Ford tried its best to offer a new product which may revive Ford’s image in India. But after closely analysing the vehicle I came to conclusion that the concept of Ford Figo is more of a World Car than an Indian Car.
Ford is trying to revive its image by launching world cars now. Probably they will come strongly with the launch of “Ford Focus” shortly.
Figo tried to satiate the needs of customer all across the world and was named as “Indian car” only because it was specially launched in India. The only parameter that satisfied Indian needs is “ex-showroom” tag of Figo.
Figo tried to minimize the cost by sticking to basic knowledge. It carried forward its age old platform, henceforth saved the Research and developmental costs. Figo shares its platform with Fiesta, Fusion and Ikon.
Figo inherits exceptionally good ride and handling from its siblings. One can cruise through potholes, brick roads easily and cornering at high speeds is just like child’s play.
But I guess customer might need little extra when it comes to engine. Though it carries 1.2L petrol power train, but the power delivery at lower rpms is questionable. One has to shift to first gear after crossing every speed-breaker, all thanks to taller gear ratio of second gear.
1.5 L diesel engine from Fiesta also fails to deliver the punch in FIGO.
After the engine even the exterior looks suggests that Figo is old man car. Lowest height in entire A2 segment, side looks similar to Fiat Uno, etc might not gel with youngster image.
Once seated inside the Figo, I was impressed by the space. Ample legroom, decent head room {despite of its low height} were the major positives of interiors. But, the plastic quality was the worst that ford could offer. Even one way height adjuster in top variant was an indication of cost-cutting measures. The audio comes with Bluetooth connectivity, but alas the USB feature is missing. Even the optional brick-red color of dash for top variant is worthy of being hated.
The boot opening lever on the left hand will surprise the driver everytime.
Before customizing the car for India Ford only judged one parameter namely cost which might be liked by Indian customer. It’s true that every car carrying attractivce price tag will b evaluated closely by Indians, but at the same time Indians like cars like Swift or i20 which carry premium price tags.
Well, in the end lets see the positives and negatives of the car again:
Positives: Price Tag, ride and handling, interior space
Negatives: Low powered Engine, Interior build quality, exterior styling
Happy evaluating :)
Monday, 19 July 2010
Sunday, 31 May 2009
lesson carved out of frustation
This is neither a fiction nor a story rather it can be termed as a lesson one learns from daily life.
The law of the nature says that superior is always obstinate, illiterate, etc. Probably there will be hundreds of adjectives in the dictionary to define a superior only because he assigns you work in haphazard manner. But if this is true for all the cases then the progress would have been ceased at the beginning of the industrial age.
Let me take one typical example. One guy was lucky enough to begin his career with a managerial role. I have used the word lucky intentionally so as to emphasize on his educational background. The guy neither sports a graduate degree from prestigious IITs nor has he ever dreamt of pursuing post graduation. He is smart enough to calculate his personal career path and that might be the reason for his exceptional growth.
Being rated as good manager in the eyes of top management, this guy always felt motivated to deliver targets. But we all know that life is not that smooth. If one has not worked at the root level and also has not tried to grasp the basics of the activities, then he has to face some or rather many difficulties. But again the guy is smart enough to defy this law also. He makes the life of his juniors worse.
But in the process he forgets that all individuals have their own identity. He feels as if everyone in this world is pretty dumb and he can rule his slaves like a rude master. I would like to ask pardon for using such harsh language.
But the guy crosses limits when he gives Chanakya lessons to his juniors in order to motivate them to deliver blunders for the organization. I feel sorry for someone who has never read about great Chanakya and has a misconception that he follows the preachings even better that Chanakya himself.
To make the things more exciting, the guy has such a command over language that he can explain big bosses the requirement of ladies toilet when asked for manpower requirement. Also using his super language he can force a guy to put his career out of his priority list and lead a depressed life.
But as I have mentioned earlier that if every manager manages to be like him, then we are not far from another economic recession. So taking lessons from this guy we should make notes of the following note and try our best to be better managers.
“No one is as dumb as you suppose him to be”
The law of the nature says that superior is always obstinate, illiterate, etc. Probably there will be hundreds of adjectives in the dictionary to define a superior only because he assigns you work in haphazard manner. But if this is true for all the cases then the progress would have been ceased at the beginning of the industrial age.
Let me take one typical example. One guy was lucky enough to begin his career with a managerial role. I have used the word lucky intentionally so as to emphasize on his educational background. The guy neither sports a graduate degree from prestigious IITs nor has he ever dreamt of pursuing post graduation. He is smart enough to calculate his personal career path and that might be the reason for his exceptional growth.
Being rated as good manager in the eyes of top management, this guy always felt motivated to deliver targets. But we all know that life is not that smooth. If one has not worked at the root level and also has not tried to grasp the basics of the activities, then he has to face some or rather many difficulties. But again the guy is smart enough to defy this law also. He makes the life of his juniors worse.
But in the process he forgets that all individuals have their own identity. He feels as if everyone in this world is pretty dumb and he can rule his slaves like a rude master. I would like to ask pardon for using such harsh language.
But the guy crosses limits when he gives Chanakya lessons to his juniors in order to motivate them to deliver blunders for the organization. I feel sorry for someone who has never read about great Chanakya and has a misconception that he follows the preachings even better that Chanakya himself.
To make the things more exciting, the guy has such a command over language that he can explain big bosses the requirement of ladies toilet when asked for manpower requirement. Also using his super language he can force a guy to put his career out of his priority list and lead a depressed life.
But as I have mentioned earlier that if every manager manages to be like him, then we are not far from another economic recession. So taking lessons from this guy we should make notes of the following note and try our best to be better managers.
“No one is as dumb as you suppose him to be”
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Mom always says; try try try till you succeed. Hard work is the key to any treasure in this world. She says, this world is so full of hidden treasures, rewards waiting to be discovered. All you need to do is set a Goal and then put in all the effort to turn that dream into reality. "Dream" is the word she used with an added thought that one should never stop dreaming. Adding some wit in the interesting discussion, someone prompted from the back, “But don't be a Sheikh-chilli". Now that’s another typical Indian fiction character who has done phenomenal damage to the philosophy of dreaming high and aiming high. This character just dreamt and dreamt high but didn't ever do anything to realize those dreams. (Anyways. this small introduction to "Sheikh-chilli" was for the overseas readers who aren't familiar with the character ;))
Now coming back to the discussion about dreams, Isn't it really difficult to be calculative about dreaming? I mean dreaming only of those things that are achievable or attainable, may be with a lot of hard work. Everyone dreams of driving a Ferrari some day or becoming the next Bill Gates or Warren Buffet(s). Believe me its easy to sit back and just dream high. (Remember sheikh--chilli). So here this character acts as a caveat and I pull my strings back. I say to myself, "Hey come on, you don't have to be like him. Lets go step by step. Let us go easy and take small steps towards that actual Herculean goal"So here we go. The goal is set and the story begins. Mom's words are still loud and clear in my ears. "Work hard son and the treasure will be all yours". The battlefield is set and the armor is ready for the combat. The everyday toil begins. Day after day more blood more sweat. Little realizing which direction I was heading to. All my energies were concentrated towards working hard. Even though I was making the same mistakes everyday, day after day, but I was working hard. Clueless about the blunders I continued working day after day and month after month. I had full faith in my dreams, my hard work and again, mom's words were still loud and clear and enough to motivate me. "hard work is all you need". So without a single worry, I continued, hoping that if I put in little more effort, I will improve some day. Enough of my story; but the point is that my story should not become your story. Maybe I am the only case and no one can be that dumb (i bet on that ;)).
But I have something to share and here it goes:
Sometime back I read the story of a pencil. One of the points was that your life should be similar to that of a pencil's. There should always be a hand guiding you. The importance of a coach is immense. Be it your game, your study, your work, your fitness regime or as simple as your cooking or driving. Someone should always be there to criticize and to tell you how to improvise. A wise man has said that one should always keep his critics close to himself. Even if we don't like what they say, but still we can continue to be selfish and do good to our self. Climbing the hill alone doesn't really help. And the amount of sweat is no parameter to gauge the chances of being successful. Work hard and work smart so that in the end you don't have to yell. "But I tried so hard"
Didn't make much sense this time... Or did I??
Now coming back to the discussion about dreams, Isn't it really difficult to be calculative about dreaming? I mean dreaming only of those things that are achievable or attainable, may be with a lot of hard work. Everyone dreams of driving a Ferrari some day or becoming the next Bill Gates or Warren Buffet(s). Believe me its easy to sit back and just dream high. (Remember sheikh--chilli). So here this character acts as a caveat and I pull my strings back. I say to myself, "Hey come on, you don't have to be like him. Lets go step by step. Let us go easy and take small steps towards that actual Herculean goal"So here we go. The goal is set and the story begins. Mom's words are still loud and clear in my ears. "Work hard son and the treasure will be all yours". The battlefield is set and the armor is ready for the combat. The everyday toil begins. Day after day more blood more sweat. Little realizing which direction I was heading to. All my energies were concentrated towards working hard. Even though I was making the same mistakes everyday, day after day, but I was working hard. Clueless about the blunders I continued working day after day and month after month. I had full faith in my dreams, my hard work and again, mom's words were still loud and clear and enough to motivate me. "hard work is all you need". So without a single worry, I continued, hoping that if I put in little more effort, I will improve some day. Enough of my story; but the point is that my story should not become your story. Maybe I am the only case and no one can be that dumb (i bet on that ;)).
But I have something to share and here it goes:
Sometime back I read the story of a pencil. One of the points was that your life should be similar to that of a pencil's. There should always be a hand guiding you. The importance of a coach is immense. Be it your game, your study, your work, your fitness regime or as simple as your cooking or driving. Someone should always be there to criticize and to tell you how to improvise. A wise man has said that one should always keep his critics close to himself. Even if we don't like what they say, but still we can continue to be selfish and do good to our self. Climbing the hill alone doesn't really help. And the amount of sweat is no parameter to gauge the chances of being successful. Work hard and work smart so that in the end you don't have to yell. "But I tried so hard"
Didn't make much sense this time... Or did I??
Friday, 30 November 2007
I did it for my DAD
Once upon a time………….. An ideal start to every story
There was an average built guy having great passion for football. But the great passion was of no help for him. Right from the age of 4, he was quite regular in practice. But to his dismay he was not even there in primary school team. Still he used to attend every practice match, sitting on bench of course. A person, HIS Father always accompany him to field, sits on the stairs just to support his son/ his average son.
Time passes by, he enters the high school. But there was no change in his schedule. Neither there was a change in his father’s schedule. During daytime time he used to sit on bench and in evening use to practice for the game he uses to play. But all of his efforts never yielded any result.
A point to think about at this stage is: what can be his source of motivation? Probably the source was his father. Or it could be his passion or his…..
Well he manages to just pass his high school and to everyone’s surprise he was there in college team. He use to practice along with college team, but never performed really well. As a result he was always a part of extras in the team. Even despite of his failures, his father always backed him up. He was there sitting calmly on the stairs of the pavilion during the practice and during all of his team matches.
On one sad morning, loneliness gripped this guy to the fullest. His father was no more in this materialistic world. He shouted, cried, but no one comes to stand by his side. That very morning was the finals of the inter university championship. He rushed to the ground just after the last ceremony of his father, just to look his team loosing badly in the match. AND there was a change in the attitude of this guy. He pleaded desperately before his coach to allow him to play for the finals. Seeing an impossible second half, he nodded positively to him.
And for the first time this guy was playing a match. But look the other side of the coin, his father was not there in the stadium for his support, and the guy was also not mentally stable at this point of time.
The guy played as if there was no tomorrow. The team was lagging behind be four goals, and this guy was playing like a real hero. He scored seven goals in the second half, placing his team in a comfortable position to win the championship.
Everyone applauded his effort. But no one notices that his father was missing from crowd. Then his coach asks him: What happened to you? You never played that well and today you proved my decision of keeping you in extras a ‘Blunder’.
Then this guy burst into tears and said: You might have noticed a man always accompanied me everyday to field. He was my father. And he died today.
Silence struck everybody. But this guy continues……..
You know everyday he comes to ground sits here and supports me like a pillar. But you know he was BLIND. And today was the first time that he was watching his son playing. I did it for my dad!!!!!
There was an average built guy having great passion for football. But the great passion was of no help for him. Right from the age of 4, he was quite regular in practice. But to his dismay he was not even there in primary school team. Still he used to attend every practice match, sitting on bench of course. A person, HIS Father always accompany him to field, sits on the stairs just to support his son/ his average son.
Time passes by, he enters the high school. But there was no change in his schedule. Neither there was a change in his father’s schedule. During daytime time he used to sit on bench and in evening use to practice for the game he uses to play. But all of his efforts never yielded any result.
A point to think about at this stage is: what can be his source of motivation? Probably the source was his father. Or it could be his passion or his…..
Well he manages to just pass his high school and to everyone’s surprise he was there in college team. He use to practice along with college team, but never performed really well. As a result he was always a part of extras in the team. Even despite of his failures, his father always backed him up. He was there sitting calmly on the stairs of the pavilion during the practice and during all of his team matches.
On one sad morning, loneliness gripped this guy to the fullest. His father was no more in this materialistic world. He shouted, cried, but no one comes to stand by his side. That very morning was the finals of the inter university championship. He rushed to the ground just after the last ceremony of his father, just to look his team loosing badly in the match. AND there was a change in the attitude of this guy. He pleaded desperately before his coach to allow him to play for the finals. Seeing an impossible second half, he nodded positively to him.
And for the first time this guy was playing a match. But look the other side of the coin, his father was not there in the stadium for his support, and the guy was also not mentally stable at this point of time.
The guy played as if there was no tomorrow. The team was lagging behind be four goals, and this guy was playing like a real hero. He scored seven goals in the second half, placing his team in a comfortable position to win the championship.
Everyone applauded his effort. But no one notices that his father was missing from crowd. Then his coach asks him: What happened to you? You never played that well and today you proved my decision of keeping you in extras a ‘Blunder’.
Then this guy burst into tears and said: You might have noticed a man always accompanied me everyday to field. He was my father. And he died today.
Silence struck everybody. But this guy continues……..
You know everyday he comes to ground sits here and supports me like a pillar. But you know he was BLIND. And today was the first time that he was watching his son playing. I did it for my dad!!!!!
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