Post by TonyV on Dec 2, 2009 1:46:27 GMT -5
Ford to unveil comeback Fiesta
Carmaker sets focus on small cars with U.S. debut in Calif.
Scott Burgess / The Detroit News
Los Angeles -- The Fiesta has arrived -- again.
Ford Motor Co. officially moves back into the small-car business with the debut of the 2011 Ford Fiesta at the Los Angeles Auto Show today.
The subcompact sedan and four-door hatchback is Ford's smallest offering in the United States as the Blue Oval continues its plans to bring some of its best European models to America. Ford will debut an all-new Focus, based on the popular European model, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this January.
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Originally designed for Europe and Asia, CEO Alan Mulally ordered designers and engineers to modify the Fiesta so it also could be sold in the United States. As such, it points the way to a new generation of global small cars that is expected to provide the foundation for Ford's product lineup worldwide.
"Ford is betting on small cars," said Mark Fields, vice president of the Americas. "Small-car sales have grown every year since 2004, and it's not just higher gas prices that are driving sales. It's consumer choice."
Indeed, an unstable economy, uncertain future, environmental concerns and consumers' desire to find value in future purchases is pushing them toward smaller cars, many experts say. According to New Jersey-based Autodata Corp., which tracks car and truck sales, auto sales have dropped 23.9 percent this year through November, while subcompact sales have dropped 13.2 percent.
"Even if gas prices don't hit $4 a gallon in a year, there's still a lot of uncertainty, and if the (automotive) market recovers, it's going to be a very slow recovery," said Stephanie Brinley, an industry analyst at AutoPacific in Southfield. "Having a competitive vehicle in this segment won't hurt Ford."
40 mpg estimated
The American version of the Fiesta will feature a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine and Ford's new Powerstroke six-speed automatic transmission, the first subcompact in the United States to feature a six-speed transmission. It will be filled with lots of high-tech features and an interior worthy of many midsize sedans. It will include Ford's Sync infotainment system and voice-activated hands-free phone system, optional leather seats, ambient lighting and other high-tech features.
Ford estimates the Fiesta will get up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway, though official Environmental Protection Agency testing has not been completed. Ford has used a number of features and a high-tech transmission to eke out extra fuel economy. The Electric Power Assist Steering, known as EPAS, for example, removes the traditional power-steering pump and limits engine strain. Ford will offer a high-mileage SFE package that will be even more fuel-efficient.Derrick Kuzak, Ford's vice president for global development, said the new Fiesta will be fun to drive, too. "Ford will not dumb down this vehicle when it comes to the U.S.," he said.
It certainly has the pedigree. Mazda Motor Co. developed the platform for the Fiesta and Ford's European office gave it its performance characteristics, Kuzak said.
Sibling differences
The U.S. Fiesta shares about 60 percent of its parts with its European sibling.
"It's part of the global family of 600,000 strong and 1 million for the platform," Kuzak said. "That's the way you drive profitability for small cars."
Sheryl Connelly, Ford's manager of global trends, said changing consumer demands and concepts put the Fiesta in a strong position. Smaller cars have continued to get more popular because of the urbanization of the world. In 2008, more people began living in cities than in rural areas. Small cars are more popular in big cities.
"Twenty-two percent of all (subcompact) car sales are in five cities in the United States," Connelly said. Additionally, small-car buyers are no longer just buying them because it's all they can afford, Connelly said, noting more than 20 percent of small-car customers make more than $100,000 a year.
Many of the car's design features like the LED bar below the bumper and the sweeping roofline were added to give the Fiesta its modern, high-tech look, said Kevin George, Fiesta design manager. For the American Fiesta, Ford added a three-bar grille on the sedan and kept a European look with the hatchback with a body-colored grille.
The new Fiesta, however, shares nothing in common with Ford's first Fiesta. That car was introduced in Europe in 1976 and arrived in the United States in 1978. While successful in Europe, it was discontinued in the United States when the Ford Escort replaced it in 1981.
Carmaker sets focus on small cars with U.S. debut in Calif.
Scott Burgess / The Detroit News
Los Angeles -- The Fiesta has arrived -- again.
Ford Motor Co. officially moves back into the small-car business with the debut of the 2011 Ford Fiesta at the Los Angeles Auto Show today.
The subcompact sedan and four-door hatchback is Ford's smallest offering in the United States as the Blue Oval continues its plans to bring some of its best European models to America. Ford will debut an all-new Focus, based on the popular European model, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this January.
Advertisement
Originally designed for Europe and Asia, CEO Alan Mulally ordered designers and engineers to modify the Fiesta so it also could be sold in the United States. As such, it points the way to a new generation of global small cars that is expected to provide the foundation for Ford's product lineup worldwide.
"Ford is betting on small cars," said Mark Fields, vice president of the Americas. "Small-car sales have grown every year since 2004, and it's not just higher gas prices that are driving sales. It's consumer choice."
Indeed, an unstable economy, uncertain future, environmental concerns and consumers' desire to find value in future purchases is pushing them toward smaller cars, many experts say. According to New Jersey-based Autodata Corp., which tracks car and truck sales, auto sales have dropped 23.9 percent this year through November, while subcompact sales have dropped 13.2 percent.
"Even if gas prices don't hit $4 a gallon in a year, there's still a lot of uncertainty, and if the (automotive) market recovers, it's going to be a very slow recovery," said Stephanie Brinley, an industry analyst at AutoPacific in Southfield. "Having a competitive vehicle in this segment won't hurt Ford."
40 mpg estimated
The American version of the Fiesta will feature a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine and Ford's new Powerstroke six-speed automatic transmission, the first subcompact in the United States to feature a six-speed transmission. It will be filled with lots of high-tech features and an interior worthy of many midsize sedans. It will include Ford's Sync infotainment system and voice-activated hands-free phone system, optional leather seats, ambient lighting and other high-tech features.
Ford estimates the Fiesta will get up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway, though official Environmental Protection Agency testing has not been completed. Ford has used a number of features and a high-tech transmission to eke out extra fuel economy. The Electric Power Assist Steering, known as EPAS, for example, removes the traditional power-steering pump and limits engine strain. Ford will offer a high-mileage SFE package that will be even more fuel-efficient.Derrick Kuzak, Ford's vice president for global development, said the new Fiesta will be fun to drive, too. "Ford will not dumb down this vehicle when it comes to the U.S.," he said.
It certainly has the pedigree. Mazda Motor Co. developed the platform for the Fiesta and Ford's European office gave it its performance characteristics, Kuzak said.
Sibling differences
The U.S. Fiesta shares about 60 percent of its parts with its European sibling.
"It's part of the global family of 600,000 strong and 1 million for the platform," Kuzak said. "That's the way you drive profitability for small cars."
Sheryl Connelly, Ford's manager of global trends, said changing consumer demands and concepts put the Fiesta in a strong position. Smaller cars have continued to get more popular because of the urbanization of the world. In 2008, more people began living in cities than in rural areas. Small cars are more popular in big cities.
"Twenty-two percent of all (subcompact) car sales are in five cities in the United States," Connelly said. Additionally, small-car buyers are no longer just buying them because it's all they can afford, Connelly said, noting more than 20 percent of small-car customers make more than $100,000 a year.
Many of the car's design features like the LED bar below the bumper and the sweeping roofline were added to give the Fiesta its modern, high-tech look, said Kevin George, Fiesta design manager. For the American Fiesta, Ford added a three-bar grille on the sedan and kept a European look with the hatchback with a body-colored grille.
The new Fiesta, however, shares nothing in common with Ford's first Fiesta. That car was introduced in Europe in 1976 and arrived in the United States in 1978. While successful in Europe, it was discontinued in the United States when the Ford Escort replaced it in 1981.
