Ford Motor Company launched its all new Ford Fiesta Sedan in India at Fiesta Cafe in Saket, New Delhi a while back. Along with its unmatched fuel efficiency, the model offers some power packed features as well. Owing to its excellent features, the Sedan and Hatchback variants have been selling well in the American market. The high number of sales enabled Ford Fiesta emerge as a winner in the recently concluded J.D. Power 2011 APEAL awards in the US.
J.D. Power and Associates is a global market research and information company. It deals with market forecasting, performance measurement, customer satisfaction insights and solutions. The company conducts extensive real time survey every year, involving owners of different car models. Their responses and reviews create the base of the survey. As the acronym APEAL suggests, different models of cars are gauged on parameters like Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout. Hence, these awards are considered to be voice of customers. The awards reflect the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of an owner with his car. Consequently, getting awards would mean that the model has attained maximum level of customer satisfaction.
The 2011 APEAL study has given the model “among the best” rating for all the parameters. David Sargent, Vice President of Global Vehicle Research at J.D. Power and Associates said, “The auto industry has taken a battering during the past few years. However, it is clear that throughout this period, automakers have never lost sight of the fact that survival—and ultimately success—only comes from winning over customers in the showroom. Offering highly appealing vehicles is one of the primary means to succeed.”
Generally, in Indian automotive market, the international awards for a car model mean a little. This is because the international variants of a car differ a lot when pitched against their Indian versions. The companies generally compromise on various aspects while designing the cars for the Indian market as a cost cutting approach. However, Ford Fiesta is an exception in this count, as it is a global model. Right from the day one, the model has grabbed the eyeballs of Indian customers with its international appeal.
Ford India in its press release during the launch repeatedly emphasised on the point that the company has not made any compromises in the making of new Fiesta Sedan. In fact, Ford India even went a step ahead to declare that the Indian Ford Fiesta is even better than its International variants. The company has taken utmost care in crucial aspects like build quality. Another essential aspect that the company stressed upon is the stellar fuel economy offered by the model.
Owing to the demand of the hour, the company has left no stone unturned to endow the model with superior fuel economy. The fact that the model has bagged the prestigious award has reaffirmed all the claims made by the company. Coming from real time users, the verdict makes the model a clear winner in terms of fuel economy. However, it is still to be seen whether new Ford Fiesta, topping the 2011 J.D. APEAL awards, boosts its sale in India. Experts opine that the model’s prestigious win will have a positive impact in Indian market.
