2011 ford fiesta is availble in 5 fuel efficient models with great MPG Based on Ford drive-cycle tests of comparably equipped
2011 four-door hatchback Fiesta was during the four-door Honda Fit hatchback.Fiesta sedan is larger than 13.5 inches - this is one of the longest car in the subcompact category. Both body styles itself party to shoot the wheelbase. The distance between front and rear is the main determinant of the volume inside the car, and 98-inch wheelbase Fiesta is normal for the category. 2011 Fiesta sedan has a starting price lower than the sedan. They sell better than two body styles. hatchback is more adventurous style and placed two luxury sedan. tailgate is provided that the Fiesta sedan, but they look strange from some angles - back, for example, and the sedan, and the prospect of the majority.
Both body styles using the same panel Party and the overall decor of the cabin. The instrument panel is highlighted by the middle button, buttons, and display the information. The style is to emulate the keyboard and the mobile phone LCD panel.
2011 Fiesta basic engineering with the Ford subsidiary Mazda 2 in Japan. Fiesta and Mazda 2 has a time of sale throughout Europe and Asia in the Party No. 2 car sales in Europe. The cars have different styles and different machines, but both are based on Ford's global platform "B" car - "B" refers to the category of international stature. Small 'city' cars like the Smart ForTwo car is a small "A" grade and compact, like the Honda Civic and Ford Focus in class "C".
sedan comes in three trim levels: entry-level S, SE sales volume, and the uplevel SEL. 2011 Fiesta sedan comes in two models: SE and upscale SES. Celebrations may be an option with features rarely seen in the subcompact class. These include automatic climate control, remote start and keyless entry with pushbutton ignition. Heated front seats, leather upholstery with contrast color-piping, sunroof, heated mirrors are also available. So is the mood lighting to change that cycle through the seven tones of the cabin light. Fiesta buyers can even order a custom tattoo or graphics outside of the OP-type flowers.
A subcompact Some offer a navigation system with maps and directions on the edge of the screen. Fiesta 2011 is not among them. SE, SEL and SES models have 4-inch LCD panels, but is used to display various audio, climate and travel. For navigation, buyers Party must be satisfied with one developed by Microsoft to refine the direction of Ford Sync infotainment turn-by-step through the text on the screen and verbal instructions through the radio speakers. It is optional on the SE model and standard on the sedan and hatchback its salt. The navigation service is three years free membership, and also full real-time traffic, weather, news y. Sync includes steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth cell phones and streaming audio and a USB interface for iPod and other digital devices.
The options available for all models of the Fiesta including 17-inch alloy wheels ($ 1,950), and management system that increases the network load cargo and baggage compartments / organizer of the door ($ 115). Manual transmission models get a package doorsills backlight and a tooth-pattern shift key ($ 410). Feasts are equipped with keyless remote can also be optioned with a touchpad mounted on the driver's door to the outside, which allows the owner to enter a code to open the door, without registration key ring ($ 95).
The top of the line SEL 2011 Ford Fiesta sedan carrying $ 16,995 base price, while the Fiesta Hatchback SES is a little pricey at $ 17 795. They rely on their peers by adding SE Sync as standard 80-watt six-speaker stereo with Sirius satellite radio, and heated power mirrors with integrated turn signals. Hatchback SES and SEL also has a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls and cruise. They come with power locks and keyless entry with alarm, and a touch up / down driver power windows, trip computer, floor console only, ambient lighting, automatic dimming rearview mirror mirror, and the point of food 12 - volt rear passengers. SEL and SES models have alloy wheels with 195/50R16 tires 16 inches.
joined the fight for hearts and minds in what is becoming a hotly contested small-car arena. Between 2004 and 2009, the annual small-car market in the U.S. grew by 2.2 million units. According to Ford's statisticians, this so-called B-car segment will continue to grow, reaching 30 million by 2012. Which explains the recent addition to local showrooms of cars like Honda's Fit, Toyota's Yaris and Nissan's Versa.
According to Derrick Kuzak, group VP of global product development, Ford is leveraging its global assets with its Fiesta. In plainer English, the company is taking advantage of products that have been developed specifically to compete in aggressive environments abroad.
Size is no longer the sole prerequisite of the B-car business. Good ride characteristics, decent performance, luxurious appointments and a high level of equipment are now part of the small-car arsenal, and any entry hopeful has to match up. With its impressive combination of design, powertrain technology and convenience gadgets at a competitive price level, the Fiesta is intended to come out of its corner fighting.
Powered by a Duratec 1.6-liter inline four with a variable valve system called Ti-VCT (twin independent variable camshaft timing), the Fiesta has 120 horsepower and 112 pound-feet of torque to shove its 2600-pound mass around. Accordingly, we estimate a zero-to-60 mph acceleration time in the 9-second vicinity, with a quarter-mile time around 17 seconds at almost 80 mph. Fuel economy figures have not been finalized, but Ford expects the Fiesta to achieve about 30 mpg in the city and 40 on the highway.
Even if that ballpark acceleration figure is on the money, the numbers don't reveal how flexible the engine is, nor how satisfactory the car feels in its typical daily driving role. While the standard transmission is a 5-speed manual with a reasonably slick and positive action, there is an optional dual-clutch automatic 5-speed that puts the Fiesta in pretty exotic company.
Steering assist is by an electric mechanism that imparts a tactile feel Ford claims is as good as the usual hydraulic gear we're accustomed to. The EPAS, as it's called, also has the facility to compensate for side winds and to cancel steering nibble caused by wheel imbalances and the like. And to our pleasant surprise, the wheel even has standard tilt-and-telescope adjustment.
Suspension is by MacPherson struts in front and a twist-beam axle out back, tuned, says Ford's chief engineer, Steve Pintar, to provide sportier handling than the competition without compromising ride quality. The addition of a driver's knee airbag to Fiesta's usual complement brings the total number of airbags to seven, while ABS and Ford's AdvanceTrac stability control system are standard.
Combating noise and vibration is a major challenge for small cars, and the Fiesta sports a comprehensive package of noise-deadening pads, layers and fillings. It is also fitted with an expensive acoustic windshield—something of a rarity at this price level. Other unusual standard items include a capless fuel filler and blind-spot mirrors.
Ford is extremely proud of the Sync hands-free communication system in its cars, and the one in the Fiesta can be used for turn-by-turn navigation or to control smartphone access to Internet radio sites like Pandora via the car's voice-command system.
Its dimensions may be compact, but the Fiesta provides generous space for the driver and front passenger. Rear-seat room isn't bad, either, but the restricted headroom disqualified this 6-foot-5 driver from feeling completely comfortable.
Otherwise, the cockpit is a good place, its design inspired by contemporary cellphones and PDAs, according to Ford. The dashboard material is soft to the touch, and the switches are laid out in unambiguous fashion. The seats could use more support for fast mountain work, but are otherwise well suited to their likely role.
The engine is smooth and fairly quiet, giving voice only when working hard, and then with a mellifluous four-cylinder snarl. One can't fault the chassis for body-motion restraint—the Fiesta feels flat and poised in every situation—and the level of grip from the all-season tires (sourced from Hankook and Kumho) proved exceptional, particularly in light of the fact that the European Fiesta wears summer tires as standard.
As claimed, the electric steering assist did little to detract from the Fiesta's feel at the helm, and the car proved a keen navigator in the twisties, with excellent path control and an almost psychic interpretation of driver intent. The only glitch in its sporty dossier was a small moment of transitional vagueness before the car turns in and takes a set. After that, it's a scalpel.
We reveled initially at the idea of an economy car with a dual-clutch transmission, being huge fans of the system in other cars, and we loved the way it worked in traffic, where it snapped off crisp, almost seamless shifts as we went. But we soon discovered that it would benefit from a manual override for sporty driving in the hills.
Although a grade-selector button on the lever improves things a bit, and there's a low position on the shifter quadrant to access the bottom gears and high revs, we missed the ability to choose a gear best suited to the situation. We're not suggesting twin magnesium-alloy paddles here, but a plus/minus side slot for the selector would really help.
Our only other beef is with the brake pedal, which felt wooden and unresponsive in some braking situations, while providing good response and retardation in others.
Overall, the Fiesta is likely to provide its owners with a functional city runabout that is fun to drive and versatile in operation, and that will handle a long trip or a foray into the canyons with equal enthusiasm.
The Fiesta starts at around $13,995 for the sedan model, and walks all the way to nearly 20 grand with a fully equipped five-door (read hatchback) model. As such, it ought to encompass the needs of a widely varying group of people. So long as you aren't ferrying the local soccer team or towing a boat, this could be your next car.
With public perception of domestic-brand reliability, durability and resale value climbing in relation to the once-dominant Asian brands, this could be a good time for Ford and the American-car defectors to reconcile. And now that small cars are beating back many Americans' negative preconceptions, Fiesta could be poised to make good on realistic transportation needs. We—and Ford—can only wait and see.
Read more: 2011 Ford Fiesta Test Drive - Popular Mechanics
Fuel efficient and fun - the 2012 Fiesta is both. The Fiesta SE with the SFE Package delivers up to 40 mpg hwy.2 Its sporty, agile performance comes courtesy of the technical precision only a Ford-tuned suspension can offer. Taking on straightaways is a smooth affair, too, when you combine electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) with the proprietary Ford invention - active nibble control. Covert aerodynamic design and critical technology such as the class-exclusive* dual dry-clutch PowerShift™ six-speed automatic transmission and 1.6L Ti-VCT Duratec® I-4 engine with twin independent variable cam timing make driving Fiesta a responsive and fuel-responsible exhilarating experience.
Second off the bat, let me say Ford has a heck of a car here, one that consumers worrying about the price of gasoline, or seeking a back-to-college car for the offspring, should put at the top of their list.
For U.S. consumers this is the second go around for the Fiesta subcompact, but for those in Europe this is the sixth generation Fiesta and it certainly has improved with age.
Let's get some basics out of the way first and then jump behind the wheel. Assembled in Cuautitlan Izcalli, Mexico, the tested Fiesta hatchback has a unitized steel body, is 160 inches long, rides on a 98-inch wheelbase, and is 67.8 inches wide and 58 inches tall. That makes it 14 inches longer than a Mini Cooper and three inches longer than the Mazda MX5 Miata. Or about the same overall size as the Honda Fit.
Only one engine is offered, a 1.6-liter inline four manufactured in Brazil (these things seem to matter to some readers). It has an aluminum block and head with DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder and is rated at 120 hp at 6,350 rpm with a rather meager 112 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm. Ford offers a slick shifting 5-speed manual or a dual-clutch automatic that I did not get a chance to try.
The engine is smooth and refined until you get near the 6,000-plus red line when things get a little raspy. It is both a joy and setback in this subcompact -- a joy if you keep the revs up above 3,500 rpm to extract all of the power that engine has. Get lazy about shifting on a back road and start up a long hill and you are looking at a two-gear reduction, and wondering if the torque should not be measured in pounds-feet but ounces-feet.
But keep the pot boiling and you will find a rather nice power train here. I have heard that the Ford racing folks have already toyed around with a Fiesta or two, so let's see what happens power-wise in the future.
Of course, it runs on regular unleaded and Ford projects gas mileage on the tested vehicle of 29 city and 38 on the highway. I got 31 mpg.
The gearbox is easy to get acquainted with and the light clutch pedal helps as well. The shift from fourth to fifth might be a stretch for some with short arms. Reverse gear is to the right and down, at a time when most makers put it to the left and up, so that might take some getting used to.
Keep the revs up and you will find this to be kind of a fun car out on curvy back roads, thanks to a well-thought suspension. There are independent MacPherson struts with a stabilizer bar up front, and a twist beam with coil springs to the rear. Ford promised to make as few changes as possible to the European Spec Fiesta and overall they did it.
Handling is secure and while the feedback through the wheel isn't the greatest, there was little body lean and the SE model standard P185/60R15 tires hung on rather well. Look for a standing start to 60 time of about 9 seconds or so.
On the interstate, the little four virtually dozes in fifth gear and is seldom heard from except on downshifts, and then not to any extreme. Ford promised this would be one of the quietest cars in the subcompact field and they delivered on that one also. So watch your speed on the interstates, because it is so quiet it is very easy to find yourself over the limit.
When Ford of Europe began to design the car, the design proposals were named Iris, Beta, The Deutschlander (from Ford's Cologne studios), Mini-Mite, and the Blue Car (from Ghia). Codenames for the Fiesta prototype included Torino, but it became Project Bobcat.
The shortlisted names for the new car designed by the project Bobcat team (headed by Mr Trevor Erskine) were Amigo, Bambi, Bebe, Bravo, Bolero, Cherie, Tempo, Chico, Fiesta, Forito, Metro, Pony and Sierra. Despite more board votes for "Bravo", Henry Ford II personally overruled them and named the car "Fiesta". Several of the shortlisted names were later used on other cars, including "Sierra", which was introduced on the Cortina replacement in 1982, and Tempo which was used on a Ford small car in the United States market. Ironically the "Metro" nameplate was introduced by rival manufacturer British Leyland for the similar-sized Austin Metro in 1980.
The name Fiesta belonged to General Motors at the time; however, it was freely given for Ford to use on their new B-class car. After years of speculation by the motoring press about Ford's new car, it was subject to a succession of carefully crafted press leaks from the end of 1975. A Fiesta was on display at the Le Mans 24 Hour Race in June 1976, and the car was launched and on sale in France and Germany in September 1976: to the frustration of UK dealerships righthand drive versions only began to appear in the UK in January 1977.[
Mechanically, the Ford Fiesta followed tradition, with an end-on four-speed manual transmission mounted to a new version of the Ford Kent OHV engine, dubbed "Valencia" after the brand new Spanish factory in Almussafes, Valencia, developed especially to produce the new car. Ford's plants in Dagenham, England, and Saarlouis and Cologne (from 1979) in Germany, also manufactured Fiestas. To cut costs and speed up the research and development, many modified Kent engines destined for the Fiesta were tested in Fiat 127s - at the time considered the benchmark car in the class, with which the Fiesta shares styling similarities. This also allowed covert road testing across Europe.
Although not the first Ford vehicle to feature front wheel drive (the 1960s Taunus produced by Ford of Germany laid claim to that title), the Fiesta is widely credited as being Ford's first globally successful front wheel drive model. UK sales began in January 1977, where it was available from £1,856 for the basic 950 cc engined model.[5]
It was only the second hatchback mini-car to have been built in the UK at this stage, being launched a year after the Vauxhall Chevette, but a year before the Chrysler Sunbeam and four years before the Austin Metro. The millionth Fiesta was produced on 9 January 1979.
The car was available in Europe with a 957 cc (58.4 cu in) I4 (high compression and low compression options), either a 1.1 L and 1.3 L OHV petrol engines and in Base, Popular, L, GL (1978 onward), Ghia and S trim, as well as a van. The U.S. Mark I Fiesta was built in Cologne, Germany but to slightly different specifications; U.S. models were Base, Decor, Sport, and Ghia, the Ghia having the highest level of trim.[6] These trim levels changed very little in the Fiesta's three year run in the USA, from 1978-80. All U.S. models featured the more powerful 1.6 L (98 cu in) Kent inline-four engine (fitted with a catalytic converter and air pump for lower emissions), energy-absorbing bumpers, side-marker lamps, round sealed-beam headlamps, improved crash dynamics and fuel system integrity as well as optional air conditioning (a/c was not available in Europe). In the U.S. market, the Ford Escort replaced both the Fiesta and the compact Pinto in 1981.
A sporting derivative (1.3 L Supersport) was offered in Europe in 1980, effectively to test the market for the similar XR2 introduced one year later, which featured a 1.6 L version of the same engine. Black plastic trim was added to the exterior and interior. The small square headlights were replaced with larger circular ones resulting in the front indicators being moved into the bumper to accommodate the change. With a quoted performance of 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 9.3 seconds and 105 mph (169 km/h) top speed, the XR2 hot hatch became a cult car beloved of boy racers throughout the 1980s.
Minor revisions appeared across the range in late 1981, with larger bumpers to meet crash worthiness regulations and other small improvements in a bid to maintain showroom appeal ahead of the forthcoming Mk 2.
In 1978, the Fiesta overtook the Vauxhall Chevette as Britain's best selling supermini, but in 1981 it was knocked off the top spot by British Leyland's Austin Metro and was still in second place at the end of 1982.
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consumers need to compromise on creature comforts for the practicality of a compact 2011 ford fiesta
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2011 four-door hatchback Fiesta was during the four-door Honda Fit hatchback.Fiesta sedan is larger than 13.5 inches - this is one of the longest car in the subcompact category. Both body styles itself party to shoot the wheelbase. The distance between front and rear is the main determinant of the volume inside the car, and 98-inch wheelbase Fiesta is normal for the category. 2011 Fiesta sedan has a starting price lower than the sedan. They sell better than two body styles. hatchback is more adventurous style and placed two luxury sedan. tailgate is provided that the Fiesta sedan, but they look strange from some angles - back, for example, and the sedan, and the prospect of the majority.
Both body styles using the same panel Party and the overall decor of the cabin. The instrument panel is highlighted by the middle button, buttons, and display the information. The style is to emulate the keyboard and the mobile phone LCD panel.
2011 Fiesta basic engineering with the Ford subsidiary Mazda 2 in Japan. Fiesta and Mazda 2 has a time of sale throughout Europe and Asia in the Party No. 2 car sales in Europe. The cars have different styles and different machines, but both are based on Ford's global platform "B" car - "B" refers to the category of international stature. Small 'city' cars like the Smart ForTwo car is a small "A" grade and compact, like the Honda Civic and Ford Focus in class "C".
sedan comes in three trim levels: entry-level S, SE sales volume, and the uplevel SEL. 2011 Fiesta sedan comes in two models: SE and upscale SES. Celebrations may be an option with features rarely seen in the subcompact class. These include automatic climate control, remote start and keyless entry with pushbutton ignition. Heated front seats, leather upholstery with contrast color-piping, sunroof, heated mirrors are also available. So is the mood lighting to change that cycle through the seven tones of the cabin light. Fiesta buyers can even order a custom tattoo or graphics outside of the OP-type flowers.
A subcompact Some offer a navigation system with maps and directions on the edge of the screen. Fiesta 2011 is not among them. SE, SEL and SES models have 4-inch LCD panels, but is used to display various audio, climate and travel. For navigation, buyers Party must be satisfied with one developed by Microsoft to refine the direction of Ford Sync infotainment turn-by-step through the text on the screen and verbal instructions through the radio speakers. It is optional on the SE model and standard on the sedan and hatchback its salt. The navigation service is three years free membership, and also full real-time traffic, weather, news y. Sync includes steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth cell phones and streaming audio and a USB interface for iPod and other digital devices.
The options available for all models of the Fiesta including 17-inch alloy wheels ($ 1,950), and management system that increases the network load cargo and baggage compartments / organizer of the door ($ 115). Manual transmission models get a package doorsills backlight and a tooth-pattern shift key ($ 410). Feasts are equipped with keyless remote can also be optioned with a touchpad mounted on the driver's door to the outside, which allows the owner to enter a code to open the door, without registration key ring ($ 95).
The top of the line SEL 2011 Ford Fiesta sedan carrying $ 16,995 base price, while the Fiesta Hatchback SES is a little pricey at $ 17 795. They rely on their peers by adding SE Sync as standard 80-watt six-speaker stereo with Sirius satellite radio, and heated power mirrors with integrated turn signals. Hatchback SES and SEL also has a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls and cruise. They come with power locks and keyless entry with alarm, and a touch up / down driver power windows, trip computer, floor console only, ambient lighting, automatic dimming rearview mirror mirror, and the point of food 12 - volt rear passengers. SEL and SES models have alloy wheels with 195/50R16 tires 16 inches.
joined the fight for hearts and minds in what is becoming a hotly contested small-car arena. Between 2004 and 2009, the annual small-car market in the U.S. grew by 2.2 million units. According to Ford's statisticians, this so-called B-car segment will continue to grow, reaching 30 million by 2012. Which explains the recent addition to local showrooms of cars like Honda's Fit, Toyota's Yaris and Nissan's Versa.
According to Derrick Kuzak, group VP of global product development, Ford is leveraging its global assets with its Fiesta. In plainer English, the company is taking advantage of products that have been developed specifically to compete in aggressive environments abroad.
Size is no longer the sole prerequisite of the B-car business. Good ride characteristics, decent performance, luxurious appointments and a high level of equipment are now part of the small-car arsenal, and any entry hopeful has to match up. With its impressive combination of design, powertrain technology and convenience gadgets at a competitive price level, the Fiesta is intended to come out of its corner fighting.
Powered by a Duratec 1.6-liter inline four with a variable valve system called Ti-VCT (twin independent variable camshaft timing), the Fiesta has 120 horsepower and 112 pound-feet of torque to shove its 2600-pound mass around. Accordingly, we estimate a zero-to-60 mph acceleration time in the 9-second vicinity, with a quarter-mile time around 17 seconds at almost 80 mph. Fuel economy figures have not been finalized, but Ford expects the Fiesta to achieve about 30 mpg in the city and 40 on the highway.
Even if that ballpark acceleration figure is on the money, the numbers don't reveal how flexible the engine is, nor how satisfactory the car feels in its typical daily driving role. While the standard transmission is a 5-speed manual with a reasonably slick and positive action, there is an optional dual-clutch automatic 5-speed that puts the Fiesta in pretty exotic company.
Steering assist is by an electric mechanism that imparts a tactile feel Ford claims is as good as the usual hydraulic gear we're accustomed to. The EPAS, as it's called, also has the facility to compensate for side winds and to cancel steering nibble caused by wheel imbalances and the like. And to our pleasant surprise, the wheel even has standard tilt-and-telescope adjustment.
Suspension is by MacPherson struts in front and a twist-beam axle out back, tuned, says Ford's chief engineer, Steve Pintar, to provide sportier handling than the competition without compromising ride quality. The addition of a driver's knee airbag to Fiesta's usual complement brings the total number of airbags to seven, while ABS and Ford's AdvanceTrac stability control system are standard.
Combating noise and vibration is a major challenge for small cars, and the Fiesta sports a comprehensive package of noise-deadening pads, layers and fillings. It is also fitted with an expensive acoustic windshield—something of a rarity at this price level. Other unusual standard items include a capless fuel filler and blind-spot mirrors.
Ford is extremely proud of the Sync hands-free communication system in its cars, and the one in the Fiesta can be used for turn-by-turn navigation or to control smartphone access to Internet radio sites like Pandora via the car's voice-command system.
Its dimensions may be compact, but the Fiesta provides generous space for the driver and front passenger. Rear-seat room isn't bad, either, but the restricted headroom disqualified this 6-foot-5 driver from feeling completely comfortable.
Otherwise, the cockpit is a good place, its design inspired by contemporary cellphones and PDAs, according to Ford. The dashboard material is soft to the touch, and the switches are laid out in unambiguous fashion. The seats could use more support for fast mountain work, but are otherwise well suited to their likely role.
The engine is smooth and fairly quiet, giving voice only when working hard, and then with a mellifluous four-cylinder snarl. One can't fault the chassis for body-motion restraint—the Fiesta feels flat and poised in every situation—and the level of grip from the all-season tires (sourced from Hankook and Kumho) proved exceptional, particularly in light of the fact that the European Fiesta wears summer tires as standard.
As claimed, the electric steering assist did little to detract from the Fiesta's feel at the helm, and the car proved a keen navigator in the twisties, with excellent path control and an almost psychic interpretation of driver intent. The only glitch in its sporty dossier was a small moment of transitional vagueness before the car turns in and takes a set. After that, it's a scalpel.
We reveled initially at the idea of an economy car with a dual-clutch transmission, being huge fans of the system in other cars, and we loved the way it worked in traffic, where it snapped off crisp, almost seamless shifts as we went. But we soon discovered that it would benefit from a manual override for sporty driving in the hills.
Although a grade-selector button on the lever improves things a bit, and there's a low position on the shifter quadrant to access the bottom gears and high revs, we missed the ability to choose a gear best suited to the situation. We're not suggesting twin magnesium-alloy paddles here, but a plus/minus side slot for the selector would really help.
Our only other beef is with the brake pedal, which felt wooden and unresponsive in some braking situations, while providing good response and retardation in others.
Overall, the Fiesta is likely to provide its owners with a functional city runabout that is fun to drive and versatile in operation, and that will handle a long trip or a foray into the canyons with equal enthusiasm.
The Fiesta starts at around $13,995 for the sedan model, and walks all the way to nearly 20 grand with a fully equipped five-door (read hatchback) model. As such, it ought to encompass the needs of a widely varying group of people. So long as you aren't ferrying the local soccer team or towing a boat, this could be your next car.
With public perception of domestic-brand reliability, durability and resale value climbing in relation to the once-dominant Asian brands, this could be a good time for Ford and the American-car defectors to reconcile. And now that small cars are beating back many Americans' negative preconceptions, Fiesta could be poised to make good on realistic transportation needs. We—and Ford—can only wait and see.
Read more: 2011 Ford Fiesta Test Drive - Popular Mechanics
Fuel efficient and fun - the 2012 Fiesta is both. The Fiesta SE with the SFE Package delivers up to 40 mpg hwy.2 Its sporty, agile performance comes courtesy of the technical precision only a Ford-tuned suspension can offer. Taking on straightaways is a smooth affair, too, when you combine electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) with the proprietary Ford invention - active nibble control. Covert aerodynamic design and critical technology such as the class-exclusive* dual dry-clutch PowerShift™ six-speed automatic transmission and 1.6L Ti-VCT Duratec® I-4 engine with twin independent variable cam timing make driving Fiesta a responsive and fuel-responsible exhilarating experience.
Second off the bat, let me say Ford has a heck of a car here, one that consumers worrying about the price of gasoline, or seeking a back-to-college car for the offspring, should put at the top of their list.
For U.S. consumers this is the second go around for the Fiesta subcompact, but for those in Europe this is the sixth generation Fiesta and it certainly has improved with age.
Let's get some basics out of the way first and then jump behind the wheel. Assembled in Cuautitlan Izcalli, Mexico, the tested Fiesta hatchback has a unitized steel body, is 160 inches long, rides on a 98-inch wheelbase, and is 67.8 inches wide and 58 inches tall. That makes it 14 inches longer than a Mini Cooper and three inches longer than the Mazda MX5 Miata. Or about the same overall size as the Honda Fit.
Only one engine is offered, a 1.6-liter inline four manufactured in Brazil (these things seem to matter to some readers). It has an aluminum block and head with DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder and is rated at 120 hp at 6,350 rpm with a rather meager 112 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm. Ford offers a slick shifting 5-speed manual or a dual-clutch automatic that I did not get a chance to try.
The engine is smooth and refined until you get near the 6,000-plus red line when things get a little raspy. It is both a joy and setback in this subcompact -- a joy if you keep the revs up above 3,500 rpm to extract all of the power that engine has. Get lazy about shifting on a back road and start up a long hill and you are looking at a two-gear reduction, and wondering if the torque should not be measured in pounds-feet but ounces-feet.
But keep the pot boiling and you will find a rather nice power train here. I have heard that the Ford racing folks have already toyed around with a Fiesta or two, so let's see what happens power-wise in the future.
Of course, it runs on regular unleaded and Ford projects gas mileage on the tested vehicle of 29 city and 38 on the highway. I got 31 mpg.
The gearbox is easy to get acquainted with and the light clutch pedal helps as well. The shift from fourth to fifth might be a stretch for some with short arms. Reverse gear is to the right and down, at a time when most makers put it to the left and up, so that might take some getting used to.
Keep the revs up and you will find this to be kind of a fun car out on curvy back roads, thanks to a well-thought suspension. There are independent MacPherson struts with a stabilizer bar up front, and a twist beam with coil springs to the rear. Ford promised to make as few changes as possible to the European Spec Fiesta and overall they did it.
Handling is secure and while the feedback through the wheel isn't the greatest, there was little body lean and the SE model standard P185/60R15 tires hung on rather well. Look for a standing start to 60 time of about 9 seconds or so.
On the interstate, the little four virtually dozes in fifth gear and is seldom heard from except on downshifts, and then not to any extreme. Ford promised this would be one of the quietest cars in the subcompact field and they delivered on that one also. So watch your speed on the interstates, because it is so quiet it is very easy to find yourself over the limit.
When Ford of Europe began to design the car, the design proposals were named Iris, Beta, The Deutschlander (from Ford's Cologne studios), Mini-Mite, and the Blue Car (from Ghia). Codenames for the Fiesta prototype included Torino, but it became Project Bobcat.
The shortlisted names for the new car designed by the project Bobcat team (headed by Mr Trevor Erskine) were Amigo, Bambi, Bebe, Bravo, Bolero, Cherie, Tempo, Chico, Fiesta, Forito, Metro, Pony and Sierra. Despite more board votes for "Bravo", Henry Ford II personally overruled them and named the car "Fiesta". Several of the shortlisted names were later used on other cars, including "Sierra", which was introduced on the Cortina replacement in 1982, and Tempo which was used on a Ford small car in the United States market. Ironically the "Metro" nameplate was introduced by rival manufacturer British Leyland for the similar-sized Austin Metro in 1980.
The name Fiesta belonged to General Motors at the time; however, it was freely given for Ford to use on their new B-class car. After years of speculation by the motoring press about Ford's new car, it was subject to a succession of carefully crafted press leaks from the end of 1975. A Fiesta was on display at the Le Mans 24 Hour Race in June 1976, and the car was launched and on sale in France and Germany in September 1976: to the frustration of UK dealerships righthand drive versions only began to appear in the UK in January 1977.[
Mechanically, the Ford Fiesta followed tradition, with an end-on four-speed manual transmission mounted to a new version of the Ford Kent OHV engine, dubbed "Valencia" after the brand new Spanish factory in Almussafes, Valencia, developed especially to produce the new car. Ford's plants in Dagenham, England, and Saarlouis and Cologne (from 1979) in Germany, also manufactured Fiestas. To cut costs and speed up the research and development, many modified Kent engines destined for the Fiesta were tested in Fiat 127s - at the time considered the benchmark car in the class, with which the Fiesta shares styling similarities. This also allowed covert road testing across Europe.
Although not the first Ford vehicle to feature front wheel drive (the 1960s Taunus produced by Ford of Germany laid claim to that title), the Fiesta is widely credited as being Ford's first globally successful front wheel drive model. UK sales began in January 1977, where it was available from £1,856 for the basic 950 cc engined model.[5]
It was only the second hatchback mini-car to have been built in the UK at this stage, being launched a year after the Vauxhall Chevette, but a year before the Chrysler Sunbeam and four years before the Austin Metro. The millionth Fiesta was produced on 9 January 1979.
The car was available in Europe with a 957 cc (58.4 cu in) I4 (high compression and low compression options), either a 1.1 L and 1.3 L OHV petrol engines and in Base, Popular, L, GL (1978 onward), Ghia and S trim, as well as a van. The U.S. Mark I Fiesta was built in Cologne, Germany but to slightly different specifications; U.S. models were Base, Decor, Sport, and Ghia, the Ghia having the highest level of trim.[6] These trim levels changed very little in the Fiesta's three year run in the USA, from 1978-80. All U.S. models featured the more powerful 1.6 L (98 cu in) Kent inline-four engine (fitted with a catalytic converter and air pump for lower emissions), energy-absorbing bumpers, side-marker lamps, round sealed-beam headlamps, improved crash dynamics and fuel system integrity as well as optional air conditioning (a/c was not available in Europe). In the U.S. market, the Ford Escort replaced both the Fiesta and the compact Pinto in 1981.
A sporting derivative (1.3 L Supersport) was offered in Europe in 1980, effectively to test the market for the similar XR2 introduced one year later, which featured a 1.6 L version of the same engine. Black plastic trim was added to the exterior and interior. The small square headlights were replaced with larger circular ones resulting in the front indicators being moved into the bumper to accommodate the change. With a quoted performance of 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 9.3 seconds and 105 mph (169 km/h) top speed, the XR2 hot hatch became a cult car beloved of boy racers throughout the 1980s.
Minor revisions appeared across the range in late 1981, with larger bumpers to meet crash worthiness regulations and other small improvements in a bid to maintain showroom appeal ahead of the forthcoming Mk 2.
In 1978, the Fiesta overtook the Vauxhall Chevette as Britain's best selling supermini, but in 1981 it was knocked off the top spot by British Leyland's Austin Metro and was still in second place at the end of 1982.
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