2011 N.A Ford Fiesta
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Yes, the Ford Fiesta has a 6 speed auto before Acura sedans. 
The Ford Fiesta has proven to be a very successful small car wherever it's sold in the world. Ford has sold 12 million Fiestas over the vehicle's lifetime and the new-for-2009 model has moved half a million units already this year in Europe and Asia. It's a smash hit in spite of the fact that the Fiesta is not for sale in the U.S., a.k.a. the world's biggest car market. That all changes in the spring of 2010 as the Fiesta finally makes its way stateside.
Ford appears to be focusing its efforts in the U.S. small car market at exactly the right time, as consideration for B-Segment vehicles is at an all-time high and the trend appears to be upwardly mobile. And while Ford would love for us to believe that it was clairvoyant when deciding to bring the Fiesta to the U.S., it just isn't true. In fact, the Fiesta wasn't originally designed for the U.S. market, but the shock of $4 per gallon gas and a new-found interest in eco-friendly transportation led the Blue Oval to rethink its strategy. Ford didn't start readying the Fiesta for the U.S. market until many bits and bolts of hardware were already settled, so Team Blue had to go back to the drawing board to make its small car ready for Americans. The result is a U.S.-spec Fiesta that has only 60% of its parts in common with the Euro Fiesta. Will Americans be missing out?
The first test the Fiesta had to pass was the all-important eye test, and as you can see from the pictures, the U.S. version is a near dead ringer for the Euro model. The biggest change between the two is only noticeable when looking at the front end of the U.S.-spec sedan. Gone is the body-color grille and in its place a "Bold Moves"-style three-bar grille. We're not exactly digging the three-bar look and we really hate the fact there's a big Michael Strahan gap below the lowest bar, but the hatchback's grille makes us feel quite a bit better. The hatch has a more euro-look body color grille, but unlike the grill on the Euro Fiesta, it's a separate insert.
Also missing are the Euro Fiesta's fog lamps and in their place is a pair of similarly positioned LED light strips. We find the chrome backdrop of the LED lights a bit off-putting and we're guessing some buyers aren't going to like the lack of fog lamps in areas with a lot of inclement weather. Ford is betting that most Americans won't miss the functionality though, and judging by the fact that few of us ever use fog lamps, they're probably right.
But the story of the U.S. Fiesta isn't about how different it is from its European sibling, but rather about how much they're the same. Body panels and profile lines are a clear match to the Euro model. The U.S. Fiesta even has the same high tech side mirrors with turn signal repeaters and available surface heating. The Fiesta is also sporting some very stylish wheel choices including a 16-inch model that forgoes the typical American chrome applique in favor of gorgeous brushed nickel that was last used on special editions of the Ford GT.
On the inside, the U.S. Fiesta has a very similar-looking cockpit, though there are differences. It's good news then that many of the changes appear to favor the U.S. model. For example, when we drove the Euro Fiesta, we were pleased with the seat comfort, but the U.S. seats are even more comfortable. In fact, the optional Lincoln-like leather seats are so nice that they look out of place in a B-Segment vehicle. The Fiesta's dashboard also looks a lot like its Euro Fiesta counterpart, and the U.S. model has similar soft touch materials, though some dimensional changes were made to accommodate U.S. crash standards. The U.S. Fiesta, for instance, has more front leg room courtesy of a knee airbag that was added to help prevent lower body injuries in the event of a crash.
Ford wanted an attractive Fiesta inside and out, but technology will be just as important to customers that the Blue Oval is hoping to win over. Ford says 65% off all B-Segment purchasers make at least $50,000 per year and 24% make $100,000 or more. And 23% of all small car buyers live in New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Dallas and LA. And here's the most magical number of all: 27%. That's the amount of 15-30 year old Millennials that Ford is looking to attract with the new Fiesta.
So what is Ford going to entice those buyers with? The Fiesta will come equipped with a standard four-inch LCD display, push button start, available SYNC for accessing tunes and Bluetooth capability for hands-free calling and class exclusive auto climate control. Heated seats and side mirrors, available power seats, a moon roof and outstanding leather surfaces is also available for a price. The Fiesta even comes standard with an aux port for your MP3 player. It looks like anyone who wants a Fiesta but doesn't want to sacrifice amenities won't have anything to worry about.
Competent powertrains are also important to the affluent B-Segment purchaser, and while the euro Fiesta has a multitude of available powertrains, the U.S. Fiesta will launch with only one. A petrol-powered twin-independent variable cam timing (Ti VCT) 1.6-liter four-cylinder rated at an estimated 119 horsepower and 109 ft.-lbs. of torque will be mated to a choice of a five-speed manual transmission or a new six-speed PowerShift electronic dual clutch automatic transmission.
The 1.6-liter engine is virtually the same one that powered the Euro model we tested, but the PowerShift transmission will make its debut in the U.S. Fiesta. Ford tells us that the new automatic transmission is about 22 lbs lighter and quite a bit more compact than the typical six-speed automatic and will also increase fuel economy by 8-10% versus the typical four-speed automatic. Ford also claims the PowerShift six-speed operates with sealed internal lubrication, making it maintenance-free. That means you'll never have to check or change transmission over the vehicle's expected 10-year, 150,000-mile lifespan.
The PowerShift tranny will have no problem handling the 1.6-liter engine's torque either, as Ford tells us it can handle up to 185 lb-ft of twist. That means the transmission will also be able to handle an EcoBoost-powered Fiesta or Focus in the future. But even though the Fiesta will be available with this dual-clutch tranny, that doesn't mean we'll be getting fast-acting paddle shifters any time soon. Instead, all we'll get is the standard PRNDL. Ford says the reason for omitting manual shifting is that most customers didn't consider it an important option, placing more emphasis on comfort, configurability and top technology. Clearly they didn't ask us.
While we haven't driven the U.S. Fiesta yet, we had quite a bit of fun in the Euro model. The reason had little to do with power and a lot to do with toss-ability. Ford tells us the U.S. model was designed to be just as much fun. One change of note is that the U.S. model won't have the same summer tires as our Euro tester. Instead Ford chose to offer the more vanilla but probably more appreciated by the masses all-season rubber. Suspension tuning will also be tweaked for North American tastes, but Ford insists that it won't hurt the fun quotient and the Fiesta will best the fun-to-drive Honda Fit (and whip the Toyota Yaris) in terms of drive-ability while also proving to be less harsh over rough surfaces.
Ford isn't delving into twin-independent variable cam timing engines and dual clutch transmissions just for the fun of it (though it certainly doesn't hurt). The biggest reason to go top tech in a small package is to optimize fuel economy. The fuel thrift story is a good one too, as Ford says the automatic Fiesta will achieve 30 mpg in the city and a game-changing 40 mpg on the highway. Reaching 40 mpg is big for Ford. Even bigger when considering the fact that its competition currently on sale can't come within three mpg of that number.
One area of fuel saving that gives us a bit of pause is Ford's EPAS system. That's Electronic Power Assisted Steering, words that usually make us cringe. Why? Because electronic steering usually means a numb and uncommunicative tiller. Ford once again tells us we have nothing to worry about. The Fiesta's EPAS system was reportedly tweaked until engineers found the right balance of feel and feedback. We heard a similar story when Ford gave us the lowdown on the 2011 Mustang, so we'll be in wait-and-steer mode for now.
Safety is also a big concern for Ford, as evidenced by the company's impressive 5-Star resume. The Fiesta is chock-full of airbags wherever you look, including side curtain bags and lower bags that protect the hips. Ford also used 55% high strength steel, the highest proportion of high tinsel steel that it has on any vehicle wearing a blue oval. The Fiesta even has Boron steel in key areas including the A-pillar to B-pillar and at the door cross-bars.
There is no question that Ford needs the 2011 Fiesta to be a big-time hit. The time is perfect for a competent small car and the Blue Oval has sat on the sidelines long enough. Though we're going to hold judgment until we get behind the wheel, it appears Americans are already pretty interested. Ford claims 60,000 hand-raisers are waiting in the wings, and thanks to its ingenious "Fiesta Movement" campaign, brand awareness for the Fiesta name is already at 60%. That's incredible for a vehicle that won't even hit dealer showrooms for another few months. Will Americans clamor over its attractive looks, top tech and that magic 40 mpg number? Time will tell, and we don't have long to wait.
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/02/2...d-hits-40-mpg/
The Ford Fiesta has proven to be a very successful small car wherever it's sold in the world. Ford has sold 12 million Fiestas over the vehicle's lifetime and the new-for-2009 model has moved half a million units already this year in Europe and Asia. It's a smash hit in spite of the fact that the Fiesta is not for sale in the U.S., a.k.a. the world's biggest car market. That all changes in the spring of 2010 as the Fiesta finally makes its way stateside.
Ford appears to be focusing its efforts in the U.S. small car market at exactly the right time, as consideration for B-Segment vehicles is at an all-time high and the trend appears to be upwardly mobile. And while Ford would love for us to believe that it was clairvoyant when deciding to bring the Fiesta to the U.S., it just isn't true. In fact, the Fiesta wasn't originally designed for the U.S. market, but the shock of $4 per gallon gas and a new-found interest in eco-friendly transportation led the Blue Oval to rethink its strategy. Ford didn't start readying the Fiesta for the U.S. market until many bits and bolts of hardware were already settled, so Team Blue had to go back to the drawing board to make its small car ready for Americans. The result is a U.S.-spec Fiesta that has only 60% of its parts in common with the Euro Fiesta. Will Americans be missing out?
The first test the Fiesta had to pass was the all-important eye test, and as you can see from the pictures, the U.S. version is a near dead ringer for the Euro model. The biggest change between the two is only noticeable when looking at the front end of the U.S.-spec sedan. Gone is the body-color grille and in its place a "Bold Moves"-style three-bar grille. We're not exactly digging the three-bar look and we really hate the fact there's a big Michael Strahan gap below the lowest bar, but the hatchback's grille makes us feel quite a bit better. The hatch has a more euro-look body color grille, but unlike the grill on the Euro Fiesta, it's a separate insert.
Also missing are the Euro Fiesta's fog lamps and in their place is a pair of similarly positioned LED light strips. We find the chrome backdrop of the LED lights a bit off-putting and we're guessing some buyers aren't going to like the lack of fog lamps in areas with a lot of inclement weather. Ford is betting that most Americans won't miss the functionality though, and judging by the fact that few of us ever use fog lamps, they're probably right.
But the story of the U.S. Fiesta isn't about how different it is from its European sibling, but rather about how much they're the same. Body panels and profile lines are a clear match to the Euro model. The U.S. Fiesta even has the same high tech side mirrors with turn signal repeaters and available surface heating. The Fiesta is also sporting some very stylish wheel choices including a 16-inch model that forgoes the typical American chrome applique in favor of gorgeous brushed nickel that was last used on special editions of the Ford GT.
On the inside, the U.S. Fiesta has a very similar-looking cockpit, though there are differences. It's good news then that many of the changes appear to favor the U.S. model. For example, when we drove the Euro Fiesta, we were pleased with the seat comfort, but the U.S. seats are even more comfortable. In fact, the optional Lincoln-like leather seats are so nice that they look out of place in a B-Segment vehicle. The Fiesta's dashboard also looks a lot like its Euro Fiesta counterpart, and the U.S. model has similar soft touch materials, though some dimensional changes were made to accommodate U.S. crash standards. The U.S. Fiesta, for instance, has more front leg room courtesy of a knee airbag that was added to help prevent lower body injuries in the event of a crash.
Ford wanted an attractive Fiesta inside and out, but technology will be just as important to customers that the Blue Oval is hoping to win over. Ford says 65% off all B-Segment purchasers make at least $50,000 per year and 24% make $100,000 or more. And 23% of all small car buyers live in New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Dallas and LA. And here's the most magical number of all: 27%. That's the amount of 15-30 year old Millennials that Ford is looking to attract with the new Fiesta.
So what is Ford going to entice those buyers with? The Fiesta will come equipped with a standard four-inch LCD display, push button start, available SYNC for accessing tunes and Bluetooth capability for hands-free calling and class exclusive auto climate control. Heated seats and side mirrors, available power seats, a moon roof and outstanding leather surfaces is also available for a price. The Fiesta even comes standard with an aux port for your MP3 player. It looks like anyone who wants a Fiesta but doesn't want to sacrifice amenities won't have anything to worry about.
Competent powertrains are also important to the affluent B-Segment purchaser, and while the euro Fiesta has a multitude of available powertrains, the U.S. Fiesta will launch with only one. A petrol-powered twin-independent variable cam timing (Ti VCT) 1.6-liter four-cylinder rated at an estimated 119 horsepower and 109 ft.-lbs. of torque will be mated to a choice of a five-speed manual transmission or a new six-speed PowerShift electronic dual clutch automatic transmission.
The 1.6-liter engine is virtually the same one that powered the Euro model we tested, but the PowerShift transmission will make its debut in the U.S. Fiesta. Ford tells us that the new automatic transmission is about 22 lbs lighter and quite a bit more compact than the typical six-speed automatic and will also increase fuel economy by 8-10% versus the typical four-speed automatic. Ford also claims the PowerShift six-speed operates with sealed internal lubrication, making it maintenance-free. That means you'll never have to check or change transmission over the vehicle's expected 10-year, 150,000-mile lifespan.
The PowerShift tranny will have no problem handling the 1.6-liter engine's torque either, as Ford tells us it can handle up to 185 lb-ft of twist. That means the transmission will also be able to handle an EcoBoost-powered Fiesta or Focus in the future. But even though the Fiesta will be available with this dual-clutch tranny, that doesn't mean we'll be getting fast-acting paddle shifters any time soon. Instead, all we'll get is the standard PRNDL. Ford says the reason for omitting manual shifting is that most customers didn't consider it an important option, placing more emphasis on comfort, configurability and top technology. Clearly they didn't ask us.
While we haven't driven the U.S. Fiesta yet, we had quite a bit of fun in the Euro model. The reason had little to do with power and a lot to do with toss-ability. Ford tells us the U.S. model was designed to be just as much fun. One change of note is that the U.S. model won't have the same summer tires as our Euro tester. Instead Ford chose to offer the more vanilla but probably more appreciated by the masses all-season rubber. Suspension tuning will also be tweaked for North American tastes, but Ford insists that it won't hurt the fun quotient and the Fiesta will best the fun-to-drive Honda Fit (and whip the Toyota Yaris) in terms of drive-ability while also proving to be less harsh over rough surfaces.
Ford isn't delving into twin-independent variable cam timing engines and dual clutch transmissions just for the fun of it (though it certainly doesn't hurt). The biggest reason to go top tech in a small package is to optimize fuel economy. The fuel thrift story is a good one too, as Ford says the automatic Fiesta will achieve 30 mpg in the city and a game-changing 40 mpg on the highway. Reaching 40 mpg is big for Ford. Even bigger when considering the fact that its competition currently on sale can't come within three mpg of that number.
One area of fuel saving that gives us a bit of pause is Ford's EPAS system. That's Electronic Power Assisted Steering, words that usually make us cringe. Why? Because electronic steering usually means a numb and uncommunicative tiller. Ford once again tells us we have nothing to worry about. The Fiesta's EPAS system was reportedly tweaked until engineers found the right balance of feel and feedback. We heard a similar story when Ford gave us the lowdown on the 2011 Mustang, so we'll be in wait-and-steer mode for now.
Safety is also a big concern for Ford, as evidenced by the company's impressive 5-Star resume. The Fiesta is chock-full of airbags wherever you look, including side curtain bags and lower bags that protect the hips. Ford also used 55% high strength steel, the highest proportion of high tinsel steel that it has on any vehicle wearing a blue oval. The Fiesta even has Boron steel in key areas including the A-pillar to B-pillar and at the door cross-bars.
There is no question that Ford needs the 2011 Fiesta to be a big-time hit. The time is perfect for a competent small car and the Blue Oval has sat on the sidelines long enough. Though we're going to hold judgment until we get behind the wheel, it appears Americans are already pretty interested. Ford claims 60,000 hand-raisers are waiting in the wings, and thanks to its ingenious "Fiesta Movement" campaign, brand awareness for the Fiesta name is already at 60%. That's incredible for a vehicle that won't even hit dealer showrooms for another few months. Will Americans clamor over its attractive looks, top tech and that magic 40 mpg number? Time will tell, and we don't have long to wait.
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/02/2...d-hits-40-mpg/
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,485
Likes: 0
From: Park Ridge IL
On paper this looks like another hit from ford!! First the Fusion Hybrid, then the Taurus and its fantastic powertrain. Now this little bugger that will steal sales from the competition and provide an amazing value. On paper it looks like it can go into mini cooper territory and once the throw in the ecoboost it can even go against the cooper s and cars like civic si and vw gti.
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 17,321
Likes: 204
From: Miami, Florida
The non-NA Focus is what I really want as I saw in Mexico),
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Focus_(international)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Focus_(international)
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 7,864
Likes: 0
From: Massachusetts
Fiesta up with full info on Ford's website. Pricing, ect...
http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/fiesta/
This car really impresses me. In fact, Ford is beating all expectations with every model it introduces. I can't see myself ever leaving Toyota, but if Ford keeps doing what it's doing, they'll be hard to resist.
If that 30/40 mpg rating holds up through the EPA testing, then this is a game changer for non-hybrids. The Yaris is the current leader with a 29/36 rating (although it's underrated) but I suspect like most cars, the Fiesta will beat EPA estimates as well.
The interior quality sets a new standard for this class as well currently set by the Fit. Although space efficiency isn't as good as the Fit, Yaris, and Versa.
My only lagging concern with Ford is long term reliability (Toyota and Honda level). You know, being able to go 300,000-400,000 miles on the original engine with little issues. If they can prove that, then their set.
This car really impresses me. In fact, Ford is beating all expectations with every model it introduces. I can't see myself ever leaving Toyota, but if Ford keeps doing what it's doing, they'll be hard to resist.
If that 30/40 mpg rating holds up through the EPA testing, then this is a game changer for non-hybrids. The Yaris is the current leader with a 29/36 rating (although it's underrated) but I suspect like most cars, the Fiesta will beat EPA estimates as well.
The interior quality sets a new standard for this class as well currently set by the Fit. Although space efficiency isn't as good as the Fit, Yaris, and Versa.
My only lagging concern with Ford is long term reliability (Toyota and Honda level). You know, being able to go 300,000-400,000 miles on the original engine with little issues. If they can prove that, then their set.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,762
Likes: 1
From: South FLA
I drove a Euro spec hatch back in Miami during the auto show and was quite impressed with it. The build quality was good and was overall a pretty solid car (at least in Euro spec). For the money, it's not bad.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,223
Likes: 221
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...-focus-rs.html
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: tech capital
Pole Position
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,816
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From: UK
Ford also used 55% high strength steel, the highest proportion of high tinsel steel that it has on any vehicle wearing a blue oval.
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/02/2...d-hits-40-mpg/
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