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No nav for Fiesta

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Time 11:49 am, September 1, 2008

3.jpgFORD’S all-new Fiesta goes on sale in October. Minus one box to tick on the options list.

Sat nav is completely unavailable.

Why? In response to market reality, says Ford. Choosing nav on a £10k supermini can cost up to 15 per cent of the list price – a plain and simple economic no-no.


But it’s the rise of the portable sat nav system that really made the case. ‘More and more people own TomToms and such like, meaning they simply have no need for factory-fit sat nav,’ Fiesta brand manager Chris Muers told us.

The case for this approach is particularly strong in the supermini sector; Ford expects 70 per cent of Fiestas to head into retail buyers’ hands. (And, with Fiesta and Ka combined, Ford takes 35 per cent of this market).

Not that the Fiesta’s options list has been particularly trimmed back. A tow bar remains an option, for example. Who tows with small cars? ‘You’d be surprised,’ said Muers. ‘Those with small trailers, even mountain bikes, demand it; if I didn’t include it, the calls would soon follow!’


Option packs are expected to be most popular, though. ‘We have four key packs, and do this with dealers in mind. It’s easy for them to order for wholesale – it limits the need for estimates on what people will take.’

‘Dealers have a lot on their plates; with this approach, it’s easy for them to carry out the merits of for specific packs to customers in their heads.’

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Car Dealer has been covering the motor trade since 2008 as both a print and digital publication. In 2020 the title went fully digital and now provides daily motoring updates on this website for the car industry. A digital magazine is published once a month.



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