving Ford’s for as long as I could get my own car, and comparing that with other Japanese makes that my wife and relatives drive, I will stick with Ford, purely for the ride and drive dynamics.

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        • engdau on Sep 02, 2010 at 9:32 am

          Back to Malaysia Market, how many of Malaysian motorist really spend their money into Ford Focus? In fact, the number of popularity of Mazda is greater than Ford in general.

          I understand Focus 2.0 Tdci and Fiesta are great cars, yet Ford does not have any resale value. I rather wait until I could get a used Focus. No way buying a new Ford car.

          Richard, if u wanted to sell your Ford. Dun hessitate to reach me.

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          • Hey dude, Did you know Resale Value is Purely base on Number of cars & Model…? Brands is not so important now a days, Take a good Example on Suzuki Swift…Resale Value..and Tell me what do you think?

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    • trollbait on Sep 01, 2010 at 9:19 am

      You should get out into the real world more.

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  • What it has to offer is crazy attractive for the price. Seems to be a great little hatchback.

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  • Kambing Gurun on Aug 30, 2010 at 6:12 pm

    I’d go for the manual.

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    • anonymous on Aug 30, 2010 at 6:41 pm

      I bet manual won’t be offered here in Malaysia.

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      • David on Aug 30, 2010 at 6:54 pm

        Well, there is a manual apparently, albeit in the basic 1.4 spec. Sounds fantastic for those who want a more affordable continental car in which they can row the gears by themselves!! Now, if only it can start seeping the sales of the overpriced and below-par in every respect Vios, which i hope does. This car deserves to sell, in conclusion.

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      • agreed!

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        • Paul Tan on Aug 30, 2010 at 6:59 pm

          We’ve already said that there is a manual, even mentioned the specs, the differences in dashboard button layout etc, and even the price of RM73,888, and yet there are this kinda comments. Very amusing.

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          • ManualHead on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:23 pm

            it would good if 1.6M is offered too … honestly i dun really like the idea of spending ~75k for a car with metal wheel cap ….

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          • there are 3 kind od ppl that come to this blog..

            1 – ppl who read the whole articles
            2 – ppl who just look at the pictures
            3 – ppl who just read the topic and read the comments

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          • @ManualHead, if there’s a demand, maybe they could add a mid-trim 1.4 manual model with alloy wheels like the one Ford offers in the Philippines.

            In the Philippines the mid level Trend (known as LX in Malaysia) comes as a 1.4 manual or a 1.6 Powershift and is offered as a hatchback or sedan.

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          • bReaL on Aug 31, 2010 at 8:22 am

            these retardees wont even bother to read the article..they just comment base on other comments……anyway thats great looking car..and can go 110km/h at 2500rpm…if its T or H ..with that price it would be a steal..hopefully ford can provide good aftersales service and value.

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  • Alpha on Aug 30, 2010 at 6:13 pm

    the sedan’s ugly.get the hatch~!!

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    • Sedan cheaper & interior space better that the only reason choosing it … ;p

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      • kadajawi on Nov 20, 2011 at 3:37 pm

        Sedan is the only one to get 7 airbags, hence get the sedan. The 1.6 hatchback only adds bodykit and a stiffer suspension IIRC, which is not important at all, you could add those things later. You can’t easily add new airbags.

        The lack of manual override for the DSG gearbox is a big, big bummer though. How expensive would it have been to add 2 buttons or paddles? I chose how much I accelerate through the gearbox, not through the pedal (it’s glued to the floor unless I want to keep the speed). Better FC that way, and more fun.

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  • OnyxDragon on Aug 30, 2010 at 6:15 pm

    my neighbour has a Focus tdci with the blue stripes :-D

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  • This car is already doing great at the european market, and i’m sure that if some malaysians are willing to try out new stuff… this is the car for you, just too bad some of the features are not included …

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    • Waja Lancer better or this Ford? almost same price or Waja lancer more expensive?

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      • losaa on Aug 30, 2010 at 10:49 pm

        proton lancer discount 35k, selling 85k instead of 120k. you’ll look like a fool for not buying this lancer :)

        handling? how many are driving fast at a corner? even ferrari owner are playing drag race only ;)

        ford always failed in after sales , how many mondeo on the road? its rarer than ferrari f430 in malaysia(no joke).

        this small car will overwhelm their maintenance department!!! and haha, good luck ,sime.

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        • ManualHead on Aug 30, 2010 at 11:36 pm

          waja lancer pricing out d?

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        • Toyott on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:02 am

          What?? lancer use 2.0 engine lehh,, waja replacement ony 1.8 old putra engine

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          • MoFaz on Aug 31, 2010 at 4:39 am

            engine for waja lancer is the same version as in current lancer.

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          • putra engine cannot fit into new waja la bro….mounting is not the same

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        • Espresso! Quick! on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:31 am

          can you please stop linking proton to every other brand? gosh your thought process is really limited.

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        • Jeremy on Dec 06, 2010 at 11:18 pm

          we’re talking about the ford fiesta not the mondeo , this car is selling like crazy in UK and theres no maintainance problems , they gave us a 3 year warranty , so the mantainance is basicly free for 3 years , so whats the problem? even BMW’s are even harder to mantain

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      • wow, every single post mati-mati must connect back to proton.

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        • It only means Malaysian DO love Protons no matter they love or hate it…

          It’s just like father and mother love and scold and ‘slap’ (sometimes) their kids and doesn’t matter what, their live is on-n-off come out with words about their kids…

          Same applies to spouse too? hahaha…

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    • alldisc on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:20 am

      europeans are hatchback crazy!! its a totally different scenario in malaysia.

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  • hazri on Aug 30, 2010 at 6:19 pm

    is it worth to change my Gen2 which has been almost 4years old and replace with this Fiesta? I really loveeeeee the hatchback version!

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    • handsome*dude on Aug 30, 2010 at 8:57 pm

      is it worth? ofcos much better in every spec compare to Gen2, only the Fiesta is smaller..
      will ur Gen2 attract any chick? but i sure this one will get some head turner~

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      • If a chick turns to you, a genuine one mostly turn to you WITHOUT looking at any sort of things related to your wallet. (car, house, etc.)

        If not, you have something to think of.

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      • if not chick….atleast LHDN will be attracted

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      • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 8:37 am

        If chicks are attracted to you because of the car you’re driving, I rather not have them. In the end superficial chicks ain’t good for you.

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    • RadzLee on Aug 30, 2010 at 9:00 pm

      if u like it, go for it!^^
      or a 2nd car maybe?

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  • the hatchback manual doesn’t have front fog lamp, right?

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    • Danny Tan (Member) on Aug 30, 2010 at 6:52 pm

      Only 1.6 Sports has fog lights, others will have to DIY

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      • ManualHead on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:31 pm

        manual doesnt even come with alloy rim, is steel rim with wheel cap … thats pathetic..

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        • The reason why it is pathetic, is that out of the 75K, at least 25K goes to 1Malaysia bolehland tax. <45K left (5K for salesman/dealer profits, etc.) for the rest of the goodies, and the brand name.

          Steel wheel with cap, can't help. That's how non-national car got stripped down almost 'naked' but hey, at least these can be DIY easily.

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        • alldisc on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:23 am

          at least, we are not forced with ‘take or leave it’ option. i would prefer to shop around for alloy wheels. they are cheaper and comes with all the varieties one can named.

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          • oldwira on Sep 01, 2010 at 5:56 pm

            yeah, you seem much smatter than most of ppl who posted here, hikhik, use common sense ppl

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        • goto tires shop and choose what ever you like,ratter than just the boring same pattern come with the car.

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  • Will the White Colour available in Metallic or Solid?

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  • Saw one on the road at lunch time, followed it and turns out it was salesmen on training. Their manager was in tow and she told them to try the sales pitch on us. Was impressed. The voice control and bluetooth, is gimmicky yes..equally at home and gimmicky in a brand new E class and quite frankly a breath of fresh air at a third of the price. The “boot” space is nice and big too. Better than a Myvi (looks like a 308)… and that is the point here. I would buy this car over the 308. I still haven’t driven it yet, but I’m already thinking how to convince the missus its the right car for her…. if only it were a stick shift or paddle shifter… I would be buying it myself and skipping the convincing the missus!

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    • DiscoStick on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:16 am

      how on earth to compare 308 to fiesta? it is different class… wake up dude

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      • objectivism on Aug 31, 2010 at 5:32 am

        come on… have some objective views… this is not about competition in the class… this is about how the guy prefers to spend his money. you should wake up, now!

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        • DiscoStick on Sep 01, 2010 at 12:30 am

          if u cant afford to buy a Product A, pls don compare it to Product B and speculate Product B is way better than Product A.

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      • Espresso! Quick! on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:33 am

        i agree. if there is to be a comparison, it should be with the new t33 sedan. sedan to sedan of course. not sedan to hatch. then compare the specs of the 2 cars. the 308 is a class up on this. honestly, after seeing the fiesta sedan, the t33 is not too bad.

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  • sonyman on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:00 pm

    hi paul, since your team members have driven the Fiesta, i would like to know, does the Powershift knows the correct gears to use at any particular time? How is the intelligence?

    It has 6 gears, it sure be indecisive when climbing up a hill or suddenly decided to over take. I asked this because they took the manual over ride away from this car. Which i thought it was the most useful feature for a 6 gear car. The last i knew about why this was not implemented is because i read somewhere in facebook saying that the dry clutch are unable to come with manual over ride.

    Also you mentioned the gears dont need maintenance? do you need to change the ATF? is this considered maintenance… Or does it mean that a wet clutch requires the change of oil.

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    • Paul Tan on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:03 pm

      I will let Danny answer the question on the intelligence. But there is supposedly a Gradient Assist button that you can activate, then the Fiesta will shift its gears appropriately for up/down hill driving.

      We will be more clear on the maintenance schedule when the car is launched but Powershift is not a torque converter automatic transmission, its a dry clutch manual, its internal construction is similiar to a manual gearbox rather than a torque converter automatic, so it doesn’t have “ATF”. Ford has ‘sealed it for life’ and says it requires no regular maintenance.

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    • Danny Tan (Member) on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:38 pm

      sonyman,

      Dual-clutch gearboxes have a transmission control unit (TCU) just like regular torque converter autos. For the regular driver, there’s little discernible difference between a dual-clutch and an auto left in “D”.

      Six gears isn’t extraordinary these days. VW has a 7-speed DSG and both Lexus and BMW have 8-speed torque converter autos.

      The omission of manual override isn’t because a dry clutch setup doesn’t permit it; Ford chose to not include it. VW’s dry clutch 7-speed DSG has manual mode.

      This dry clutch Powershift does without an oil pump, torque converter or external coolers that a wet clutch unit may require. It’s sealed and “requires no regular maintenance” according to Ford

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      • sonyman on Aug 30, 2010 at 10:22 pm

        This means that there is no ATF to take care off. Plus one point. Also there wont be any gear box oil change? i remember my old wira has to change gear oil. So this one dont need to change or nothing to change at all? thats great.

        Yes 6 speed is not much of a gear. 8 speed is quite common for premium cars, But i saw once on Topgear, Jeremy clarkson was commenting on a BMW dont know what model saying that it has 8 gears and the car cannot make up its mind which gears to select, when there as much as 8 gears, And Jeremy was like singing the gear change in tones… resembling how the 8 gears change. So here if ford Powershift runs on OD. then it be fine, the car will somehow shift into the highest gear at the shortest possible time.

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        • yaa…
          i was hoping for more detail review on the 7 speed dual-clutch gearbox
          i think it is uncommon on the car at this price range
          usually have to deal with 4 gear only

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        • it was a Lexus ISF. its got 9 gears.

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      • Rokuth on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:41 pm

        You forgot to mention the GT-R…
        Stefan Muenzinger is right, though. I have had the chance to drive several automatic cars with manual overrides as a auto sales consultant, and after trying it a few times, I usually end up leaving it in the auto mode. The only exceptions were when driving turbos, and that’s just to keep the rpms up to avoid turbo lag.

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      • Danny,

        This so called DG dry clutch Powershift thingy..
        Does it need to change the clutch and the pressure plate like my old manual car not?

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        • Danny Tan (Member) on Sep 02, 2010 at 1:07 am

          The box is sealed and requires no maintenance, Ford says.
          Those with reliability concerns/questions should direct them to Auto ConneXion

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    • Maserati on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:44 am

      Seriously dont think its gonna do well here. This car is neither here nor there. Whoz gonna spend 84k for a small hatch? I know its nice to drive and all but practicality comes first. Just look hw many mazda 2 hatch u see on the roads. I think i hv seen like 2 so far in a couple of months. Resale value is bad, spare parts are exp. It might b doin well in europe but i dont see it challenging t or h at all

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      • sonyman on Sep 14, 2010 at 6:43 pm

        so in your mind which car is going to do well?

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      • Jeremy on May 18, 2011 at 5:51 pm

        dude , I Live in Petaling Jaya and Fiestas are a common sight since i brought it this January , its cheaper than the Nissan Latio Sport and the Suzuki Swift , and more powerful with more features , and it looks better too , and why are you comparing Mazda 2 with the Fiesta? the Fiesta is developed in Germany under Ford

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  • Machi on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:11 pm

    saw it in the shopping mall couple weeks ago for my wife new car’s candidate, turned out my wife complaining it’s too crampy cabin..haha..but appearance is very CHUN ! Next day went to P2 showroom for Alza..mana tahu my wife like it so much..ended up with Alza! so..i save >10K…hehe.

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  • wow..tempted.

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  • Lasting99 on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:29 pm

    Danny, since you have tested Hyundai i10 kappa recently, is the 1.4 fiesta worth the extra rm20k over the 1.25 kappa?

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    • Danny Tan (Member) on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:45 pm

      Both are very good cars in their respective segments.

      I’m not sure what your priorities are, but personally, I’ll go for the Fiesta 1.4 as I don’t need an automatic gearbox, especially in a small car.

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  • Citroën ds3 on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:34 pm

    Oohh.. Isn’t this the one Ken block souped it up and turn it unto a mad tyre burner??? Nice… Quite impress with ford these days… Really nice cars…

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  • Fiesta Nut on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:35 pm

    Hi Danny, did you have the chance to try the mountune performance package for fiesta?

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    • Danny Tan (Member) on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:49 pm

      No such luck bro!
      Mountune isn’t officially available in our part of the world

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    • west meets east on Dec 11, 2010 at 2:07 pm

      You shall go to USA for taking Ford’s in-house SVT performance package for the Fiestas.

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  • Paul, i had sat in a Ford Fiesta before this during a roadshowm and i have to say the dash really is a bit plasticky, don’t you think so? they should have better the trims on the door and dash with some nicer soft -feel plastics which would have grant the car some classy feel =)..bt at such price, its gona be a good buy i would say

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  • jimmyc on Aug 30, 2010 at 7:55 pm

    the lack of tiptronic setup is a deal breaker for me on this otherwise a superb driver’s hatchback

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  • The Loner on Aug 30, 2010 at 8:30 pm

    Danny, are you sure Thailand has manual transmission for 1.6L engine? As I checked Thailand’s Ford website, only 1.4L Duratec engine has manual transmission.

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  • Katak on Aug 30, 2010 at 8:35 pm

    Nokia fan must love this LOL. The dashboard really is a trip down memory lane…..Antone can remember which Nokia model is this ??^^

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  • great photography! who took these pictures?

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  • Samuel Schick on Aug 30, 2010 at 8:42 pm

    mehh, i’ll choose swift sport anytime doesn’t matter even if i hav to fork out additional 30k for it, the feature is a let down.

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    • why bother comment here then? btw, new swift is coming, hang on.

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    • u too rich, but if u when Brunei u will know not woth to buy the swift, cheap like hell!! U buy 1 in Malaysia, with the $$$ u went Brunei can buy 1 FREE 1!!!! So Jealous with Brunei ppl!!! Why!!!! their car so cheap, but I cant buy!!!! malaysian Cannot use Brunei car!!!! Why!!!!

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      • if malaysian can buy and use brunei’s cars,then najib will kill hisself for proton’s lost…

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    • what so special bout swift sport?!

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  • Speedster on Aug 30, 2010 at 8:47 pm

    Gonna get the Fiesta booked tomorrow. Love it!

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  • shawal on Aug 30, 2010 at 9:00 pm

    Awww…. no manual override….
    Excellent review !
    I dunno bout others ,but i think the 1.6 sport is worth it in everyway, and its thee model to go for…

    and if you want a sedan, save the embarassment and go survey kia forte or honda city, mazda2 sedan and fiesta sedan are too ugly to even consider…

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    • shawal on Aug 31, 2010 at 3:03 am

      mazda 2 sedan is actually quite good looking , but cramped inside and has a lower roofline , fiesta sedan is still ugly tho..

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      • Rokuth on Sep 01, 2010 at 8:19 pm

        “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…” or “its so ugly that its beautiful…”

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      • west meets east on Dec 11, 2010 at 2:15 pm

        dont say that, mazda 2 sedan is ugly at back…….. fiesta sedan is the best subcompact sedan in America.

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    • Espresso! Quick! on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:37 am

      shawal,

      of the 3 competing small non traditional sedans, the mazda2, the t33 and this fiesta sedan, which would be your pick in terms of looks? by the way, the t33 should have manual overide as in all peugeots.

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      • shawal on Sep 01, 2010 at 9:25 pm

        definitely Mazda 2 ,pug t33 is just biblically hideous, its too ugly…..

        the fiesta chose subtance over style, that is way it looks disporportionate but it solves the headroom issue of its sister car the mazda 2

        mazda 2 sedan looks like a mini mazda 6 (previous gen) , it looks very sporty typical of mazda, space wont be an issue (much) cuz malaysians are generally small people (im 180 btw) , guys at the front, girls at the back, shubbe sufficient….

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      • shawal on Sep 01, 2010 at 9:27 pm

        but right now in my mind is…what i need is a kia forte , what i want is a fiesta 1.6 sport and what i really wish for is Hyundai sonata…..

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  • handsome*dude on Aug 30, 2010 at 9:02 pm

    will someone say the Vios looks better than this??

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    • A car with Central speedo display? Ahhhhhhhhhh……………

      It’s always an ‘entertainment’ to myself whenever I see a bad/rude driver in this car. I’ll comment “it’s a Bxxd’s car… with a Bxxd eye view”…

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    • oldwira on Sep 01, 2010 at 6:19 pm

      in your dream dude, that vios is only scrapped metal

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  • RadzLee on Aug 30, 2010 at 9:10 pm

    exterior looks superb & sexy.
    dashboard looks like cheap plastics however…
    really wish the 1.6 sport has a manual transmission

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  • not-quite-the-auto-junkie on Aug 30, 2010 at 9:12 pm

    quite shocked to learn the 1.6 powershift doesnt come with manual over ride, plus the fact that ford/mazda does it in the proper enthusiast position; ‘+’ towards driver, ‘-‘ away from driver.
    its like the total opposite of current CVTs, packaged with virtual ratios and paddle shifts… CVT = least sporty, comfort biased and have 7-8 virtual ratios… sigh… marketing and focus group spoils it.

    fair enough, they still offer a proper manual hatchback for the price of a Swift 1.5 CKD.

    looking forward to test drive though, hoping for manual.

    no worries on hub caps.. as gives me inspiration to style it up. look at how many Vios Js and base Persona still have their hubcaps attached….

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    • The Loner on Aug 30, 2010 at 10:15 pm

      Moreover, no airbags and ABS. These safety features are must for foreign countries, not optional accessories. Human lifes are more important than car accessories.

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      • Danny Tan (Member) on Aug 30, 2010 at 10:23 pm

        ABS + EBD and driver’s airbag are standard across the board

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        • The Loner on Aug 30, 2010 at 11:36 pm

          I meant other brands of vehicles, not Fiesta.

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          • sri hartamas on Aug 31, 2010 at 4:35 am

            Then why comment at this review of Fiesta?

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        • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 2:09 pm

          When i compare specs between the UK Fiesta and Malaysian Fiesta, I think I found several features that could be made optional to give way for more airbags. Like power rear windows for instance. It’s not standard on the UK Fiesta. Nor are the rear parking sensors. Wouldn’t it be better to put up with the hassle of having to turn around to see where you’re going in reverse, and to wind down your window manually if it means being safe in an accident? If the cost of putting airbags is more is compensated by taking those features out, then do it!

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      • oldwira on Sep 01, 2010 at 6:20 pm

        then go buy a locomotive

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  • junaidi on Aug 30, 2010 at 9:57 pm

    Cheap and cheerful!

    Something to look at besides the boring T & H and that special limited exclusive edition Myvi.

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    • losaa on Aug 30, 2010 at 10:54 pm

      er…..myvi is like 40% to 50% cheaper, if you can count.

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      • rossi46 on Aug 31, 2010 at 2:44 pm

        yeap…the savings can be better use to invest in property or watever wt good return instead of wasting it…guess, most ppl are emotional being hence they spend on cars

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  • BrakeFader on Aug 30, 2010 at 11:06 pm

    The omission of manual shiftronic is a big turn off. I would trade that voice control gizmo for shiftronic. More sad is that the auto stick only has D and L with nothing in between which even kancil has 2 more fixed gears after D. I hope they will give something different for Malaysian release.

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  • malaysia memang boleh on Aug 30, 2010 at 11:09 pm

    Haha,man are you blind,yes the Ford Fiesta Hatchback looks good but the sedan looks weird,the Persona and Saga also not weird like this one.Yeah you must check out the Swift sedan and the Peugeot 207 sedan.

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    • off tangent on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:39 am

      i’ve seen the 207 sedan in taman tun lately. it looks much beter than the fiesta sedan. honest. serious honest! they must be doing some tests around the place. and it has a +/- gearbox.

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    • zaff1984 on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:44 pm

      swift sedan rear sucks… I personally feel Pesona is the best hatchback to sedan conversion compared to Fiesta, Swift and 207… (In term of conversion only ya…) (It doesn’t look awkward)

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  • Jimmy on Aug 30, 2010 at 11:11 pm

    Will not sell well because the package is not sincere enough, eg one airbag only. The chrome near front foglamp is clumpsy ya the design?

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    • kingkong on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:21 pm

      the chrome is ok, but 1 airbag is truly a turn off. the only 1 airbag offer is in vios, but vios has tonnes of variant for you to choose. the rest is either no airbag or 2 airbag, why 1 only? wanna kill your wife and you survive alone and get a mistress?

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      • John Doe on Sep 05, 2010 at 2:55 pm

        I’m so surprised at some of the comments here….1 airbag on a Fiesta is so “unheard of” but 1 airbag on the Vios E is OK. Vios1.5E is already 80k while the Fiesta 1.6 HB is 85k. Vios is locally assembled and is already costing 80k while the Fiestas are imported from Thailand….do you math la guys. Gawd……

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  • jumbsuckuras$ on Aug 30, 2010 at 11:14 pm

    real man will choose this fiesta..
    not so real man will choose P2…
    real old man makcik pakcik will choose T badge..hohohoh

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    • If buying a 70-80k car can restore your manhood, then by all means go and get one. Or you can get some tingkat Ali coffee while waiting for your mini ford to deliver :)
      Maybe realman like your neighbor will buy Mitsubishi lancer or proton lancer and your wife will wink him :)

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  • Citroën ds3 on Aug 30, 2010 at 11:37 pm

    Dude.. And your gripe here is??

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  • zgatal on Aug 30, 2010 at 11:59 pm

    get a 2nd hand Focus instead..much well worth the value

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  • nabill on Aug 31, 2010 at 12:04 am

    jus curious , in the engine bay picture , is the manifold made from plastic ???

    i dont thikn it will sell in big numbers , bt it will definatly make ppl notice the Ford brand more than wat it is now….

    looks like a decent package , bt i have a feeling most ppl will play the wait-and-see approach…..

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    • Salamander on Aug 31, 2010 at 6:38 am

      That is the manifold cover. There is no plastic exhaust manifold that can withstand the pressure and the temperature from the combustion.

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      • Kepalo hotak engkau on Aug 31, 2010 at 7:03 pm

        Itu bukan cover sebenarnya pak. Plastik spenuhnya. Bisa kereta kini semuanya intake manifold pakai plastik. Exhaust memang pakai besi, plastik pasti lebur.

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      • if they use thermosetting plastic aka thermoset it can withstand high temp…much stronger than thermoplastic due to their chemical bonding

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  • xvtec on Aug 31, 2010 at 12:44 am

    owh..look quite tempting especially the hatchback. The sedan kinda ‘hate it,like it’ design just like the previous City. Both versions will still find buyers here but wont affect much Myvi or Vios market share.. i guess. And after sale service and resale value also play the part to drum up sale as well as packaging and pricing.

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    • after sales service sure gone la. Last time sime only can cope with small amount of focus, now if they sell this fiesta in numbers, 100fiesta/month is enough to choke their service center to death. their focus is really very very small in numbers.

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  • Yoong Tofu on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:08 am

    whats with the 2 cavities at the lower front ??

    and the interior is just a mess.

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  • skatax on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:10 am

    This new Fiesta reminds me of the good ol’ Ford Lynx 1.6 hatchback used to be popular on our roads back in the mid-90’s (the great-great ancestor was Ford TX3). Remember the famous lynx’s oval-shaped front lights? The popularity somehow didn’t last long; when Proton introduced us the first ever handling-by-Lotus Satria GTi in 1999. With 1.8L engine, twin pipes, that sporty bodykit and so on, people talked about the GTi and likened it so much it made the lynx ‘pupus’ almost immediately. Proton-1, Ford-0.

    Currently, the only local rivals for Fiesta would be the Gen.2 CPS, Neo CPS and the Neo R3 Lotus Racing; the R3 Lotus can’t be considered here since it’s a bloody limited edition..).

    It’s acceptable to say at a person with RM80k-100k to spend on a car would skip P1 hatch these days; too bad Protons now are no longer on par with our current non-local lineups (low-rent materials means for a different income group).

    The fresh-looking Fiesta will definitely add a good dose of sales for Sime in a few years to come. Welcome back, Lynx successor! Ford-1, Proton-0!

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    • rossi46 on Aug 31, 2010 at 2:40 pm

      ..and do remember those good old days Ford TX3 and Ford Lasers…damn famous & those days boyracers cars!

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  • Yoong Tofu on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:11 am

    give me a Mazda2 anytime.

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  • Kevin on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:37 am

    Remap this baby. Shud turn it into a warm-hot hatch.

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  • did MV Agusta has been sold 1euro again?..i read it from newspaper..for sure huge thumb down for me this time

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    • MoFaz on Aug 31, 2010 at 4:30 am

      haha.. not related to the main topic (ford focus). but yes, Claudio Castiglioni purchased 100% of the shares of MV Agusta from Harley-Davidson for the sum of 1 euro.

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    • off tangent on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:42 am

      keep to the topic please!!

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  • Lim Kopi on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:59 am

    Danny / Paul Tan & to whom it may concern :

    As an owner to the current Focus, other than the good handling, would just like to share my 2 cents :

    1) the manual override is not only a “gimmick” like what Stefan claims, but he also failed to mention that the one Ford made is really a “worthless piece of machinery” – it takes like half a sec to engage, no wonder they left it out!!

    2) if u are not planning to keep the car for long term, like mine, 5 years later and I am having deep troubles selling it of at a modest price, no takers for even RM55K … OMG

    3) need I mention the price of parts? Bonnet lock mechanism – real smart aleck idea Ford … the lousy lock broke down twice and replaced each time worth RM500++ , and honestly who would wanna steal a Ford ??

    So no matter how good on paper or handling this car is , think carefully before you buy a Ford , no wonder its such a sunset brand !!

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    • Cowabunga! on Aug 31, 2010 at 8:56 am

      cheerfully agree.
      while i don’t know the stance of dual clutch transmission…the very essence of not able to manual “shift”, could only mean the gear shifting is not very precise and smooth.
      I drove one back a few week, and the jerks are obvious enough to ask me to pay for a 5-speed instead.

      while without doubt, “no maintenance” is required (transmission oil), I don’t fancy the idea that it cannot be “tuned” or “calibrated”.

      while on doesn’t/shouldn’t matter too much about depreciation, still…that factor comes into play. Nobody is going to stick to a car for longer than 5 years, unless there is some bond of love.

      Given i’m not a proton-fan boy , still I come to believe, the idea of a sport hatchback…the Satria Neo would offer more fun in modification/drive fun/cheaper parts/maintenance cost than a Ford at less $40k. And even more fun, for a Neo CPS less than 25k+.

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      • “Nobody is going to stick to a car for longer than 5 years, unless there is some bond of love.”

        Utterly naive. It may or may not be Love, but definitely something to do with MONEY!

        You have the money, you can buy and keep a huge garage for ‘friends and family viewing purpose and occasional driving pleasure’ only… you don’t have the money you STICK to one or two.

        There are still people that DO NOT spend on cars as it’s just a mode of transportation.

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      • budleee on Nov 02, 2010 at 4:19 pm

        “Nobody is going to stick to a car for longer than 5 years, unless there is some bond of love.”

        you got that right..

        we have a 1991 mercedes and a 2003? (first edition) naza ria

        soon the 2006? myvi (first gen)

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    • ayam-iitk on Aug 31, 2010 at 9:24 am

      +1

      check for the price of focus brake pad replacement then u noe…

      my fren owned 1 focus 2.0… performance wise, not impressive because of the heavy chasis..

      but also thanks to they heavy chasis, it’s quite stable at high though…

      and ford service centre in butterworth sucks la… i follow my fren there 2 check out some rattling sound from the suspension… spent few hours and cant find any problem…

      even saw the foreman driving customer’s car hit car beside when parking… gosh!!!

      ford is a good manufacturer, and fiesta is a good car… drove manual version in UK as u can see fiesta anywhere here… the problem is the after sales service and parts issue…

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      • rossi46 on Aug 31, 2010 at 2:35 pm

        my fren owned 1 focus 2.0… performance wise, not impressive because of the heavy chasis..

        Yr Fren bought the petrol version, no wonder its performance is not good…the Gem is the diesel 2.0 tdci,..its a heavy car & need diesel torque to move it

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    • keluangman on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:20 am

      lim…. itu bonnet lock, Ford takut orang curi you punya batteri kereta. Batteri sekarang very valuable tau, it lead sangat berat, haha!

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      • Lim Kopi on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:53 pm

        yea , i tak da issue with the lock tapi – WHY DOES IT NEED TO BE REPLACED TWICE FORD ???

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        • kingko on Sep 01, 2010 at 8:57 am

          even my 16 years old saga last time never failed for such a stuff. and its not cheap!!

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    • a guy named Grinner in autoworld forum, he is a die hard focus supporter, and he got himself a new kia forte this year, becos he need to get a personal loan to change the gearbox of his ford focus, rm13000. even a die hard supporter also heart broken by the way sime handles the franchise.

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      • Tiadaid on Aug 31, 2010 at 4:32 pm

        Gearbox typical la expensive. The 3G Honda City new CVT gearbox 21K! Lucky for me I found a 2nd hand one (not refurbished though) for 2K, but only after going all around the Klang Valley through all the kedai potongs from Puchong to Sg. Buloh.

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    • Kavin on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:11 am

      Being an owner of a ‘cold car’ , I can’t agree more than what Lim Kopi states about point 2 and 3.

      I guess the wow factor runs out after the 2nd year and when a nicer car comes along, you’d be in a quandry about how to sell off your current ride since there are small fans of this marque and they tend to wait for ‘dirt cheap’ offers.

      Therefore, go for a practical model that is pleasant to drive, looks good, has low maintenance costs and more importantly – easy to dispose after the 4th year!!

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      • Lim Kopi on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:55 pm

        thanks bro …. I am just spreading the awareness of the downsides of owning COLD DOOR CARS ….

        Now thinking carefully of replacing my ford f_ckus with a VW passat CC ….. hopefully it will not let me down the same way in the years ahead ….

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        • Rokuth on Sep 05, 2010 at 5:49 pm

          Ya, I’d check out the cost of maintenance on the VW Passat. My experience with VWs (As a used car service manager) has been that they are labour intensive, & parts can be expensive.

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    • mystvearn on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:23 am

      What was the price when the car was new? Car speck? In UK, second-hand focus retain their value well. Maybe its better to suggest people who want to get the new Fiesta buy a second hand Focus? Bigger car, cheaper value. The only brands that have good resale value are the H & T brands.

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  • mosar on Aug 31, 2010 at 5:35 am

    good article! nice writing & all…

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  • Salamander on Aug 31, 2010 at 6:34 am

    Hi Paul and Danny,

    Do you have any chances to test their 6-way speaker for their ICE? How does it sound?By looking at the dashboard panel, I don’t think there is any slot for custom head unit unless you DIY it.

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    • Danny Tan (Member) on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:34 pm

      As the test drive session wasn’t that long, we drove mostly without music to concentrate on other aspects such as NVH and refinement, so can’t really comment on the sound quality.

      Yup, the ICE system is an integral part of the dash design, and without a standard 2-DIN slot, I don’t see how one can do much to it.

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  • Aaron Isaac on Aug 31, 2010 at 8:27 am

    Ford is not ‘Malaysia’ friendly. Great car, but suffers from brand image

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  • kita sukakereta on Aug 31, 2010 at 8:38 am

    haiya, u sure funny lorr. why u bash ur own car? doesn’t improve ur chances in selling it off now does it?

    NEway, FORD does have a LOOOONG way to go as far as Malaysia is concerned, that much I’d agree.

    Cheers and happy merdeka day fellas!

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  • Dear Paul / Danny, If not mistaken, UK’s whatcar review says this feels like a “larger car”. I assume it means in a positive kinda way, as in “stable and well-balanced larger car” – MONDEO-like perhaps? Would you say the same of your experience?

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    • Danny Tan (Member) on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:44 pm

      Small cars aren’t expected to have great manners, but the current crop of European superminis have really raised the bar.

      For instance, the Fiesta is well ahead of the Toyota Yaris/Honda Jazz in NVH, engine refinement and ride comfort, and these qualities are usually associated with the higher segments.

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  • hoho~~ my first impression bout this car was Good.
    next… when i got inside.. o .. kind off potong steam..

    the interior is kinda bad.. with the low quality feeling of dashboard and fabric seat.. it just make me feel like i’m sitting in a toy car… i would rather go for proton saga.
    should this car worth rm70++ k??

    go for a vios or city if u want a good second hand value. this car doesnt seem good with messy under bonnet design.

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  • Danny and Paul,

    I have read a lot of your test review but you rarely mentioned much about 0-100km acceleration.

    Please include this in future, I know the Japs and Korean never provide this info at all as their cars have very slow acceleration. You could test and provide your opinion and how you feel.

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    • not-quite-the-auto-junkie on Aug 31, 2010 at 12:40 pm

      i think the downloadable leaflet says the manual 1.4 does in it 12.2 s
      and the powershift 1.6 in 9.9 s.

      abit difficult to believe… which is true, as the 320Nm diesel focus tdci also does it in 9.9s.
      and the diesel definitely feels alot faster than 9.9s …

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      • Philip J. Fry on Aug 31, 2010 at 5:41 pm

        Diesel Focus is much heavier, is it not?

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        • Yes, the diesel Focus TDCI is much heavier and its gearing is not for drag racing.
          It might not be that fast, but it has good pulling power.

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  • lambov12 on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:15 am

    Can we have the marine army or shopping mall for the road test ?

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    • crazy_labelle on Sep 05, 2010 at 1:02 am

      haahahaha… very funny… like the one in youtube right…

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  • keluangman on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:18 am

    good cars indeed, saw loads of them in UK….but as usual in Malaysia, if your resale value sucks, not matter how good your car is, it won’t exactly fly out the showroom.

    This Ford Fiesta has had a soft launch for couple of months already, not to mentioned hundreds of thousands wasted for advertisement(remember the Ford Fiesta movement and various roadshows?), but they only managed to secure “500 bookings” only?

    Sorry Ford, but you seriously need to look into these “resale value” issue.

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    • Tiadaid on Aug 31, 2010 at 4:37 pm

      Want to rectify resale value problems, have to come in a big way, bring lots of new cars and promote the hell out of them. Then price it well below the competition. When demand is high, the 2nd hand value of the cars would rise. That’s why H&T cars have high resale value, because the demand of the cars from people who probably can’t afford to buy it new but still want the badge is very, very high. Eventhough the cars aren’t that good to begin with.

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    • i don know y people care about resale value….people will buy cheap 2hand car not pricey 2hand. the higher the 2hand car the smaller chances to get buyer rite….kindda stupid to sell car after a yr use since car loan is bet 6-9yr..is it hard to calculate eg buy rm100000car+interest, downpayment rm1000, monthly rm500, use 1 yr already pay rm6000 than the logical resale value is at least value that still hutang with bank rite which is rm84000 rite…sori i don know bout resale value..for me after 8-9yrs its a piece of junk
      if it is a rare car (eg classic car) or exotic car (Ferrari) different la kan coz of prestige n rarelistic……don angry yoo!!

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  • keluangman on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:21 am

    this ford fiesta vs Proton Waja Lancer.

    Which one you guys would book? Definitely….(subject to owners preferences)

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    • senzu bean on Aug 31, 2010 at 1:34 pm

      Hear the news said that Waja Lancer 1.8M is around 75K. So people can choose what car they want. Don’t felt regret later.

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    • Tiadaid on Aug 31, 2010 at 4:26 pm

      Different class how to compare. Why not put the Forte in the same group then? Same price what…

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    • Proton Lancer 1.8 Vs Kia Forte 2.0 better same class…. Forte 6 air bags…. how many proton can give? Price RM85k most i heard, National car RM85k is expensive lah~ Bank interest Kia not sure how much? Proton sure 4.0 or above, right?

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  • I am tempted with the hatchback version, but until it is proven worthy I am just going to be skeptical. There are a lot of factors to be considered in buying a car – maintenance costs, after sale services, resale value, etc; and apparently AutoConnexion / Ford is not exactly a champ in these area.

    It’s a Ford.

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  • mystvearn on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:18 am

    As far as I can tell you want to get the Morello colour (something like maroon/Ribena colour) for this car. White is good, but after seeing both in the flesh like almost every week Morello is the best colour to get. Is this colour coming to Malaysia?

    I notice there is a sunroof in the slidshow presentation. I don’t think there will be a sunroof in the Asean version. Maybe its just some EU press pic?

    Danny, the auto wing mirror adjuster near the driver door handle does not bug you? I can see someone mistakakingly adjusting the mirror while finding the door handle in the dark

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    • Danny Tan (Member) on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:52 pm

      There will be no sunroof for the Thai made car.

      I get what you mean about the mirror switch location, but I didn’t find it an issue. I guess owners will instinctively know where the handle is even in the dark – just like how one is familiar with the love handles of their partners!

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      • nice one from danny….both danny n paul r actively replying comment lately

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        • likahsing on Sep 01, 2010 at 1:20 pm

          i notice they’ll actively reply comment for the car that they test drive.
          good for us

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      • corolla_KE70 on Sep 01, 2010 at 4:41 pm

        i really like danny’s last sentence too !!!

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  • altimate on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:33 am

    The hatch looks hot !.. plus very tempting review from PT.. well done ford.. cant wait to test drive it on my own..

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  • I have a Ranger and my wife owns a Focus 2.0, Ford service is no worse then other brands, in fact, its faster then VW (i used to own a VW GTi)

    malaysians are just brand blinded by T/H, and not willing to try diffrent things, after we bought the focus, so many ppl comented…”wah.buy focus are? resale bad wor..why not buy Civic?”

    My response is always ” the focus is 22k cheaper then the civic. Savings of 22k now, will outweigh the loss in RV in 5 years times

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    • hisham on Sep 04, 2010 at 1:35 am

      You’re a blxxdy liar.!!
      No way your Focus can outrun the GTI .
      My GTI 2.0 TSI does 0-100 in 6.9 sec and has a top speed of 238kph
      Focus a just an average sedan 0-100 at 9.9 sec
      Don’t try to put your worthless comments here.
      Too bad you made a bad call by choosing a Ranger & Focus.

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      • READ the comment first..dont just simply hentam,.. jwrx was talking about SERVICE TIME (the time the car goes into the service bay and the mechanics servicing the car) , not the size of your schlong. Ford servicing time is faster then VW.

        So sad la, seeing people who can afford great cars but have the mentality of an ox.

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        • samurai_ghost on Sep 07, 2010 at 3:06 pm

          Totally, agree with you.

          If I allowed to click Thumb Down more than once, I’ll click 100x for hisham’s comment.

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      • marvel on Sep 10, 2010 at 12:26 am

        this guy so sensitive abt hit 0 – 100 hahaha… read carefuly next time!

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      • marvel on Sep 10, 2010 at 12:26 am

        this guy so sensitive abt his 0 – 100 hahaha… read carefuly next time!

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      • you’re an obnoxious moron bloke who doesn’t read properly and simply jump into conclusion. simply bollocks!

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  • Guys, we might as well wait for the all new Suzuki Swift 2011. It should be an interesting Head to Head comparison.

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    • hopefully after compete with each other, all of these cars price drop, the salesmen have to give more free gives or Bank offer lower bank interest….

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  • ramunik on Aug 31, 2010 at 2:07 pm

    This really pops out my eyes from true Fiesta worshiper to reconsider more factor before jump into the car. Yes every machine will come with certain issues i.e.: depreciation, maintenance cost, fun factor, space etc.
    It looks like Fiesta may lose the fun except the stability.
    Anybody have any idea on cost to maintain the car? i.e.: servicing cost minor & major?
    Your comment is much appreciated

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    • rossi46 on Aug 31, 2010 at 3:48 pm

      Depend on what u want?…if u wanna be safe…just buy the dugong’s vios or the city…but if u like driving, get these instead!

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      • Bank interest!!! National car always expensive… if u calculate properly, u full loan or 90% loan a RM75k National car for 9 years…. better buy a RM80k ~ 90k imported car….

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  • Geronimo on Aug 31, 2010 at 2:12 pm

    Oh no! No manual shift for DSG? That’s the reason I’m looking at Fiesta.

    Well for those who don’t use the manual override is becoz they don’t enjoy the car.

    My vote is to have the manual override please.

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    • Actually, i feel the survey is right, its just a gimmick, no one uses the manual option after the 1st week.

      can safely say 90% of VW GTI owners never touch the paddleshift, and u cant say they dont enjoy the car

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  • rossi46 on Aug 31, 2010 at 2:28 pm

    In UK both Honda Jazz and Ford Fiesta prices range btw 10k to 15k (pound sterlings), equivalent prices depending on specs

    ….So how come the Honda Jazz (made in Thai too!) is selling soo expensive, with less spec..no ESP..etc ….

    Good Profit u’re making here Honda Msia…Thks SDAC, for giving a well price product

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    • klguy on Aug 31, 2010 at 4:13 pm

      jazz made in thai meh? i tot from nippon. if from thai…..honda malaysia had made all of us a s*cker. cant blame them tho. malaysian praise japs ma….thanks to dasar pandang timur?

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      • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 1:41 pm

        I don’t think Dasar Pandang Timur is meant to worship and praise the Japs to high heaven. It’s more to emulate whatever good aspect that Japan have into our culture, but of course some Malaysians twisted it the other way.

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    • Rokuth on Sep 05, 2010 at 6:19 pm

      In the USA, the Jazz sells for about the same price range as the Nissan Latio (‘Versa’ in the US) the Toyota Yaris, and the Ford Fiesta. Actually for the price you would pay for any one of those models here, you could buy a Honda Civic, or Toyota Corolla, or Nissan Sentra, or a Ford Focus, or a Chevy Cruze in the US. The Taxman is why we have to pay all that extra cash for cars that are actually the same price and size as a Persona but with tons more luxury and safety features.

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  • Muthu on Aug 31, 2010 at 2:29 pm

    I have a Ford Focus2.0 Ghia and a BMW 3 series E90 and I can tell you, both drive the SAME. The handling and ride quality of the Focus is exactly the same as the E90.

    The plus point is the Focus does not have any breakdowns at all and so far, no issues at all. Very good quality.

    So, I can assure reades here, the Fiesta is a very good buy. Yes your resale value is screwed, but if you want a car with A Continental feel, the Fiesta it is.

    By the way, I used this Fiesta in the UK and I can assure you, you think and feel you are driving a Mat Salleh car

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    • So, your advice is wait for the 2nd hand Fiesta? buy it after 3~4 years used & ask for RM35~40k only?

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    • Marsha on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:25 pm

      I add further, the Focus feels not just feels like the 3 series but also like the E60 5 series. I have driven a friend’s car many times.

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    • Are you a Ford salesman.. buy Fiesta from you got discount not?
      Can PM me your handphone number ah?

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  • anoymous on Aug 31, 2010 at 3:53 pm

    another junk….no resale value..looks ugly too…would prefer japan cars over this stupid junk…huhuhu..

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    • Tiadaid on Aug 31, 2010 at 4:24 pm

      Junk? Mazda 2’s basically a Ford Fiesta with different body, so it’s a junk? Go figure….

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    • Before you call this thing ‘junk’, make sure you are driving something better than this in all expect (brand, cost, etc.). If you’re not, don’t write such comment as if you can’t beat it, you’re just tasting you own sour grapes.

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    • then, why u comment here?

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    • in japan..all their made car i think do not have high resale value since the car already cheap, to avoid pay more to G for car more than 5yrs japanese buy new car instead..the 2hand car export to other country

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      • u go Brunei then u will know how cheap is the japan cars….. 2nd GTR35 B$100k only compare to Malaysia RM590k? 350z B$50k only!!! vios or yaris B$ 20k++ only compare to Malaysia RM73k & above!!! U go Brunei all this imported car u “Sayang” or “Love” just park at the bush…

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        • Agreed!!!!!

          All hail our great Gomen and their great car tax!!!

          My middle finger to the NAP by Dr.M

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        • New2Korean on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:11 pm

          Agreed totally, I work in Brunei also.

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  • kelvin on Aug 31, 2010 at 4:38 pm

    Anyone know about the fiesta spare parts pricing such as headlamp, wing mirror, windscreen, bumper, water pump, absorber?

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  • Maserati on Aug 31, 2010 at 5:17 pm

    Basically common sense prevails.

    Cars are liabilities,any car will depreciate in value unless ur talking about supercars or limited editions.

    So when it comes to $$,if I ask you to throw away RM20000 per year and RM10000 per year,which one will you choose? Of course you will prefer to throw away less money away right?

    So thats where the FORD brand suffers .Its like asking you to throw away more $$$ than you are supposed to be doing.And I mean alot more!

    For all its good looks and good handling,at the end of the day its a mode of transport and saving $$ is very important.Unless you are someone who is printing money then by all means get a Ford,Fiat,Kia,Hyundai,Renault,Citroen,Skoda and so on.

    No doubt they have some good cars among their models,but you need to be smart to prevent throwing more money away.

    I know some ppl want to be different from others by getting a Kia ,a Ford,or even a Hyundai.They somehow dont want to be on the Japanese boat.But in the end,just to be different ,you will be suffering later on.Maybe they like being heroes or like trying out new things,but sorry to say ,Jap makes are still the most cost effective in terms of depreciation and running costs.

    This Feista will not sell well here.

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    • Maserati, your example doesnt make sense, why would a ford buyer throw away more money in the beginning compared to others? Im assuming u mean the myth of “resale value”?

      Person A and B, both have same amount to spend on monthly installment and downpayment.

      A buys a focus, B buys a Civic. The diffrence? A can take a 5 year loan while B has to take 7 years. A will be driving fully paid up car by 6th year while B still has to struggle every month to pay installment

      and i always say…if after 5 years you have to worry about resale value, then u only have yourself to blame, cos it meant your disposable income hasnt gone up at all

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      • scooter on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:36 pm

        i believe mr maserati is not driving a maserati but is always dreaming on driving a maserati…… You better not to own a maserati even you are damn rich, It will makes you dump $$$ into sg klang if u still thinking of resale value. And to reduce $$$ lost in resale value, we will suggest u to buy P2 Myvi, tat’s ur only choice=D

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        • why not saga? cheaper & larger boot space~

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        • maserati is not driving a maserati but a dugongrati.

          he thinks his dugong looks/drives like a maserati only but we all know better…

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      • how can something that depreciate can increase disposable income since already at loss in the first place..my financial knowledge learn before is very rusty

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        • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 8:29 am

          No, what he means is that you only got yourself to blame if you don’t get increment in salary or move up the promotion ladder. That’s the increase in disposable income he’s talking about.

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    • 11-second man on Sep 01, 2010 at 12:29 am

      This reply goes to Maserati.

      Resale value is important but it is not always the first priority. To certain extent, running cost outweights the importance of resale value. Parts failure, fuel consumption and cost of maintenance all add up to the cost of ownership.

      A car having driven around, 5 years and more, the impact of resale value tapered off. In other words, if you keep it more than 5 years, you are selling it with less depreciation. When this happens, running cost holds a bigger role in the equation of cost ownership.

      Malaysian market fancy Japanese makes of Honda and Toyota, but personally I feel Nissan, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Mazda makes are equally good. Think of NIssan GTR, Mitusbishi EVO, Subaru WRX STi, Mazda RX-8. I think we need not talk highly about makes but rather a particular model. Then, we can have a fair comparison and discussion each time a new car model reaches our shore.

      Thanks

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    • i have high respect for those who try to go against the establishment. at least they are displaying some form of individuality. yes, they know outfront that resale value is non-existent in the choices they make… but then again, how much is it really better on the other side of the fence? c’mon, why be like all the other lemmings that jump into the sea? sometimes, it is much more fun being the black sheep :D

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    • junaidi on Sep 02, 2010 at 8:43 am

      I see your point there.

      question,
      if the market value of the car remains high in any given year, will the sum insured remain high? How much will the insurance premium be for that year?

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      • Tiadaid on Sep 02, 2010 at 10:03 am

        Sum insured will remain high as well, if you get 1st Party that is. 1K+ easy, although with NCB you can get it reduced.

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    • If you thinking of Saving more $$$ wHy Not Try to EarN more money Instead…!!!
      Typical Old School Thinking made Malaysian only effort to drive Low Quality Car and Pay more eventually! Even worse that 3rd World Country…soon!! Please Wake Up and Count the Myvi on the Road…if you free. In 3 years time from now I guess there will be more European & Continental Cars on the Road, many people has Wake Up..I hope you do someday…

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  • Maserati on Aug 31, 2010 at 5:23 pm

    And to be honest,that is such a cheap and ugly looking interior.Makes me yawn everytime I see it.

    Aiyo,the dashboard looks like its been taken from a 1990s car…so ugly!

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    • sonyman on Aug 31, 2010 at 8:26 pm

      I think toyota and honda is not very much better here in interior designing… please.

      If you like the car buy it. you are driving it and you are having fun with it, resale value is useful if you wanna dispose of the car. This means that when you buy a car, you will buy a car that you hate but because you dont have much choices here in Malaysia,. you probably think only one thing, when i sell this car how much money can i make…. You know how much money can i make, if thats the case, tell me, i also wanna ” invest” in that car..

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      • not wise to invest in a car, better invest in properties, gold, fund or stock

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  • jumbsuckuras$ on Aug 31, 2010 at 5:59 pm

    everyone please go buy japon cars…high resale value maa…
    then nobody wants to buy your old japon car because berlambak2, sure need to lower the price for your crap..rugi jugak!hohohoh

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  • ah yat on Aug 31, 2010 at 6:10 pm

    I drive a Ranger and I just love the handling… most people give up the car handling and safety aspect throughout the terms for a better resell value, it is like they never “enjoy” the car that they bought… so sad…

    SD service isn’t that bad, some of their customer service is friendly too…P1 is worst… look forward SD will improve for the brand…

    Yes, parts are not cheap, which reminded you are driving an American brand, not Jap, it is not an apple-to-apple comparison. Normal sevice for 10,000km is RM330 for Ford Ranger which is not bad, considering parts are original… I would say it is slightly higher that servicing my old Iswara by the local workshop for every 5,000km with none genuine parts…

    Go Ford….

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    • Rokuth on Sep 05, 2010 at 10:26 pm

      It may be an American brand, but the Ranger you’re driving bears little resemblance (other than physical) to the Ranger being sold in the US. It’s a completely different vehicle there. In fact the Ranger being sold here is a better design than the late ’80s early ’90s designed North American Ranger.
      So yes, while it may be an American brand, it isn’t an American product. In fact, I’d be surprise if you did find anything that says “Made in USA” in it. Moreover, it shares the platform with Mazda B series PUPs, and is actually based on the Mazda, not the other way around. Parts should cost the same as a Mazda, other than the Ranger only pieces like the interior, and exterior fascia.
      The same can be said of the Fiesta/Mazda2. Most 0f the parts for these cars are probably sourced from the same companies, and chances are they’re from some place close by. As far as the prices you have to pay, well…

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  • will the era of 323 vs laser come again…

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  • Marsha on Aug 31, 2010 at 8:08 pm

    Danny and Paul,

    Off topic and also for the benefit of potential buyers of Fiesta. How much more maintenance a 2009 Ford Focus 2.0 Ghia would cost over say, a Honda Accord?

    I ask this for the benefit of others. Your article fails to mention the difference in maintainenance cost since people often say Ford parts are expensive.

    Besides Paul and Danny, anyone can give a comparison one a one to one basis of different parts between Ford And Honda?

    Thanks

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    • Masda Yoda on Sep 01, 2010 at 3:23 pm

      Hi Danny & Paul, Mazda is giving 3 years free service including parts & labour & warranty; what about Ford?

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  • Marsha on Aug 31, 2010 at 8:48 pm

    Anybody can also give how much a new Ford depreciates. Obviously we can’t say for this new Fiesta. But Ford Focus 2.0 Ghia, what is the depreciation like?

    2010 Model (say 9 months old) – RM$ ????
    2009 Model – RM$ ????
    2008 Model – RM$ ????

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    • scooter on Aug 31, 2010 at 11:25 pm

      I personally do not like the comment on resale value in my favorite Paul’s blog. If resale value is the main key to judge a car, come on bro, then your only choices of car is P2 Myvi!! Let’s talk on car performance & technical spec ok

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      • David on Sep 01, 2010 at 8:14 am

        Agreed. Malaysians are just blinded by the term ‘resale value’ thanks to it being exploited by the distributors themselves, users, even second hand car dealers! I mean, why go for a car that’s below par in every respect all for the sake of ‘strong resale values’ when you can spend less and get another brand where you can enjoy the car? Of course, Toyota diehards will say that even though the competitors are cheaper, they will still depreciate more, but, isn’t its competitors cheaper to buy, which means monthly payments are lower, and you’ll take fewer years to repay off the loan.

        It’s just pathetic to see Malaysians not trying to accept new brands openly, despite those brands giving better, equally as reliable, more enjoyable, cheaper to buy, service, and not to forget, they do have equally pleasant sales reps who do their best to explain the car.

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        • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 11:46 am

          You’ve hit the nail on the head there David.

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          • David on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:25 pm

            Well, i have to be that harsh on those T & H diehards. Seems that they won’t change in years to come. I used to like Toyota and never gave a second look at other brands until i finally bought a Hyundai Accent this year. And i had no regrets, because it was such a fun car to drive compared to a Vios or City, it’s more comfortable too, shorter yet big on the inside, basically, it’s a car that enables you to live day to day without much interruption while still being fun to drive. And it’s cheaper too, if not cheaper than the Persona, but still the cheapest, and the best among its Jap competitors.

            In short, whoever who shoots this comment down easily reflects their shallow T & H mentality. Are these two brands so great until they need to worship it like a religion? Gosh, i don’t know.

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          • I’m totally agree with u David. Our malaysian mentality have been spoilt by the term “resale value” . I’m still enjoying to drive my Hyundai Matrix 1.8 yr 1992 which easily can go at 170km/h. I never think at all to let it go !!
            Sure, If God permit me, I will buy the Fiesta 1.6 .

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        • Masda Yoda on Sep 01, 2010 at 3:25 pm

          With respect, you are wrong.

          Resale value will make your next car cheaper as you will only need to take a smaller loan or you can move up to better car for the same loan sum.

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          • David on Sep 02, 2010 at 8:10 am

            The typical Malaysian mindset is all about resale value. When is it going to ever change? It’s just pathetic, when everyone buys T & H just for the sake of resale value. Just pathetic. Malaysians are a funny lot, buying a car based on sentiments, not facts and looking at other factors.

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          • ProTip on Sep 07, 2010 at 12:24 pm

            Unfortunately in Malaysia where our cars are proportionately expensive and our GDP low. Resale value is a very relevant statistic. I wish it were otherwise, I really do.

            Many people have no choice but to look at resale value. Many people don’t have the luxury of buying cars for fun.

            The good news is petrol is cheap! I don’t feel much guilt when kicking down gears to overtake on the highway.

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    • Kevin on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:19 am

      Resale values depends on a lot of factors. One major factor is how popular is a car model compare with others. If the model is very popular, you can be sure that the new Ford Fiesta will have high resale values. Personally I like this car but do not have enough money to buy new, so I am hoping that this model is not that popular so I can buy a cheaper second hand Ford Fiesta.

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  • Jericho on Aug 31, 2010 at 10:33 pm

    But, the problem is, how to increase the so call resale value? The Malaysian old fashion mind would not change easily. Most of the Malaysian still believe that a Toyota is cheaper then any korean car in terms of maintenance fee. But the truth is not, service in toyota sc is very expensive, do Malaysian care about that? They just ignore!
    The resale value is not judge by performance or quality or safety of a car, but brand(Toyota,honda), country of origin(japan) and old fashion mindset of Malaysian. Very sad truth.

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    • Kambing Gurun on Sep 01, 2010 at 12:38 am

      Probably you should check whether these T & H mentality people put on the right flags on their cars for Merdeka celebration… Probably they put on flags with red colored circle on white background instead.

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      • Girl Power on Sep 01, 2010 at 2:29 am

        I have to agree that the omission of the Powershift box is a BIG Turnoff. I was so looking forward to getting this car until I found out that the 1.6 only come with AT.

        “Apparently, Ford conducted studies on this and came up with the conclusion that owners don’t really use manual mode after playing with it for awhile, initially. Potential owners, what say you?”

        Seriously, I have been driving with the dualogic transmission since day 1 and i can’t even remember when I’ve ever used the AT. So.. yes, it’s a really big turnoff.. :P

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        • paragon on Sep 01, 2010 at 1:36 pm

          yo sis, I believe Danny said we’ll get the dual clutch Powershift box only without the manual overides i.e. the shift paddles on your steering wheel.

          wow, you use the auto-manual shift all the time? that’s really something.

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    • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 8:27 am

      Exactly. They have been brainwashed by Toyota & Honda for so long, they’re taken for a ride by UMW & Honda Malaysia & don’t even know it! Explain to me how a Vios with no features whatsoever, not even USB-capable radio with an AUX port (that’s actually standard on the Proton Persona, even the B-Line no frills model) can be sold at so high a price while a Kia Forte with a truck load of features, and this Fiesta can be sold at the same price?

      The T&H is superior mentality need to change!

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    • Masda Yoda on Sep 01, 2010 at 3:28 pm

      To improve resale value, need to learn from BMW Malaysia. 2nd hand BMW used to be a big joke but how times have changed.

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      • both bmw/auto bavaria and ford/auto connexion is owned by Sime Darby. hope they learned something from this as im buying one of this fiesta ,and i really hope the resale value for ford’s will change for the better.

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    • New2Korean on Sep 01, 2010 at 9:02 pm

      Recently in the US and few other countries, their vehicle safety department have uncovered a lot of safety issues that Toyota knew but cover it up. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to buy a car (used or new!) at any price that can run you off the road!
      I guess only the fanboi & those brainwashed people will buy it.

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  • azrai on Sep 01, 2010 at 8:13 am

    The times will come again where Mazda 323 and Ford laser used to roam the Malaysian road. Except last time it is made in Shah Alam but now Siam mari. Another chhoice beside City and Vios lastly.

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  • zanggief on Sep 01, 2010 at 9:44 am

    Just curious about Ford strategy in boleh land coz only three models are offered which vary from thailand as they can get multiple choice. Also, why they are not considered launch d diesel model which is popular in europe market. Personally think that this shouldn’t be problem as their other like bmw and mb can do that…

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    • azrai on Sep 02, 2010 at 8:05 am

      Our diesel grade and quality cannot be used on new gen diesel engine.

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  • chris on Sep 01, 2010 at 11:35 am

    I notice the display units over here that the 1.4 version comes with these plastic covers for the rims that I find in my mother’s Perodua Viva… is it gonna be like that for a 70k car from Ford?

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  • BestGuy on Sep 01, 2010 at 12:45 pm

    Fiesta 1.4…Does it use timing belt or timing chain? Anyone has technical info on that??? Danny Tan…do you???

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    • E Bear on Sep 01, 2010 at 1:15 pm

      No offence but maybe the car sales guy has the answers.

      1.4…a bit smallish…..1.5 would be nicer. Bring the fight to Toyota.

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  • Maserati on Sep 01, 2010 at 1:33 pm

    Jwrx, ur reply amazes me. Its obvious that you havent sold of a car before. Trust me, whn you do you will be hoping you sell of a jap car instead of a american brand like ford.

    Its easy to say now you dont care bout resale value cuz u r just sitting in front of a pc . Nxt time you will b selling your ford for peanuts. And most probably nobody wil even take it.

    On the other hand, normally something very successful will attract jealousy. Maybe you and tiadad cant afford jap cars, so you attack thm . But think positive and work harder and who knows in a couple of years you might b able to afford ur jap car.

    Then mayb tht will mk you stop protecting your Ford, kia, hyundai, cheverolet .

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    • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 3:47 pm

      Can’t afford Jap car? You obviously haven’t read my posts before this (I suggest you reread my other posts about the trials and tribulations of my Honda). I drive a 2004 3rd Generation HONDA CITY. Bought it brand new too. So to say I’m jealous and can’t afford to buy a Jap car is ludicrous.

      I still stand by my comments that Malaysians are being cheated by the Japs into buying cars whose specs pale in comparison to the competition. For an 84K car like the Vios they can’t even afford to equip it with an AUX capable radio (again I should point out which is standard on all Proton Persona models, even the B-Line no frills model) whereas the Fiesta can offer ESP and voice activated controls among others for the same price. It’s not like the Vios is CBU from Japan to warrant such a price for such a spec. Stop being blinded by the badge because it’s not worth paying lots of money just for the badge. That’s why T&H cars have high 2nd hand value, because of the badge. And that badge blindness are depriving us of the opportunity to drive good cars. If more and more people broke free from the spell of the Japs then surely the demand would be higher for other makes thus increasing it’s second hand value! Simple. If you like the car, forget about the 2nd hand value and buy the car. Then use it as long as you can afford it! Resale value is only a pain if you’re a habitual car changer, especially if you change cars every year which is in my opinion just dumb.

      The Japs are taking you for a ride and still you don’t see it. Pity

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      • lowprofile on Sep 01, 2010 at 6:41 pm

        i think the only way to wake T&H up is to stick our necks out and go for alternative brands. if the numbers drop fast enough, they will notice and take action but then, it is kinda like wishful thinking… something which most likely will never happen.

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      • T&H & other makes are actually cheap@affordable. The tax that is the culprit for the bloated price @ unaffordable by most people. If they buy it, they have to take a 9yr loan. A lot of take-home pay goes into paying it. That’s where the re-sale value comes into question. It’s a vicious cycle. No-one can break it. People day in day out, forever in their lives pay their car installment. Whatever excuse or reasoning there is, reality is, car prices are still too high, compared to the salary earned by an average wage earner.

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      • A Bear on Sep 01, 2010 at 9:01 pm

        Agree but nonetheless, the others are not really offering a much better deal.

        Overpriced maybe….but the product is still acceptable.

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        • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 11:43 pm

          Aha, that’s the problem. We cannot say it’s acceptable if it’s not worth what we paid for it. It’s just plain silly, you giving away your hard earned money to buy something that’s not worth what you paid for. It should not be acceptable!

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      • kingko on Sep 01, 2010 at 9:09 pm

        cheapo car , lol. driving an entry level car and working your ass out to pay for it doesnt mean you know anything about car industry, lol

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    • err..what makes you think i cant afford jap cars? i just choose not to buy overpriced H/T cars, i never said japs wern good cars, i just said in the msian context, H/T are taking advantage for thier customers loyalty to price thier cars much higher.

      Aygo for rm100k+? jazz at 115k? you gotta be kidding me.

      i choose to buy “cold” cars which are better spec, better drivers. What makes you think i have never sold my cars b4? then how do i buy new cars? you think my 2nd hand cars just disapear when i press a button?

      my previous cars – Alfa 147, Subaru WRX, VW GTI….so as u can see, walk the talk, i dun buy T/H

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      • sonyman on Sep 07, 2010 at 7:14 pm

        respect your choices…. cool man., im also heading this direction.. But doubt the alfa,,, but as top gear say,,, you are not a true petrol head until you own an alfa… guess you are that true petrol head jwrx

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  • carfan on Sep 01, 2010 at 4:03 pm

    Those days of great resale value is gone. No more 10% per year even for Japanese cars. Still alot better than UK becos new cars are much cheaper there.

    Test drove the Mazda2 1.5 Sports hatchback yesterday. I must say it was a very nice car for the city. Fairly brisk, light pedals and steering – good for city use. If F2 is better, then I must go and try them too.

    Jap and Ford shd put some color into the car interior. M2 have all black interior only.

    More choices at this class. It will be interesting to see the Waja/Lancer pricing.

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    • lowprofile on Sep 01, 2010 at 6:38 pm

      tried the m2 too. but i found the controls too light. steering wheel is overly assisted and did not inspire confidence for sudden moves or even fast sweeping corners. hope the ford is more european in the way it feels than its cousin from japan.

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  • Maserati on Sep 01, 2010 at 6:26 pm

    Then good luck Tiadiad in convincing the population of Malaysia to move from Jap cars to other makes on Pauls blog.I know alot of ppl read this blog,but I am sure you whining here wont have a huge impact on the Japanese monopoly of the market.

    If you want,go start ur own blog or open up your own 2nd hand car dealer shop and start selling those Fords or whatever other crappy brand they bring in.

    Maybe that way,you will have a bigger impact in the community and maybe then the majority of Msians will start changing their mindset.

    In the next 10 years,I dont see that happening.Good luck and have fun with ur Ford if you buy one.I highly doubt so!

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    • David on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:42 pm

      Maserati,
      I hate to say this, but your mentality of Jap brands is simple outrageous!! What’s so great about Japanese brands these days, especially Honda and Toyota? They don’t make desirable cars as they did years back, where they were great cars at that time. Oh, i forgot that you drive a City, which is a ‘desirable’ car to you, but heck no to people outside of Malaysia! The Australians rate the City below Vioses, Cruze, and even the Forte!! Try reading some reviews from Australia, then you’ll understand what i mean.

      In the meantime, continue enjoying your beloved City, while the rest of us enjoy much better cars like Personas, Avantes, Cruzes, Fortes, 308’s, even Latios and Accents!! All these are way better cars for the price you paid for your City. And try accepting that fact!!

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    • New2Korean on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:44 pm

      Maserati, Good choice of words “…Japanese monopoly…” you’ve just hit the nail!
      Now, do you think monopoly is good for us, the consumer? Who do you think monopoly benefits most? Are you not worry about monopoly? I can see a lot of people here are trying to doing their part in preventing “…Japanese monopoly…” Shouldn’t you and people like you start doing something too to prevent “…Japanese monopoly…”?

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    • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:59 pm

      Typical fanboy retort. Can’t fight facts with facts so he attacks the messenger.

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  • New-generation on Sep 01, 2010 at 8:08 pm

    Currently 25 years old, graduated, and working~
    3.3k salary montly, still using public transport,
    planning to buy a car but dissapointed by P1’s products~
    Stunned by the test drive report,
    Is this suitable for as a starter-car?
    Any opinion?

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    • New2Korean on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:54 pm

      Assuming your 3.3k is before tax & epf deduction, it is not advisable to buy any car that you have to loan more than RM30K.

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    • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 11:02 pm

      Have you tried P1 products or you’ve just heard things? I suggest you should test drive the cars that you feel you want and choose rationally based on your test drive. Never choose base on the brand alone, you’ll be sorry.

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    • MoFaz on Sep 01, 2010 at 11:36 pm

      3.3k minus tax and epf = 2.Xk salary.. instalment for ford could be in a range of 1k… close to 50% of your nett salary.
      not recommended, as many people mentioned here about maintenance cost (spare parts are expensive). only for those earning 5k and above :)

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      • buy a myvi la, peace of mind.

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        • New-generation on Sep 02, 2010 at 1:55 pm

          Thx for the suggestion~
          Going for Myvi EZI~
          Truly thx for the suggestions~

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          • crazy_labelle on Sep 05, 2010 at 1:24 am

            if u want it…
            u’ll do wat ever it takes kan….
            buy2!!!

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      • samurai_ghost on Sep 20, 2010 at 3:38 pm

        Wow! RM5k per month can only buy Ford?

        Huhuhu..

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  • New2Korean on Sep 01, 2010 at 8:32 pm

    Why we praise the Japs so much when they almost KILL us all during WW2? Me included!!! American freed us why we no praise them?

    I have message for the T & H brands fanboi (that include me heheheh!). You should be glad that there are Hyundai, Ford, KIA, etc… (many more brands) to keep the competition healthy.What if one day only the T & the H brand left in this country, who do you think will suffer and who do you think will be laughing all the way to the bank? What quality and what price (& resale value!) you think you will be getting then? I think it is already happening, just look at the current recall of Corolla (Altis) and the previous massive recall, more than 10 million world wide! and what price for all those defects?
    Frankly, in this country I think regardless of what car Brand you buy, you are throwing away your money to the… G…. you know who lah. hehehe…

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    • sonyman on Sep 07, 2010 at 7:20 pm

      hey, if T and H monopoly the market i also want to sell T and H cars, cause people got not choice.. you dont want ah.. go buy honda lah…

      just like malaysia only got P1 and P2 ,,, no other brands at all… so same situation lah

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  • A Bear on Sep 01, 2010 at 8:55 pm

    To break T & H….very easy one……good fuel economy, easi to find spare parts over a period of years…..reasonably lasting quality.

    Start slow but must grow over time, not instant or rapid growth.

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  • New2Korean on Sep 01, 2010 at 9:22 pm

    Another point to not, in Brunei you will notice not many Toyota and Honda there compared to Malaysia. Their market are much more wide spread, they have all sort of car there and cheap too. I’ve test drove Fiesta there before even announce the lunch here! and my friend’s City & Vios just no comparison lah! In Brunei City & Vios not popular, only fanboi & brainwashed people buy it.

    Also, recently in the US and few other countries, their vehicle safety department have uncovered a lot of safety issues that Toyota knew but cover it up. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to buy a car (used or new!) at any price that can run you off the road!
    I guess only the fanboi & those brainwashed people will buy it. In a way it is good that the fanboi buy those T crap and then they get run off the road and break their hand or even better, their neck… so we will have less bashers in all forum. They are really annoying.

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  • panjangnya on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:25 pm

    Suddenly this has become a Honda and Toyota punching bag.
    Tiadaid just cannot take it when he bought a lemon.
    It’s karma bro what goes around comes around.!!

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    • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:54 pm

      It has nothing to do with karma and all that bullshit. It’s all facts and nothing but the facts. Hey, if you want to continue being fooled by the fat cats, be my guest. They’re laughing all the way to the bank with your money.

      As for those who are brave enough to break away from the pack, I salute you and hope you enjoy your choice for many years to come. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Kia or a Ford or other brands of cars. You’ve chosen to be enlightened and choose a car based on its quality rather than the badge factor, so you have become much wiser than those who bought based on the badge alone. Bravo!

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      • come on, T & H successful giving a good after sales service and reliablity and good Fuel comsumption. so, get over it, this is something, naza and ford failed at.

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        • Tiadaid on Sep 02, 2010 at 12:26 pm

          How you know T&H give good after sales service? You ever been to a T or H service center? If you only hear it from others then you don’t have to defend them la. I remember when I went to H SC more often than not I have to wait half a day for typical service! And that’s even when I came in early!

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      • touche brother .TOUCHE!! im one of those who are gonna break the jap spell of monopolization, previously my first choice is to buy the new honda city but after getting woo over by the specs of the new fiesta and good reviews from around the world, hence booked the fiesta even before its official launch..brilliant!

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  • adaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 10:36 pm

    Tiadaid be thankful that your 2004 city can still fetch 43K plus
    where else a Waja 2004 is abt 22K only if you are lucky.
    City 2004 can still reach 120km w/o any problems as compared
    to a wa junk with no power and cheaking everywhere.
    Go ask any wa junk 2004 owners.

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    • Tiadaid on Sep 01, 2010 at 11:52 pm

      And how much is the Waja when new? 60K? For 6 years you lost 38K. The Honda City’s 81K new in 2004, so you lost 38K for 6 years. Uh, isn’t that the same amount of money lost? You pay less for the Waja, and the difference can easily be recouped if you had saved money for 6 years! Problem is, you don’t save the money. So in truth, if you sell your Waja you’d have 22K in your hand plus whatever things you’ve bought over the years. Had you not bought those stuff, you might also have 43K in your hands.

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  • Anti Proton on Sep 01, 2010 at 11:05 pm

    yeah!

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  • Hey Danny,

    Just want to ask; I notice from one your pictures that one of the Ford Fiesta’s interior had some blue on the interior of it’s door. Is this for the aurora blue hatchback or the phantom blue sedan? I’ve looked at the other pictures and I notice for the other cars, the interior door is just plain grey. Is this just specially for the blue Ford Fiesta.

    Hope you can recall what you saw whilst at Phuket. Thanks!

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    • Danny Tan (Member) on Sep 02, 2010 at 1:16 am

      The Fiesta that’s coming here will have a grey cabin, no matter what exterior colour one chooses

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  • Maserati on Sep 02, 2010 at 12:00 am

    David,guess what? I dont care what Aussies,Americans,Europeans or whoever think about whatever car.I like it,I buy it.And the same goes to the rest of Msians.

    Whats so special about Jap cars? Go drive a City or Vios,then drive a Forte and tell me what you think.Forte 1.6 engine feels weaker than my old MYvi 1.3 engine.

    I drove a Forte and nearly vomited,engine like shit.Steering like shit.For all its good looks,its drove like crap.Ppl are normally blinded by good looks.If a car has a nice design,it has to be good.Hyundai’s New sonata.From far look nice,once you feel the interior plastics,it felt so low quality.Not solid at all.Exterior chrome feel cheap.You may not be able to see the diff until u put it side by side with a Jap make.

    And it doesnt mean Aussies like a certain make,means we Msian have to buy it too.And the same goes for Brunei.If its not selling well there so what? Means your ppl no $$ to buy lah or for whatever reason.Thats not my problem.Why must we follow them? Cant we have it our own way? Why everytime have to compare with westerners?Are they some superhuman that everything they buy,we have to follow? Common sense lah David!!

    The main thing its doing well in Msia ,and if you guys got a problem with that,pls go write a letter to screw those Jap makes lah.Dont tell me grandmother stories here.

    So what if its selling well in Europe,US,Australia,in the end its the sales in Msia that matters.

    And to “NEW2KOREAN” ,as I said,whining in a blog post wont change anything dude.You want change,you gotta act.So asking me to change the Jap monopoly in a blog post,nah that wont happen.Hope ur happy with ur Crappy Korean Car.

    To Tiadiad,Just admit lah,you lost and you have nothing else to say ,so you say something to cover ur A$$.

    To whoever who wants to “CHANGE” the Jap Monopoly here in Msia by posting comments in blogs,by all means go ahead.You are just wasting ur time.And the more you guys reply here,the more I am enjoying it seeing you fighting a losing battle .

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    • David on Sep 02, 2010 at 8:05 am

      Dude, are the Japanese that great now? I’m sorry, but i don’t think i’m losing a battle. It’s about encouraging good competition amongst other brands, and there you are, still dead set that the Japs will still rule.

      For your information, i’ve already tried a Forte, and, okay, it may not be the best car to drive, but it’s just hard to argue for what you pay. 81k for a Civic/Altis competitor with more toys, safety kit. Decent driving dynamics also meant it beats the heck out of it’s Jap competitors, with the exception of the Sylphy and the Civic, albeit with awful NVH due to it being a CKD.

      You call a Sonata cheap compared its Jap competitors? Of no way!! I have an Accord at home, and i need to admit that the Sonata’s build quality is SO much better, despite a few signs of cost cutting! Driving wise, it’s good enough to knock out all it’s Jap competitors, bar the Mazda 6 which is fantastic.

      Call us crappy, but Tiadiad, New2Korean, and myself will continue supporting Korean cars, even though they don’t sell as well as the OVERPRICED Jap cars of today. Don’t just keep on blasting us for supporting Korean cars. And i can safely say that these two would wholeheartedly agree with me.

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    • Tiadaid on Sep 02, 2010 at 9:43 am

      Spoken like a true sore loser. Face the facts, sooner or later Malaysians are going to wise up to the truth. The proof is there for you to see if you choose to see it. If you want to continue with mediocrity then go ahead, but many people here are not content to continue. I mean the best quality car in Germany, that bastion of quality is made by Hyundai. And don’t you see how Toyota furiously tried to wriggle its way out of the massive recall early this year by blaming everybody but themselves? If you’re too blind to see that then you’re a lost cost.

      I’ve presented by arguments based on simple facts and my experience as a City owner. Your argument are nothing but emotional, immature opinions that have no basis in true facts. And then you resort to namecalling. If this was a debating contest you’re the one who’s lost.

      As for the case of the whining, it’s not set in stone that it won’t change anything. Perhaps there are undecided buyers who are researching about all the cars in their price range out there who have read the opinions of people here and decided to place that car being talked about into their list for consideration. That is a small step in the road to change. Why then do you post about this car not going to sell when it’s not even out yet? Because you want to influence the undecided to try Jap cars! You’re doing the exact same thing that you decry.

      And for referencing Westerners, its probably because they don’t buy because of the badge. They appreciate good cars no matter what the badge is. Typical Malaysians on the other hand, are so badge-conscious that they don’t think rationally. Admit it, that’s the main reason why the best selling car in Malaysia comes from the land of the Rising Sun. And they’ve got you by the balls, offering mediocre products at exorbitant prices. For instance, many people slag Ford for offering only 1 airbag on it’s mid-range sedan, but then who introduced that concept? Your beloved T. So why not they get slagged then? A lot of the Vios on the road are J versions. Answer me that question if you can, though I seriously doubt it. At least Honda aren’t willing to sacrifice safety to fatten up their margins, I’ll give them that.

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    • Yawn~~~~~~~

      Aren’t this a Fiesta page? Stopped reading when seeing all these unrelated comments…

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  • mine longer le on Sep 02, 2010 at 3:28 am

    Tiadaid if you don’t believe in karma then its your choice.
    Sorry that you lead such a frustrated life.
    All the negative energies will make you old and grey much faster.
    You might even get a heart attack sooner rather than later.
    While everyone is enjoying their ride, you are here venting your anger
    at the Japanese makes etc. etc
    Get a life lah bro !!! Who are you to decide what we drive ?

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    • Tiadaid on Sep 02, 2010 at 10:17 am

      I have a life, and it’s peachy. I don’t decide what car you should drive, but I give an opinion on why you should or shouldn’t drive so-and-so car. This is a democratic forum so why shouldn’t I give my opinion if it would help someone make a decision on what car they should buy?

      As for the car, well go read the City forums to hear about all the gripe of the City owners. Have you heard about Jess Ross? The man who plastered “My Honda Tak Guna” all over his Honda Civic to get attention of the Honda brass? It’s not an isolated incident.

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      • john doe on Sep 02, 2010 at 11:32 am

        broTiadaid…agree wit u but Jess Ross plastered it on the high spec Accord actually…Civic is already well known to be lousy….nothing suprising….His new less than few month old Accord hav to go change brakes 4 times….

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      • sonyman on Sep 07, 2010 at 6:22 pm

        i think they guys car is a honda accord

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  • mr_3m_wancer on Sep 02, 2010 at 4:41 am

    Lol @ Maserati.

    Typical fanboy and keyboard warrior attitude.

    I would like to say only car ENTHUSIASTS! would go for a better handling car + performance no matter what the brand is then going for a lauya cars from a reputable brand like T & H.

    Only uncles or aunties like Maserati would choose a crap in driving experience but reliable T&H car.

    I do not blame these old people, because these brands have existed for a long time and well known for it’s reliability. However it doesn’t mean it’s a good drivers car.

    If i have the money, i rather spent it on something that satisfies me rather than thinking of resale value or such crap. Majority of us here were not going to change cars every year. So why bother with the resale value crap?

    Brands like Kia, Ford, Mazda, Nissan have recently came out with better cars than these T & H brands and some of the models in the same segment are much cheaper. Plus some of the models are also way better in terms of driving experience.

    Example i rather choose Fiesta over Jazz, because it is much more fun to drive and i love the see the looks of these arrogant (who think they are good) owners by tapao ing them in corners. Any dick & harry can drive cars @ high speed in long stretch of road but when it comes to twisty and difficult corners, cars with better handling would triumph :)

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    • “Any dick & harry can drive cars @ high speed in long stretch of road but when it comes to twisty and difficult corners, cars with better handling would triumph ”

      Yup, agreed. I tabao an Evo VIII before in a Proton SAGA Magma Engine in corners, while that dick were unable to pass but slowed down further. Of course not in the straight lah.

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  • oldwira on Sep 02, 2010 at 5:15 am

    May someone tell me this ti-vct use which type of drive train? i mean timing belt OR chain? Pls someone respond.

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  • azrai on Sep 02, 2010 at 8:14 am

    Actually the product here is Ford JV with Mazda. Remember those old days Mazda 323 and Ford Laser, Mazda 626 and Ford laser Ghia? It is an effort by Ford to capture Asian market. They choose Mazda as partner and share their platform. So actually those Ford are Japanese inside but Americans in name.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Laser#Relationship_to_Mazda_323

    Relationship to Mazda 323
    The Ford Laser was a restyled version of the Familia/323 models produced by Mazda in Japan from 1980 onwards. (Ford had acquired a 25% stake in Mazda in 1979.)

    In Australia and New Zealand where Ford was seen as a ‘local’ brand, the Laser outsold its Mazda twin, but in neighbouring Asian countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, as well as Japan itself, the reverse was the case. However, pooling resources with Mazda allowed Ford to maintain a foothold in the region. This was also the case in South America, Africa, and the Caribbean, where the Laser was also sold, in many cases being locally assembled.

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  • Danny, does the 1.4 Liter has Ti-VCT tech?

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  • BestGuy on Sep 02, 2010 at 9:35 am

    Hey Meserati, Tiadaiad, david and New2korean,

    Just talk about this Ford Fiesta cars ok….
    I m Sick and Fed up with all of you guies talking the same all known facts and infos of about European, Japanese, Korean and Malaysian cars.

    My final say is this…”If you have money, You can buy or Not to buy ok”

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    • Tiadaid on Sep 02, 2010 at 9:48 am

      Hey, blame Maserati for dragging it out. I’m happy to talk about the Fiesta all day. The only thing I’m not satisfied about the Fiesta is that they didn’t bring the Green colour that Jeremy tested on Top Gear. That’s one beautiful car, and one heck of a funny interview! Racing a Corvette in a shopping center, transporting soldiers in an amphibious attack….

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  • luckily vios is soo much better looking than this ford fiesta!…

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    • john doe on Sep 02, 2010 at 11:25 am

      U must b living in a cave or have bat eyes….

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      • ProTip on Sep 07, 2010 at 12:30 pm

        Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I’m getting a new car soon but everyone in my family thinks it looks ugly.

        I think it’s beautiful, so I’m going to go ahead anyway muahaha.

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    • Good that you love the Marine animal~! LOL!

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      • New2Korean on Sep 02, 2010 at 4:40 pm

        I don’t about you guys but lately most T car look a lot like a manatee nose!
        And the T logo look like crap dropping out from a hole into a bowl, and from certain angle, it look like a crab!

        hehehhe….

        cheers & bye-bye!

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    • wow…i think only a owner or a diehard T fan would say a vious looks good

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  • will-kill-for-exclusivity on Sep 02, 2010 at 10:45 am

    Bring it on baby

    bring this to India

    I will trade my father’s honda city for this

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  • With all these long post of ‘resale value’ blah blah blah, it suddenly rings a bell…

    “Would a guy consider a HIGHER or LOWER resale value of his girlfriend? Or just own it for life?” – comon guys…… does it really matter?

    You Love her, you’ll precious her no matter what. No such thing as resale value… One day if the fate ends, nobody really CARES about the ‘resale value’ right? Just let it go. I bet the same thing goes to car for a genuine guy.

    That’s why every time when I see a REAL Mini Cooper on the road, I would sing Mr. Bean’s cartoon theme song out the express my cheer and salute them at the same time for being loyal and love their little car. :) – Still that doesn’t mean they didn’t spend a fortune repairing their dated car!

    Get back to the real spirit and enthusiasm!

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  • Maserati on Sep 02, 2010 at 12:48 pm

    Haha, a fren of mine wants to sell his ford focus hatchback 2.0 2006 model. Reason? Spare parts are crap and it just felt shitty. Selling price? Rm 68k and 2 months d still no takers. Now he puts it up at rm60k . Hopefully someone buys it.

    Have fun losing more $$ while enjoying your so called better specced car which i bet after a year or so, you wouldnt even bother bout the specs anymore. Think long term dude, there must b a reason why brands like ford, kia, hyundai give those few extra specs . Cuz its ppl like you who compare cars spec to spec. If one make does nt hv a certain spec the other make has, means its lousier tht the other. Typical kiasu.

    I rather let T n H profit more frm me so tht they can invest more into rNd to further improve their cars than lose more $$$ to a kia, ford, hyundai who i know will always be behind the japs.

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    • Enough is enough. Would you mind to shut up in this Fiesta page? Go and support your newly revamped Altis page!

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    • Tiadaid on Sep 02, 2010 at 2:48 pm

      Yeah, right. Friend. After all the hoohaa, 300 comments you come out with a friend story? Not really credible.

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    • New2Korean on Sep 02, 2010 at 4:24 pm

      Maserati, You are such a typical Fanboi, my gosh is that how I was when I was the T fanboi? Feel strange now that I look at it from the other side of the boarder.
      How convenient that you just happen to have a friend having problems with his Ford car and having problem selling it while flaming war in a Ford related discussion. I remembered when I was flaming war with the guys at H forum I also have friends having problems with their H car; same story goes when I was flaming war with the guys at Nissan forum… so on and so forth… Typical Fanboi tactics used all over the world.

      hahaha… very funny…

      Ok Gentlemen & ladies, I have enough fun here, goodluck to you all deal with the Fanbois and a few Trolls here, I’m out of here.

      cheers,

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    • David on Sep 03, 2010 at 8:14 am

      Your mentality is unfortunately outdated. Have you even seen worldwide reviews for Hyundais, Kias and other non-Japanese makes? They’re rated much higher than Honda these days alrite!! I should know better, because i’ve been reading quite a handful of them lately. I’m not gonna mention whatever award they received, because it’s simply too many to mention. So why don’t you go and read some of those reviews then?

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    • 11-second man on Sep 03, 2010 at 8:44 pm

      This reply goes to Maserati.

      By and large, most of us prefer Japanese makes. And I would like to go on to think that the main attribute is the selling price. Japanese makes are less expensive to own brand new while have lower running cost.

      However, minus $$, most will agree that European makes hold upper hand when comes to automotive technology. Take F1 for example where the best and highest application in automotive. The records have Italian, German, French and British winnings.

      High resale value is tempting. And this be one of the main priorities if a potential buyer may not want to keep his ride more than 4 years. But to come to think about it, frequent changing of cars would do more damage than a car that possess low resale value, simply because the cost is spread over a longer period of owning it.

      Hope this helps. Thanks

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    • oldwira on Sep 06, 2010 at 1:44 am

      what a loser, typical baseless n denial syndromes T & H supporters, study dude

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  • I own a chevy. High depreciation is one thing. The most headache part is maintainence..if something broke it’s going to costs a fortune…the spare part price is sky high (3x the price of proton) yet not easy to get even from ‘kedai potong’. I guess Ford not much difference if slightly better. So guys think carefully!

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  • panjangnya on Sep 02, 2010 at 5:22 pm

    tiadaid owns a lemon 2004 i-dsi city.
    and he speaks like he knows Honda in and out.
    Sell the damn car lah if you are not happy and buy a Proton
    which u speak of so highly.
    no use whining & nagging on and on. –
    what you expect itu kereta sudah 6 tahun lah !!
    most likely he cannot afford to get a new car cos he’s still
    servicing his 7-9 year loan. :)

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    • Tiadaid on Sep 02, 2010 at 9:19 pm

      Lemon? Eh, nak kata bodoh marah pulak. Why don’t you go to the City forum and see how many “Lemon” City are out there. Typical bashers, can’t beat the facts have to resort to personal attacks. That’s it. No more.

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  • Look At This Video Ladies & Gentlemens

    JC (Driving A FIESTA) being Chased Inside A Mall by A Corvette

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e7R3y-qwZ0&feature=player_embedded

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    • crazy_labelle on Sep 05, 2010 at 1:44 am

      haha… try to steal this car, out from the showroom,
      by breaking the window glass , get way outside the mall,
      being chase by the police wat so ever….
      argh… isn’t it awesome?

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  • Maserati on Sep 02, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    Yeap think carefully before you buy a FORD!

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  • want to buy new car(yans) on Sep 03, 2010 at 12:31 am

    i’m quite confuse which car want to buy rite now between honda city,fiesta and forte.can anybody give opinions which car is much more better and worth buying which my budget between 70 – 90k.

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    • Lasting99 on Sep 03, 2010 at 8:23 am

      Like Danny said, “what’s your priorities?” List down your requirements and prioritize it. Then choose a car that best fit your list. For example on my case, top of my list is I need a small car with good safety rating (NCAP), good warranty, under 60k and few other items. Best fit my list is the Hyundai i10.

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  • want to buy new car(yans) on Sep 03, 2010 at 12:33 am

    plus is it worth it to wait for the waja lancer car?

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  • Lasting99 on Sep 03, 2010 at 8:03 am

    Holy crap! What a mess here! People just don’t learn – “DON’T FEED THE TROLL!”.

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  • bystander on Sep 03, 2010 at 10:09 am

    I’ve seen a fiesta with a tiptronic type of manual shift but weirdly with steel rim n wheel caps in the Curve last friday. it was a citibank booth n the guy said it was borrowed from Singapore. I must say, just the look of the gear lever design itself is oledi much more intriguing n upmarket than this normal so called sport-tuned.

    Danny ur impression with the 1.4 duratec manual is coherent with the top gear reviews, it felt more balanced n more fun than the mountune spec in comparison. i dun no how true is tt but i would say definitely a better buy then the jerky vios J spec manual, tt look like premature borned child inside out, yucks!

    lastly, how come both hyundai n ford comes under SD, sign………………!!!!!

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    • Danny Tan (Member) on Sep 03, 2010 at 10:58 am

      That’s the European sourced 1.4 4-speed (torque converter) automatic Fiesta. It will be eventually replaced by the Thai made car in markets like Singapore and Australia

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      • bystander on Sep 03, 2010 at 5:02 pm

        i c, actually more basic but look more upmarket…no wonder they quote “small car with a big car character”…. thanks 4 info! but frankly, i prefer tt older front bumper design than this facelifted weirdo, A LOT! my personal taste only of course.

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  • Realistic on Sep 03, 2010 at 11:22 pm

    Better pay a bit more and buy the Polo. More reliable and better looking!

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    • sonyman on Sep 07, 2010 at 7:08 pm

      thats like 20k more… but true, polo is also another great buy

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  • crazy_labelle on Sep 05, 2010 at 12:35 am

    ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…. i want2….. right nowww!!!

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  • crazy_labelle on Sep 05, 2010 at 12:35 am

    why i had goosebump wen i read the article?

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  • Toyota Vios + Honda city= reliable + high 2nd hand value
    Proton Lancer = tough and reliable and nice handling + perfomance and comfy + good maintenance price
    Ford Fiesta = ??reliable + low 2nd hand value + performance? it’s lower when you compare it to proton’e engine?
    Mazda 2 = better 2nd hand value compared to ford. feel more reliable compare to Ford fiesta.
    Kia Forte = comfy + performance + super safety + cool technology + ?? 2nd hand value.

    haha.. You see… if you want a rm rm 70 – rm 80 +k car… why not a Kia Forte? super value car =D or a Proton waja lancer that is going to provide you super handling?

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  • Toyota Vios + Honda city= reliable + high 2nd hand value
    Proton Lancer = tough and reliable and nice handling + perfomance and comfy + good maintenance price
    Ford Fiesta = ??reliable + low 2nd hand value + performance? it’s lower when you compare it to proton’e engine?
    Mazda 2 = better 2nd hand value compared to ford. feel more reliable compare to Ford fiesta.
    Kia Forte = comfy + performance + super safety + cool technology + ?? 2nd hand value.

    haha.. You see… if you want a rm rm 70 – rm 80 +k car… why not a Kia Forte? super value car =D or a Proton waja lancer that is going to provide you super lotus handling?

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  • 11-second man on Sep 08, 2010 at 8:47 pm

    This reply goes to rynn

    Toyota Vios and Honda City: Agree

    Proton Lancer: Well, we can roughly say this car inherit Mitsubishi Lancer’s pros and cons.

    Ford Fiesta: Low resale value is likely. As for performance one will have to drive it to know the actual situation. Comparing specs on paper does not translate to actual performance. Responsiveness, handling, stopping power etc.

    Mazda 2: Since Ford Fiesta is new, nobody would know the actual resale value but merely prediction. It depends on market force. Perhaps not a brilliant idea to compare resale value between Mazda 2 and Ford Fiesta. As for reliability, it will only be known over time.

    Kia Forte: Don’t quite agree with the term “super safety”. However, for car of such size, features and price, this is no doubt a good package to consider.

    If one can afford a RM70k to RM90k car, any of the above mentioned cars worth consider. At the end, it is the buyer’s decision.

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  • boogiecat on Sep 14, 2010 at 1:20 pm

    how is the ride comfort for the sport tuned suspension?

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  • mikechin on Sep 14, 2010 at 4:07 pm

    This should do as well as Forte but not Vios/City despite better specification.

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  • Thai fiesta on Sep 20, 2010 at 10:45 pm

    i am not sure when your country will get the new Fiesta from Thailand but now Thai drivers are talking about Fiesta does not has rear steel rod inside rear bumper. Ford show car model structure at Motor show with yellow rear steel rod but Thai customers got uretane foam instead of it.

    You better check with you seller about this before making decision to buy.

    See picture of rod here http://www.fordfiestaclub.net/forum/index.php/topic,7459.0.html

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    • thai fiesta on Sep 23, 2010 at 2:07 pm

      After Thai driver stressed to Ford Thailand about this, they explained in Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/notes/f-xrd-feiysta/kha-xthibay-keiyw-kab-khan-kanchn-hlang-khxng-rth-ynt-f-xrd-feiysta/451866559920
      They said Fiesta from Thailand will use urethane foam instead of high sentile steel rod.
      Only U.K. & Germany will have steel rod for tax purpose.

      Please drive carefully because of they think that Asian (&Australian) driver’s life has different value when compare with European.

      My Focus from Philippines has steel rod.

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  • Azmeer on Sep 21, 2010 at 1:16 am

    Guys, if Polo compared to Fiesta, with the pricing all together, is it worth it to splash a bit more to get the Polo ?

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  • asmirasyraf on Sep 22, 2010 at 11:17 pm

    Is 1.4 engine have VVT (variable valve timing) system?

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  • phoon on Sep 26, 2010 at 2:32 pm

    Aiyah!! proton quality ppl also can “trust” mah !!!! remember fiesta is german engineered…
    build quality = mazda bcos come from same factory in royong thailand

    Proton Lancer = 1st batch lancer 2nd & following batch proton “bodoh” .

    Toyota = see how good they do when they start to do CKD in malaysia ??? but price of CBU.

    Honda = Ask your fren who drive 1 gen city reliable???? many fren of mine got warranty claim more then 3 times on same problem. after warranty… bye bye!!

    Mazd/Ford = not much info who know??

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  • ooi kim seng on Sep 27, 2010 at 3:58 pm

    From my observation the 7 speed auto is very good selling point. Price wise is also attractive. From the photogragh of the engine it looks like it is using timing belt instead of timing chain.( the black cover on the left reveal it ) I hope the Ford people will upgrade their design policy on this department. The Korean has already follow the trend, using timing chain and 7 speed auto on their Hyundai 1.6 Avante.

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  • ooi kim seng on Sep 27, 2010 at 4:21 pm

    I apologise that I mentioned 7 speed instead of 6 speed. Mistake is regretable.

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  • Such a disappointment. What’s the point of having a dual-clutch transmission without manual shift. Was considering it. But it’s a big NO for me now.

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    • thai fiesta on Sep 29, 2010 at 2:54 pm

      You better have driving test first. Fiesta sport with powershift transmission is very popular model here in Thailand. It has many tactics to use “kickdown”.

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      • Thanks thai fiesta. But I still like full manual control. Auto tranny just can’t put me in the correct gear in some conditions. Furthermore, the Fiesta only have D and L? I thought we can finally have a car for driving enthusiasts, apparently not. Such a shame… I’ll stay with manual transmission then.

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        • Powershift on Oct 12, 2010 at 4:13 pm

          I believe for 0-100 the powershift just do it better then manual, unless u tell me u can shift less then half a second.
          For sport driving the powershift has a button to press it act something like over-drive off. The gearbox will keep the powerband to highest I believes. If this is true you still maintain max power from time to time.
          But still you will trade off with higher fuel consumption & fun of shifting the gear like I always do

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  • nighttrain on Oct 07, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    exactly what date is the official launching in malaysia?

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  • Ranjit on Oct 07, 2010 at 10:50 pm

    Guys I’ve Suzuki Swift I’m very happy with it…If anyone ask me which car that he or she should buy around RM70K-RM80K I will recommend them Ford Fiesta….

    Toyota Vios for me look not attractive… I’d drove Vios and should say this car too light and not good in cornering abit wavering but good for FC.

    Honda City It’s too expensive for his class….better add some more to get Civic/ Focus Sport /Hyundai i30 2.0L / Mazda 3….

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  • Norfakaruddin Razi on Oct 24, 2010 at 7:33 am

    how come the new ford fiesta doesn’t have courtesy lighting for the rear passengers????its like they left it out or forgot about it…

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    • linda on Oct 24, 2010 at 9:37 pm

      Have H and swift but like the new sporty look of Fiesta , Test drive this afternoon and really step on the paddle , pick up I would say great for 1.6 car. So book one delivery in December, Worry about after sales service later as they give 3 year warranty. Think will use it for many years to come. Just love the design and performance. Also good fuel consumption. Lancer will be value for money but for small lady like me , Fiesta fit the bill.

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  • thai fiesta on Oct 27, 2010 at 5:34 pm

    URGENT !

    At moment Ford Thailand is checking problem of Continental tire which produced from Malaysia. It is problem of torn at its edge. Ford has already completely hold delivery Fiesta to dealers and may be for other countries, also.

    Please check for sure with your local dealer about this problem.
    You can see picture of defected tire here : http://www.pantip.com/cafe/ratchada/topic/V9848796/V9848796.html

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    • Please let me know which batch of Conti PremiumContact affected. I’m using it on my car(not from FORD) and I’m kind of worry about its safety.

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  • budleee on Nov 02, 2010 at 4:40 pm

    gotta love paultan blog to stir up the car features in the article and just about everything else :D

    i never noticed the ommision of the manual mode in the downloaded fliers, it is definetly dissapointing. i do like some control of the transmission even though it shifts by it self.

    so weird, no manual mode, no passenger airbag in the sedan, voice activated control, ESC…. I wonder who did the research of Malaysian buyers in Ford

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  • TheTruth on Nov 08, 2010 at 4:19 pm

    Here i am telling the truth about Ford Fiesta which i have test driven

    1) Engine – it is 1.6 and boasts 120ps but the moment you pedal to the metal, the car slowly climbs its way up and hesitant to gain speed.. An example, H.City with 1.5 engine has the same horsepower figure yet you can feel some pulling forces upon acceleration. However, this can be due to the fact that Fiesta is a much heavier car (you can feel that weight in the doors as well)

    2) Gearbox – it shifts like any other conventional auto out there, it just doesnt feel as fast as the 7-speed DSG from VW. Most probably an overhyped feature. Moreover, It lacks manual override, even H.city has paddleshift for its class.. A good drivetrain has to offer as much control as possible for the driver.. where’s the better driving experience without more driver input available? Don’t even think about Forte, it has only 4-speed which leaves fuel consumption questionable being the cause that higher gears provide lower rpm for cruising speed thus improves fuel consumption.

    3) Handling – the handling might not be as good as expected according to various car reviews due to the fact that the advertised “sport suspension” for the full spec model feels rather soft and bouncing up and down even on slightly uneven road and excessive bodyroll is noticeable even when carrying low speed into corners

    4) Brakes – The rear brakes are drum brakes. Most annoyingly, the brakes feel soft and weak, doesn’t give enough feedback when pressed on. Irresponsive brakes can lead to safety issues.

    As a conclusion, Fiesta is a boring, A to B shopping car that suits female drivers who barely care about performance and handling. On the other side, the car does have low cabin noise which provides good comfort but it is never a car for spirited driving or any other sort of thrill and fun. Resale value is one thing, but it doesn’t prove to be a fun car to keep either. IMHO, H.City is the best choice for that price range. What you pay is what you get. Go test drive both then only you realize the truth.

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  • Powershift on Nov 09, 2010 at 1:47 am

    The true of the fact:

    1) Engine – it is 1.6 and boasts 120ps but the moment you pedal to the metal, the car slowly climbs its way up and hesitant to gain speed (still faster then T&H ).. An example, H.City with 1.5 engine has the same horsepower figure(only measure at maximum power when v-tech kick in) yet you can feel(feeling is not always true) some pulling forces upon acceleration. However, this can be due to the fact that Fiesta is a much heavier car (you can feel that weight in the doors as well “solid not mean heavier”) city S:1140KG S:1160KG fiesta sedan:1171KG HB:1121KG when u compare weight which one you compare?
    *** fiesta use boron steel should be heavier & more solid.

    2) Gearbox – it shifts like any other conventional auto out there(this is so called automatic manual gearbox), it just doesnt feel as fast as the 7-speed DSG from VW (fiesta use dry clutch with required no maintenance & VW use wet clutch but still far more better then torque converter type like T&H currently using ). Most probably an overhyped feature. Moreover, It lacks manual override(agree with you but luckily u still have sport mode), even H.city has paddleshift for its class..(u mean RM90k E “class”?) A good drivetrain has to offer as much control as possible for the driver.. where’s the better driving experience without more driver input available? Don’t even think about Forte, it has only 4-speed which leaves fuel consumption questionable being the cause that higher gears provide lower rpm for cruising speed thus improves fuel consumption. (ford proven fuel economy in b-segment, who want to challenge for stock car??? T&H??)

    3) Handling – the handling might not be as good as expected according to various car reviews(i’m not sure what/which review you mean, as most or at least all single review i read, another very strong advantage of fiesta because of it’s handling ) due to the fact that the advertised “sport suspension” for the full spec model feels rather soft and bouncing up and down even on slightly uneven road and excessive bodyroll is noticeable even when carrying low speed into corners (the fact is “sport suspension” should be harder & so you will feel bouncing up & down “even” on slightly uneven road. for “bodyroll” “even when carrying low speed into corners??? this is because of harder suspension, not because of bodyroll bro, do you understand what bodyroll actually is?)
    *** if you where looking at soft & comfort driving choose std suspension, i personal feel very comfort for sedan & optimum for sport.

    4) Brakes – The rear brakes are drum brakes. Most annoyingly, the brakes feel soft and weak, doesn’t give enough feedback when pressed on. Irresponsive brakes can lead to safety issues. (agree for such a good car with stupid rear drum, but again in fact not really much contribution of rear brake in actual braking process that’s why we always have front tyres/ front brake pad wear off far sooner then back one even you having a disc brake. in fact drum brake had some advantages over disc brake especially before overheat, another fact: having ESP/traction control is way better safer then “over size/rear disc brake on T&H )

    As a conclusion, Fiesta is a boring(I think T&H is real boring fiesta is fresh), A to B shopping car that suits female drivers who barely care about performance and handling(I ‘ll say economy without losing performance). On the other side, the car does have low cabin noise(best on b-segment bro) which provides good comfort but it is never a car for spirited driving or any other sort of thrill and fun(maybe city having very high NVH so you think your city is “faster” just like my previous potong?). Resale value is one thing (you really concern?? then buy saga at least will not lose that much compare to city after 5 year???), but it doesn’t prove to be a fun car to keep either(car is for drive not for keep, this a daily car for most buyer not antique car bro). IMHO, H.City is the best choice for that price range(RM90K I’ll consider new Altis ). What you pay is what you get(what T&H paid is branded name & oooverpriced wake up bro). Go test drive both then only you realize the truth(agree!!!).

    The fact: (correct me if i’m wrong)
    1.Cheapest 6 speed automatic, available
    2.Cheapest CBU 1.6
    3.Cheapest car with ESP/Traction control
    4.Cheapest voice control enable car
    5.Best economy in the range
    6.Best acceleration in the range
    7.Best handling in the range

    Best buy:-)
    T&H is doing very well in the past but trend going to change.
    In fact Honda with 1.5 SOHC can squirt 120ps 154Nm, 5AT is very impressed but i still go for Fiesta… bye bye Honda~~

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    • TheTruth on Nov 09, 2010 at 10:48 am

      Nice sharing of your opinions Powershift.
      It’s obvious you probably haven’t test driven both
      I have more fun driving in a City than Fiesta anytime
      In fact, City IS stronger and faster than Fiesta and that’s when i’m talking pulling away normally without even fully utilizing the whole rev range. A snappy car means fun!
      VTEC kick-in? i-VTEC is the new variable valve intake which doesn’t involve aggressive cam profile switching like the Civic Type R. To those fanboys out there, the new city / civic i-VTEC does not kick in the same as the legendary Type R engines. For those who wanna experience true VTEC kick, find yourselves some B-series, K-series engines transplant or test drive the current Civic Type R to get a load of the fun.
      I’ve tested the sport mode on Fiesta too, the salesperson ask what did i think about it. I replied with a fake smile follow by ha-ha-ha.. Why on earth does twin clutch Powershift shift like granny? It’s just too much of lag interval between the shifts. Even typical torque converter H&T can do the same!
      Handling wise, what i meant was the Fiesta has overly soft suspension to be even called sporty. Of course i do know what bodyroll means, excessive bodyroll occurs when the suspension are too soft and that results in worser lateral grip. Only with stiffer springs / absorber settings, can minimizes bodyroll and hence improving the grip through various corners. Fiesta just wobbles and wavers around even at low speed, the body swings up and down as if you’re sitting on a boat. That just robs all those driver confidence away! H.City just did spot on in balancing both comfort and handling in suspension setup. Oh and, you don’t need Traction Control System on a car that barely has any power or torque.. any form of TCS will further limit the power output.
      The rear drum brakes could be the culprit of the weak braking force. It’s true most front wheel drive cars wear the front brakepads faster, but it is also common sense that disc brakes should be available as standard equipments in our modern times. Look further into the future.
      The curb weight of Fiesta hatchback is 1500KG. Ask the salesperson to show you their ‘hidden’ specs. Yes, the weight can be contributed to more solid build but what i meant back there was the weight affected the performance of both the engine and handling. Perhaps women drivers feels more secured though.
      In terms of space, just topping up 2k for S spec, 7k for E spec H.City gives you tremendous 506 litres of boot space and is spacious inside and out with ample headrooms and legrooms even kids could get lost in there! You don’t feel tight or squeezy like in the Fiesta. For examples, The roofline of Fiesta almost touches your head and the doors on both sides are close to you. Makes you feel trapped in a box. It just too small in size for a car of that price.
      To be honest, H.City doesn’t feel that bad in road NVH too. Tyres also play a big role in reducing road noises. Make sure you smart drivers invest in nice set of rubbers. H.City comes stock equipped with Continental Premium Contact 2, for an example.
      On the sideline, Voice control is not necessary given that most mobile phones nowadays have handfree capabilities. However, Chatting over the phone while driving takes off your concentration on the road.
      About the interiors of the Fiesta, over usage of plastic materials in the dashboard / consoles are no different than any H&T if you wanna compare. The fabric seats aren’t waterproof and grey color interior just don’t give you that premium look you deserved.
      Fiesta maybe “fresh”, but that wouldn’t last long for any freshly new released car..
      People usually feel fresh towards new things, but after a short while, only they realize it is just nothing special.
      As a friendly anonymous here, i highly recommend H.City for the fun and bang for buck for that price range.
      Trust me, you wouldn’t want a car that you get bored of after driving a month or two.
      Fiesta is so boring i could sleep in it than drive.
      The truth hurts, but we must learn to accept it.

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      • 11-second man on Nov 11, 2010 at 2:25 am

        This reply goes to TheTruth.

        I have driven Fiesta 1.6 and Civic 2.0. In terms of handling and engine performance, Fiesta pulls strongly. I would say Fiesta should have no problem keepng pace with Civic 2.0. This is just my opinion.

        But there is a recent report in Auto Driver magazine. It’s a test review of 10 cars including Civic 2.0, Fiesta 1.6 and Lancer 2.0. The same drivers took each car to the same track with respective cars getting 1 min 6 sec 24, 1 min 6 sec 25 and 1 min 6 sec 66.

        I feel it is needless to praise Honda City. I do reckon Honda CIty pulls strongly but to really test a car performance is when you time attack it on the track. That says it all.

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        • TheTruth on Nov 11, 2010 at 12:45 pm

          H.City wasn”t put to the test doesn’t mean it performs bad either
          it is surely keeping up with civic/lancer as well
          who knows it might even outlap fiesta?
          1.6 dohc engine does the same performance as 1.5 sohc, what a shame

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          • 11-second man on Nov 13, 2010 at 12:55 am

            This reply goes to TheTruth.

            Needless to put on a track, City would not clock better lap time than Civic and Lancer. Please use common sense and be realistic.

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          • Powershift on Nov 16, 2010 at 3:21 am

            Others H.City i’m not sure but I sure the true’s City can clock better then every car including ferrari or lambo.” i feel only”
            What a joke if H.City clock better then his big brother 2.0 civic..

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          • TheTruth on Nov 16, 2010 at 3:37 pm

            To 11-second Man
            “I have driven Fiesta 1.6 and Civic 2.0. In terms of handling and engine performance, Fiesta pulls strongly. I would say Fiesta should have no problem keepng pace with Civic 2.0. This is just my opinion.”
            If that’s just your opinion, why can’t i state mine?
            Get the fact right, It’s a load of bull that torsion beam can top multilink, I’ll say neither fiesta nor city can. But certainly, city and fiesta can have a close fight.

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        • Powershift on Nov 16, 2010 at 3:25 am

          To 11-second man,
          any link for the test review you mention? very interest review to see. thx

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          • 11-second man on Nov 16, 2010 at 10:45 pm

            Hello Powershift,

            Unfortunately it isn’t on the Internet. It was published by a Taiwanese magazine, Auto Driver (volume 169). You can get this magazine at KK Mart, RM9.

            Cheers…

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        • TheTruth on Nov 16, 2010 at 3:47 pm

          11-second Man says:
          “I do reckon Honda CIty pulls strongly but to really test a car performance is when you time attack it on the track. That says it all.”

          “Needless to put on a track, City would not clock better lap time than Civic and Lancer. Please use common sense and be realistic.”

          Read your own comments, you’re contradicting yourself.
          You’re the one who suggested to put it on track, and now you said it is not necessary. Never try never know right? Funny guy.

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      • I own both City and Fiesta. I also own a Korean car. To me they serves their goods and bads in their respective way.

        Pointless to compare cars in this way. Got the $ buy the car. Don’t have the $ then don’t buy. Bought it, love it even if it fails a little here and there. Nothing is perfect in this world or it will be too boring.

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      • Powershift on Nov 16, 2010 at 3:13 am

        to the true:
        I can understand u r driving RM90k H.city out there while looking at cheaper fiesta got bigger & more powerful engine/better gearbox, more performance more safety feature, more stable, better response, better handling, better fuel consumption, better millage, better fun, better lifestyle,…. tired to list down. These are all the fact not “by ur own feeling” “brader”
        Of cause fiesta is not sure winner over city:
        1. city got bigger”boot” – how much staff you put in your boot?but u still can not put 40″lcd tv rite? but fiesta can (check on u-tube) or go check how they compare civic & fiesta.if still want to compare? compare with potong WaLan lah cheaper more powerful engine then city….. i think this is what u want in your heart??
        2. city got higher price & u feel yourself stand higher ??? because of those 2k~7K different??
        3. city got higher maintenance atleast 1st 3year & every one know honda parts are expensive too.
        4. city got more heavy “steering” i was very surprice when i test drive(of cause i do test drive city) it is so heavy feel, even heavier then my potong wira. i can understand many ppl complaining previous city so floaty at high speed, so this time the make it heavier (change steering ratio)??? just not the right way. while fiesta give you perfect balance on low/high speed steering feedback and assist. thanks to EPAS not the EPS in city or vios.
        5. if you say “i just like honda”, ok you win.
        6. i can not think of more advantages maybe you help me to add….

        my advice do more harder research/study….
        i-vtech = vtc+vtech or simple word vvti+vtech. in general vvti good at low-mid range, vtech good in hi rev. maybe too many city out there kalah to vios on trafficlight pull out, so this time honda implement vvti to vtec=ivtec. sorry to correct you vtech does kick-in no matter big v small v or i-vtech. it is just in i-vtech the vvti portion provide so good torque that when v-tech kick-in you no longer feel the omph like normal vtech do again as i said go study i-vtech dyno graph.

        – sorry for my mistake on previous post, i was thinking to give abit face to honda city by saying 120hp “154Nm” on SOHC will make you happy a bit. but actual fact even same hp fiesta engine having smooth torque curve compare to i-vtech and most important higher torque. torque is more important in pickup/acceleration compre to hp. that is the reason why fiesta having better 0-100 & better top speed compare to h.city. do not understand?? study harder..

        – for brak distance,The rear drum brakes could be the culprit of the weak braking force?? maybe you still “think” your city doing best, im sorry to tell you go google youself fiesta win over city even with stupid rear drum brak??? yes what a shame honda with it’s “disc” brake.

        – Fiesta hatchback is 1500KG?? you are really funny, if this is true then you better check with the salesperson to show you your h.city ‘hidden’ specs. who know even lighter??

        – H.City just did spot on in balancing both comfort and handling in suspension setup.(of cause beeter if you compare with kancil, but still far compare to fiesta) Oh and, you don’t need Traction Control System on a car that barely has any power or torque..(you mean city with “145NM” compare to fiesta 152NM haha! what r u talking about??) if u do not know how ESP work google it or u-tube will helps. **** h.city only rated for four star on crash test but fiesta got 5 star***** how to compare??? and fyi fiesta been choisen for “top safety pick 2010” by US HIGHWAY SAFETY RESEARCH & COMMUNICATIONS

        – To be honest, H.City doesn’t feel that bad in road NVH too(i never say city no good, just not comparable to fiesta)

        – Voice control is not necessary ?? (agree if you do not have it…yes) Chatting over the phone while driving takes off your concentration on the road.(that’s y u need voice control to help)

        -As a friendly anonymous here, i highly recommend fiesta for the fun and save many buck for that price range.

        -Trust me, you wouldn’t want a car that you get bored of after driving a month or two.
        The “fact” hurts, but you must learn to accept it. don dream/feel again bro.

        *** toyota vios, honda city, mazda 2, ford fiesta, suzuki swift OR even proton WaLan are all good choice for me. but maybe not for our brother the true. maybe he still “think” his city is the only car can categories as “car” or even can beat lamborghini ?

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        • TheTruth on Nov 16, 2010 at 3:29 pm

          Haha. What i did was comparing City to Fiesta (although not the same segment of car but around the same price range), comparing Fiesta to Civic and Lancer is a joke nonetheless. To all fanboys out there if you really think Fiesta can outrun a Corvette just like in Top Gear, you’ve probably seen too much of movies. People like cheap things as usual, but oftenly they neglect the fact that “cheap thing no good, good thing no cheap”. Yes, you could spend lesser cash and pay for Inspira, but you would never get the same service and quality you wish for.

          1) Engine – First thing’s first, a car’s performance is not solely depended on the engine. How many horsepower the engines make is one thing, but in overall, weight plays a big role in how much the engine being stressed upon. Quite frankly, due to lighter weight of City, that little 1.5 sohc 145NM drives more powerful than Fiesta 1.6 dohc 152NM. Do you seriously think 1.6 can be more fuel efficient than 1.5? Think again, it’s common sense. What’s stated on that piece of paper will always be varied on actual real life conditions. Theory and practicality is not on the same line. Fiesta can fit 40″ LCD TV? Then it’s no bloody doubt that City can too. Even kids can tell, it’s so obvious which one is a bigger car. On the side note, City’s top speed is capped. It could go to 190kmh without hassle. It’s ridiculous to say that City lacks low end torque, it’s normal i-vtec just like Civic, the torque is ample to get slight wheel spin upon launching. Go test drive a Type R to feel the true vtec before you comment on non-Type R models, it’s heaven and earth difference.

          2) Worth – It’s not about feeling higher, but about spending the right money and get the most out of it. With 2k or 7k more according to the specs, you and your beloved family gets a much larger and more spacious ride, the ability to select which gears to use with the paddleshift, black interior trim, AUX / USB / Radio / mp3 player, 6 speakers (instead of Fiesta’s 4), full front and rear disc brakes, foldable rear seats, large trunk and powerful 120ps engine with just 1.5 litres! There’s a reason to things, and there is no doubt City sold like hotcakes.

          3) Spare parts – Genuine parts are usually priced higher to ensure they get your car to perform at its best. Would you rather skim and pay for cheap parts to your car? Race cars service their cars daily on track, it is also an advantage to change engine/gearbox fluids frequently and get maintainence check at shorter intervals to offer better protection to your beloved ride. A gearbox that does not require service (fiesta) has questionable lifespan when it is driven hard on and after years of usage there will still be sign of wear and tear. Which is why some of these sophisticated transmissions require large amount of repair cost once broken down. Even VW DSG gearbox had issues. This also concludes the fact that conventional auto is used in 90% of automobiles nowadays because of its reliability. Dear smart drivers, do not be lazy to service your beloved ride!

          4) Steering – Electrical power steering in our modern days performs worser compared to traditional ones. Why? Because it gives slower feedback from driver inputs in trade of ‘lighter’ steering feel. Power steering nowadays are so light that it actually requires the driver to turn more to get the wheels turning in the direction they desire. That’s problem to people nowadays too, they tend to rely too much on the types of assist a car can give, think traction control? think ESP? Now the people want assist in their power steering… How lazy is that? Maybe these people should think of going to gym. =)

          5) Brakes – It is common sense that disc brakes stop in much shorter distance than drum brakes. Do not be veered off of the fact that drum brake cannot outperform disc brake. Disc brakes have larger surface to dissipate heat, and lesser heat helps in braking. Perhaps some fanboys that drive cheap Fiesta mislead to think that drum brakes can stop better. It’s easy as A, B, C that larger piece of disc brakes/calipers gives you stronger stopping force. Saying Drum brakes outperform disc brake is like saying Fiesta could outperform Lamborghini haha.

          6) Safety – Hello? the Fiesta you get here only provide you with 2 airbags and not the 6 that offered in US spec. This is Malaysia, that 5 stars of crash rating does not apply here. Hell, we do not need technologies to get our asses saved, we DRIVE safe to BE safe!

          7) Road Noise NVH – Like i said, tyres still play a bit role in reducing road noises. Have you not noticed that all the reduction in NVH in Fiesta are contributed to the weight of the car? If i were to have a heavy car to be safe from crashes or road noises, i would rather drive a tank.

          A good car supposed to give good feel to the drivers. What is wrong with that? People review cars to tell you how they felt, how it drives and how worthy the car is for the money you pay. It’s always the ‘good feeling’ that gets cars selling.

          Our friend here Powershift is loyal to Ford no matter the cause and he is obsessed with trying to be special by getting a Fiesta. Maybe he just likes Ford =3

          About Toyota Vios, Honda City, Mazda 2, Ford Fiesta, Suzuki swift OR even Proton Waja.
          Vios – Stucked with old technologies, 4 speed auto, odd speedometer placement that distract driver, cramped interior space, perhaps chrome grille would appeal to fanboys of their “TRD-ness”
          Mazda 2 – If you could live with a car with dimension that is out of proportion and smiley face front end =)
          Fiesta – Stated above.
          Swift – Small car for that price.
          Waja – Junk.
          All of these choices are definitely a nice car to get you moving from A to B, but of course if you are to truly enjoy owning an imported car, H.city is no better choice among those. I never said that City could top Lamborghini, it’s just a normal car that gets me smiling everyday with good mileage, good fuel consumption with great power not to mention space. Honda has done it again, they had always been upgrading their car models over the time. But Fiesta, i have to say otherwise. It’s slow, it’s tight, it’s soft and it’s heavy, talk about frustration when you’re trying hard to even get the car moving haha. If you truly love Fiesta, i would happily recommend the 1.4 manual variant, it’s still much more fun than the slow operating, overhyped twin clutch. I’m just sharing my humble opinions in test driven both city and fiesta and i’m totally glad i got the city and NOT the fiesta. Well all in all, the choice still lies in your hands!

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          • Powershift on Nov 17, 2010 at 1:50 pm

            To the true-
            – bro, I can understand “only your” H.city is “not” the same segment but all the rest of h.city is”b-segment”
            – top gear just to show that fiesta has the best handling & it’s fun to drive element even in water & be again thanks to EPS/traction control,of course not straight line performance bro. i “think” after so long this is the only car that worth to test drive or full reviewed by top gear?
            – it is not the matter of “cheap thing” here bro, is what you get and what you pay. 2k~7k is that big money for you ah? & you really “think” honda “ckd malaysia” has better quality then ford cbu thailand?? those car is good in cbu but when it comes to ckd…emmm u know lah.

            1) Engine- suddenly become not so pround of 1.5 SOHC 120hp 145NM dy?? & still “think” fiesta weighing 1500kg?? is already proven “internationally” that fiesta has best fuel efficient in it’s class. fiesta can hold 40″ lcd because of it “hatchback” not possible for h.city with limited opening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V75a7Z11KM&feature=channel can your car do this? even your’s has much much… bigger boot. and now you mentioned “type R” so then can i say u go test drive ken block’s fiesta?? Ha!Ha! now u know u compare orange to apple?? yes type R & ken block’s fiesta it’s heaven & earth diff bro.
            2) Worth- Dual clutch,ESP,voice control all class leading. (fiesta also got 6 spk bro) & 3y free maintenance, best econ… too many to state & too many times mention already can your honda give this to you?? this is so called “worth” bro. for me this is just a daily car for work & from A to B rarely pickup friend or colleagues, i prefer use my toyota wish for family purpose.if really concern space? so go forte/Inspira why city??
            3) Spare parts, 3year warranty, 3 year maintenance all in what else you worry??, questioning about dual clutch gearbox??? do you know powershift is used in volvo for many years already bro. go google lah bro see what era today?? look for dual clutch, CVT, zero shift or i-shift(from honda also) then you know how out date u r.
            4) Steering- really lazy to explain to lazy student again. fiesta use EPAS not EPS bro!
            5)Brake- fiesta 60mph -0 in 116ft or you want to say u “think” h.city can do better??? clearly fiesta do better even with “drum” atleast compare to h.city.
            6) Safety- bro go youtube see with you own eye h.city tested with “6” airbag but still **** 4 star only. if u do not need technology aided, why you need ABS,EBD,BA,G-con(honda fancy term) & even your headlight, signal light, mirror or horn. altought this are relatively very low tech. safety come 1st bro. “they” really save you asses bro.
            7) NVH- you “think” heavy car make less noise?? haha again do a research how engineer reduce NVH in auto industrial. from design, aerodynamic, damping, insulation, quality of built…. or even latest i heard active noise reduction system. u are free to tell how u feel, im just to tell how your “feel” sensor is out of calibration & diff from may review & machine’s report. but fact still a fact.

            I’m not going to comment other car, as u said ppl can fancy obout thier”vtech”, VVTi,TRD,DVVT or whatever, but is their money & choice. but for me, as mentioned in 3) & many facts fiesta = better value = better price/performane in the range.go search google you will find how many awards this little car wins.
            power of dreams? dream more lah.. let’s feel the difference.

            last,accept the fact: although The truth & fact hurts, but u must learn to accept it

            The fact: (prove me wrong, don just tell story bro)
            1.Cheapest 6 speed dual clutch
            2.Cheapest CBU 1.6
            3.Cheapest car with ESP/Traction control/hill assit
            4.Cheapest voice control enable car
            5.Best economy in the range
            6.Best acceleration in the range
            7.Best handling in the range
            8.best NVH in the range
            9.120hp “152Nm” still better then 120hp 145NM engine
            10. ***** 5star crash test better then ****star (unfair comparison??)

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          • bro, you must be wearing glasses, shortsighted.

            Never call any other car ‘junk’ no matter how good you think you are even if you’re a car manufacturer. That’s why you’ll never hear any of those big guys engineers commenting about any other cars out there.

            If all those premium car makers’ engineer, e.g. from Ross Royce, Bentley, were to see things ‘shortsighted’, everything else in this world will be junk!

            ‘Buddha sees buddha, junks see junks…’

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          • TheTruth on Nov 18, 2010 at 12:10 pm

            To Powershift:
            I’m just sharing my thoughts here. You must be really love Ford and Ken Block must be your idol. Keep holding on to your dreams that owning fiesta will make you become Ken Block. That stock fiesta has nothing spectacular compared to Ken Block’s race spec gymkhana machine, even Satria Neo CPS can easily tapao Fiesta anytime if you so wanna compare performance / handling. Fiesta is heavy because loads of sound proofing / insulation or whatever crap they put in, and that’s one down factor that make the 1.6 engine feels like 1.3, which just rob all the fun! A town / city car has to be snappy to drive about, if H.City can do it so well even with traditional 5 speed auto, why does anyone want twin clutch (in Fiesta i mean, of course VW twin clutch is the real deal) when it’s as slow as conventional auto? It’s not sequential gearbox like when you pretending to be Ken Block. If anybody out there have so much love in Ford, invest in Ford Focus would be a much better choice compared to sissy pussy car Fiesta.

            To the public:
            Of course there are so many choices out there, Persona / Satria Neo / Insipira / Forte / Mazda 2 / Vios, think twice if not trice and ask yourself if you really want a Fiesta. It’s no big deal Top Gear given a full review on Ford Fiesta, god knows how much Ford have paid them to make that review. People dream of flying like a bird, people dream of using electricity to light up bulbs, people dream of almost anything to make it possible. It is the power of dreams that mankind has made so many achievements up till today. Feel the difference in Ford? I’m sorry i didn’t feel any. You happy with your Fiesta, I’m happy with my City. Personally out of all choices, I still recommend City to the public. End of story, adios amigos.

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          • Powershift on Nov 23, 2010 at 12:37 am

            I agree I do like ken block, but not my idol, I believe many ppl out there like ken block too (maybe you are also one of it, haha!), sorry to confuse you your self mate, actually u r the one start comparing wit honda civic type R, even ur car is just a h.city only(cheapest in honda range/class). since you like to compare, then i sugessted u compare to ken block’s fiesta. no matter how reluctant r u to accept the “truth” it’s still a fiesta. atleast i don compare to a ford focus here bro. Satria Neo CPS ??? now u create more stories bro, satria is a two door car, fiesta is 4 “doors”. but frankly speaking I think satria neo cps can easily tapao h.city.”i think/feel only ya”
            real lazy student, already ask you go study more on how engineer improved NVH, not as you think simply dump in rubbish like you mention. it is hard to believe lighter car with more powerful engine & yet maintain god NVH?? this is called technology bro.

            My conclusion : sorry to being sarcastic to a sarcastic ppl like u,but Dun tell stories anymore, wake up brader,don “Keep holding on to your dreams” that one day your h.city can fly. i will never respond to u again, because “pointless” to discuss with ppl with bias and sarcastic. besides honda no other brand can make good car?? it is no doubt to see one day when our friend “the truth” upgrade himself to civic, then h.city become “stupid car” even it is honda brand.

            ppl uses 0-100,0-400,60-0, top speed, hp, torque, mpg…. to benchmark cars. if you don agree these terms don mention any these terms here, just tell only how u feel/think. basic 10 facts dat i hightlighted in previous post u dun even dare to compare one of it but still comment your h.city is the best, come on bro. u really know what u r saying?? obviously the winner is still fiesta here.

            If People “imagine” of flying like a bird, people “imagine” of using electricity to light up bulbs, people “imagine” of almost anything to make it possible. It is the power of “imagination”/creativity that mankind has made so many achievements till today. but not “dream” bro, wake up!!! dream just make u stand still and happy with what u r now “in dream”. no surprise u didn’t feel any different in ford because ur “sensor” is out of calibrate as mentioned earlier.

            To public:
            As mention many times, many choice out there for rm50K-90K+, include H.city, I’m not bias to any brand, but if you really compare price & performance, clearly fiesta is a good buy. i’ll say H.city/vios will come to second for this segment. ofcos if u r looking for bigger car i’ll recommended Inspira (at least 1st batch before proton start using lower quality parts???) still in terms of price & performance….atleast not by feeling/thinkg without brains & facts.i go for fiesta this time no chance for H.city, maybe the next gen of H.city if honda really willing to offer worth of value cars.

            *** the truth, if u still going tell story pls stop!!! bu!!sh!tt!ng.

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          • Jeremy on Dec 06, 2010 at 11:34 pm

            I agree with most of what you said , but exept for the drum brakes part , the Fiesta is a front wheel drive (front wheels are using discs) , the brake’s energy is dissipated in the front wheels , the brake system is not all wheel brake system , if you had an all wheel brake system on a front wheel drive , you would be drifting around in circles when you hit the brakes . The only use of drum brakes is just the handbrake usage , nothing else . P.S I own a Fiesta so I do know how it works , btw I thought the Insperia was around Rm92k?

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          • sukahati on May 24, 2011 at 1:19 am

            To Jeremy,
            are you kidding?? if fiesta is not using all wheel brake system?? i bet u even 20 years back car all also using “all wheel brake system.
            . if ur car drift around most likely because of lost traction or unbalance brake system sure not bcos of all wheel brake system lah.
            I also own fiesta lah brader

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      • Stumbling upon this page and reading this really made me realise how ignorant how some of you jap-car fanboys can be.

        The Fiesta’s curb weight (including everything such as fuel/liquids/etc. but passengers) is about 1100kg.

        1500kg is the GROSS weight which is a ‘recommended’ weight limit to the number of fat-ass Americans which can fit in the car.

        And now to carry your jap-loving self back into the dark corner of your garage, unlike the Fiesta, I don’t recall the Honda City being a top seller on a GLOBAL scale (no offense to you folks in MY).

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  • DonBuyJepsCar on Nov 09, 2010 at 1:58 pm

    Due to car lack of safety equip like ESP & TCS. An indecent a month ago in Kampar Perak
    had kill 6 lives. Thats why DBJC.

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    • TheTruth on Nov 09, 2010 at 3:31 pm

      How often do you see that case?
      That’s problem with drivers nowadays is that they rely too much on what THE CAR can do rather than look back at themselves on what THEY can do.
      Any car is just as good as the driver gets. It’s not the car to blame when driver’s misjudge / lack of skills / overspeed is most likely the cause.

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      • True,agree with that. When accident happend,driver may blame the road condition,blame the other driver careless,some of them blame car is old so it act just like that,BUT they never blame its their careless/fault or lack of driving skill,which cause the accident. Think about it,and remind yourself:
        ”Driving is a privilege”, you may save yourself,your friends,others family.

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  • Salamander on Nov 24, 2010 at 12:56 am

    Wow after reading the comment above, it feels like there is a war between Ford and Honda salesperson.

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  • Evoque on Nov 26, 2010 at 9:29 am

    Theres no right or wrong, very depending on person that drives it.

    Fiesta, I test-driven both hatchback & sedan. I like its engine that roars but its dual-clutch disappointed me as it was not really responsive. The pulling power in a Waja feels better. The steering should be improve as drivers feel no hand grip and should be careful when bending curves. The backseat of the car gives shoulder-to-shoulder feeling when seated with 3 person.

    One point great to be notice: while you’re doing 110km/h, it uses 2,000 rpm on the reading hence I believe this car is petrol saving a lot!! Even my current myvi cant do it. 110km/h in my myvi uses around 2,850 rpm (manual transmission).

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    • Chris on Dec 09, 2013 at 4:49 pm

      “no hand grip?” the Fiesta has some of the best driving dynamics i’ve experienced (even around the corners)..i might say even better than the Polo, 208 and to some extent even it’s bigger brother, the Focus.

      The tight steering you get going around corners in a Myvi isn’t a good thing, and neither is the overly-light steering you may find in, say a Hyundai Elantra..but to each their own.

      Also, the dual-clutch isn’t what’s unresponsive, it’s actually the throttle (which uses a drive-by-wire which has it’s benefits but personally, even i prefer a drive-by-cable setup). All in all, the car takes time to learn your driving pattern (usually before the 5000km mark).

      Quick tip, to get the engine to kick in quicker it’s NOT how deep you floor the throttle, but how quick you depress the accelerator that makes the engine come alive. The effects of this can be amplified with a electronic throttle controller which bumps up the overall voltage when the accelerator is depressed. Quite a number of cars have this built into their “Sports” or “Race” mode.

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  • Faiti on Dec 05, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    Saw it twice……nice lines and contours.

    Between this and the City…….I expect the Ford to have a slightly better ride n body control.

    Either one also ok. This Ford is a new global model n not some old design.

    City……not really global car but a little bit more pricey.

    Inspira…..would be a gd choice but unfortunately, oil prices going up again…….don’t really need the size.

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    • TheTruth on Dec 10, 2010 at 3:46 pm

      I only agree on the engine displacement part.
      You don’t need big engines to get a lot of power these days
      1.8 engine makes roughly 140ps, I would drive with a 120ps 1.5 honda engine anytime
      mainly cause saving fuel is an act of going green and protecting our mother earth.
      Honda Insight is out and it’s priced at only 98k, 170NM of torque from 1000~1700rpm with just mere 1.3 engine coupled with hybrid motor.

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  • Jeremy on Dec 06, 2010 at 11:26 pm

    Honestly everyone’s been complaining about the Fiesta about its cheap interior quality , and with its cheap drum brakes , but what the hell do you guys expect? its around RM82k and you expect the quality being similar as an Audi A4? the only downside is the small boot , I own and drive an orange Fiesta S , they gave me a 3 year free mantainance , RM82k with 3 years free mantainance , with electronic stablity control , 6 speed dual clutch , ABS and even voice command systems . What else do you guys want from such an affordable car?

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  • Hi fiesta fans,

    I see some great posts. Thanks for sharing your opinions. I’m actually interested in the sedan but because of the lack of cool features I’m thinking of the sports now. For the sedan, I really wish there was passenger airbag (like Jspec) and a decent usb or btooth at least. I wish I can place my own head unit in there with the features above.

    Just some questions..

    1) What’s ford easy fuel? What does it do?
    2) How abt the interests rates for 10% like? Any choice of banks?
    3) Whts up with the variable wipers?

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    • kadajawi on Nov 20, 2011 at 3:50 pm

      I guess they have changed it then, cause the website currently lists the sedan as the only model that has 7 airbags (I don’t think you can get 7 airbags this cheap in Malaysia, unless you only buy the airbag without a car around it).

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  • fiesta fan on Dec 08, 2010 at 11:29 pm

    1) Ford easy fuel = capless refuel system, mean no need to dirty you hand.
    2) I personally got the loan recommend by my SA, i got interest rate of 2,85% ask ur SA
    3) Variable viper mean u can adjust more steps (speed) on ur wiper speed.

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  • TRIOS on Dec 09, 2010 at 2:51 pm

    Hi all..
    Thanks for the ‘interesting’ debate on FoFi (abbrv by my kids).Whatever it is…my SA just called and I’m gonna get to the dealer’s office and sign on the dotted lines. By Monday, my FoFi will be on the road…
    Im committed…say what you like.
    FoFi will be my ride!
    adioss!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • Gerard on Dec 22, 2010 at 6:50 pm

      Congrats, wise choice hope you are driving ur FoFi already

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Muhammad on Dec 23, 2010 at 10:42 pm

        Good debate between the truth and powershift. but I hv to say real true story i actually sold my city after few months. Acceleration not great must be the heavier body compared to the old city. The gear change too fast ,not smooth and engine ‘mengaum’ which my wife usually complained. Prefer swift anytime. Also test drive FOFI. Feel better choice than City . Think City overrated coz of the brand. Again no one is right . Before buying test drive until very sure of the performance. Dun made mistake like me , Test as many type of cars. Be fair to yourself.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
        • QAV KCH on Dec 30, 2010 at 9:55 am

          i got my FoFi yesterday..haha
          love it!!really love it!!
          i got interest 2.8% from RHB bank..
          hehehe….keep on smiling while gives lecture to my students..hohoo…

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        • bmw280 on Jan 17, 2011 at 11:13 pm

          test drive the fiesta and i was shocked when the engine “mengaum” or in simple english, roar from 1st gear to 2nd gear. there is something obviously wrong with this car. don’t listen to me, test drive the car yourself.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2
  • Fiesta S is a real good care in compare to any brands of this segment…no matter how bad is the resale value that is not really important for other who don’t know what is the real value of Driving, live the life now not the future because future we wont be knowing…!!!

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  • sfung on Feb 16, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    Hi all, I own a Ford Lynx RS before… Just wanna hear more comment for the Fiesta S.. Any owner comment pls.. Thx

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  • raine c on Feb 25, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    need an advice,plan to sell my toyota vios (2004 model) which only worth abt rm 40K now.. is VW Polo or Ford Fiesta hatchback a better deal? or any other cars that u can recommend ?( prices not more than 110K)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • sukahati on Mar 05, 2011 at 10:59 am

      raine c,
      from what i can see you already chosen the best car for your price range.
      <RM100,000 go for fiesta <RM110,000 go for polo.
      these two car in summary, fuel saving, powerful & not cheapalat.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Good car, but BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE from sime darby auto connexion jln ipoh, KL.
    They ask money early, then promise2 but nver done. Im oredy like a beggar askin from help from him, personal experience with Isham, salesman there. juz cancelled my order this evening. he sucks

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Cars Philippines on Jun 14, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    Fiesta looks good though it has problems.

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  • edios_1317 on Aug 01, 2011 at 9:42 pm

    I agree Vios has high resale value. Just trade-in my 4 years Vios to make a down payment for Fiesta. I also hv Latio Sport and it’s much better handling than Vios.

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