Comparison: New Nissan Sunny vs New Ford Fiesta

We'll soon witness the launch of the facelifted versions of two not-so-successful mid-sized sedans, Nissan Sunny and Ford Fiesta, the flagship models of their respective brands. New Nissan Sunny will come in both petrol and diesel engine options, while the updated Fiesta will initially be offered only with a diesel engine, so our comparison is limited to the diesel variants of these cars.

Here's the comparison between the two cars to help buyers choose the better car between the two.

Power

Buyers are now increasingly interested in the performance and driving pleasure of cars since folks now prefer to drive cars on their own instead of being chauffered around. So now spaciousness is not the only factor to be considered, people want cars with power too. That said, the mid-sized sedan segment in India has some really capable cars to offer, with the Sunny and Fiesta affording the adjective 'decent'.

Powering the Sunny is a 1.5-litre diesel engine, capable of churning out 85bhp and 200Nm of peak torque. On the other hand, the Fiesta's 1.5-litre unit is slightly more powerful and offers 90bhp and 204Nm.

Mileage

Though mid-sized sedans often cost more than premium hatchbacks and sub-compact sedans, they deliver equally impressive mileage. Case in point, Honda City - India's most fuel efficient car. The Sunny and Fiesta impress with their mileage figures too. While, the Sunny is claimed to return 21.6Km/l, the Fiesta has an ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) certified mileage of 25.1Km/l. However, under practical conditions, both deliver almost a similar mileage figure.

Dimensions

Spaciousness is one of the most important aspects of a car that convinces a buyer to go for a mid-sized sedan, instead of a lesser expensive sub-compact sedan. So, a car with more space on offer might be an added advantage. In this department, the Nissan Sunny trumps the Ford Fiesta. Interior space has always been one of Sunny's strength, and that's the reason they call it a 'caaaaar' and not just a car. On papers, the Sunny measures 4425mm in length, 1695mm in width, 1505mm in height and has a wheelbase of 2600mm. Whereas, the Fiesta is 4291mm long, 1722mm wide, 1496mm tall with a wheelbase of 2489mm.

Features

Equipped with several bells and whistles, the updated avatar of both these cars are feature-rich. Starting with the Fiesta, it now sports many first-in-class features like the voice-operated Sync system with emergency assist system and App link, automatic climate control, automatic wipers, automatic headlamps and much more. Other features include airbags on all variants, ABS, all four power-windows, push start-stop, multi-function steering wheel, etc.

The Sunny is also packed with exciting features such as a 5.1-inch infotainment system with reverse parking camera, leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel with mounted audio controls, ABS, Airbags, Push start-stop button, and all four power windows among other things.

Expected Price

The prices are expected to go up since both of them have more features on offer this time. The Fiesta, that will arrive only in its diesel avatar for now, is expected to be priced around Rs 9.5 lakh. Whereas the Sunny will be a tab bit less expensive with an estimated price of Rs 7 lakh, though the diesel model will cost almost as much as the Fiesta.

Also Read: What Can Save Nissan Sunny and Renault Scala?