Accelerate Mpls

Anyone that has been on the internet lately has probably heard of the Fiesta Movement.  The car’s unique marketing has definitely stirred interest into a vehicle that has not been in the American market for quite a while.  This small vehicle is a hit in Europe and many Americans have been requesting the vehicle.  With the car finally here, the question is how much was lost in translation?  Is the American Fiesta as good as the European version?

Exterior

The exterior has not changed much from the European model.  Gone are the normal fog lights and projector headlights.  Instead, you have LED light pipes where the fog lights would normally go.  The sedan version of the Fiesta also wears a chrome three bar grille instead of painted insert.  The hatch back does not have the chrome three bar grille rather it sports a painted insert that is closer to the European models look.  I think they are the same size and you could swap the painted insert in place of the chrome three bar setup if you wanted to.  Personally, I like the look of the painted insert better.  From the front fender to the rear quarter panel, a strong character line runs down the side of the car.  While the headlights are up swept and unique, the tail lights wrap around the sides and are a basic non-offensive oval shape.  The overall sedan is better looking then I thought it would be.  Much better then the comparable Toyota Yaris.

Interior

The interior of the Fiesta is really close to the European counterpart.  The gauges look very European while the radio controls are supposed to remind you of a cell phone.  While I am not sure of that, there are definitely a lot of buttons in a tiny space.  I found it easy to operate and the interface was clean.  The small 4-inch display glowed red and was easy to read in all lighting conditions.  The Microsoft SYNC system operated as advertised, and was really quite handy.  One thing that is different from the European model is the climate control.  No automatic climate control is offered, though it was extremely warm while the Fiesta was here and it always kept the interior nice and chilly.  The seats were comfortable, with adequate side bolstering. I did find the seat bottoms a bit flat when driving on a road trip.  The graining on all plastics was very nice and the seat fabric felt like great quality material.  With a soft touch pad for the top half of the dash, if it doesn’t feel quality it certainly looks the part.  Rear seat legroom is somewhat short, but if you are under six feet tall you will be OK.  I am not sure an adult would enjoy a road trip back there, but it is doable.  The steering wheel was the perfect size and the electric power steering had great feedback and on-center feel.  At night the Fiesta I was in had “mood lighting” with seven different color options.  My girlfriend settled on a color resembling teal for the week.  If you find it distracting the lighting, can be turned off.  Overall the interior is a huge win.  Everything from ergonomics to style, the Fiesta fits the bill and then some.

Powertrain

The Fiesta comes standard with a 1.6 liter four cylinder engine pushing out 120 horsepower and 112 pound feet to the front wheels.  That power goes through the standard five-speed manual or optional six-speed dual clutch dubbed PowerShift.  Off the line ,the Fiesta is no rocket.  In fact, it almost seems a little sluggish.  Once you get revs a little higher the car starts to feel faster then it really is.  Driving the car I always seemed to have a stupid grin on my face, even though I was not going that fast.  The Fiesta I had was equipped with the five-speed manual.  Personally, I liked the gearbox.  It was fun with clean shifts.  Though on the highway I will admit at times I longed for a sixth gear.  Not because of engine drone or anything like that (engine and wind noise was in check), but because the car probably would have gotten better mileage.  The five speed manual is rated at 29/38 while the six speed dual clutch is rated at 30/40 (with SFE package, 20/38 without SFE package).  I averaged 29.9 mpg in the city during the week, which was good considering I was definitely not trying to get the best mileage.  On the highway I managed to average only 34.5 mpg.  It is worth noting I had the cruise control set at 77 mph on the highway trip.  I can only assume going slower and or having another gear would have significantly increased that average.

So how much of the car was lost in translation?  Frankly, not a ton.  In fact some of the technical changes when coming across the pond made the car better.  For instance, the addition of knee airbags gave the people up front more leg room.  The car is a blast to drive and many people commented on how fun the car was.  Everyone seemed to the like it.  An Audi A6 owner commented on how great the car looked, both outside and inside.  This car is a huge value and a win for America.  If you look at the direct competition such as the Toyota Yaris, the Fiesta almost puts it to shame.  The Fiesta SE I had was somewhat optioned with the Rapid Spec 203A package (nowhere near loaded) and had a sticker price of $15,990.  That is without a question a value.  I definitely would take the Fiesta over the Toyota Yaris.  The Honda Fit has many tricks of its own, so it really depends on what your uses will be.  With the Mazda2 coming, the Fiesta has a ton of competition in this segment.  In the end, it has the goods to fight off the competition.

Photography- Alex Bellus

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by Ford

2012 Ford Focus Sedan

The Focus has been a staple in the Ford line up since 1998. Originally available as both a sedan and a hatch, the car was versatile and overall a great value. Things have changed in recent years and the Focus is currently only available in sedan form. Further along those lines of change, the car is no longer the game changer it once was. Ford is looking to change all that with this next generation Focus.

2012 Ford Focus Sedan

The new Focus will be the car that truly launches and embodies the “ONE Ford” strategy. That is one car sold globally. Focus will share over 80% of its parts with the European version. Even further, the European model and U.S. model will launch at the same time. Production will start simultaneously in Europe and North America in late 2010 with sales beginning in early 2011. The platform will be used for 10 global C-class cars. This will amount to almost two million units in annual production by 2012.

2012 Focus 5 Door Hatchback

Arriving both in sedan and hatchback form the Focus will target exceptional fuel economy while advancing the level of technology and quality in a C-segment vehicle. The Focus will feature kinetic design language recently seen on the new Fiesta. “The all-new Focus is at the center of convergence for automotive trends,” said J Mays, Ford group vice president of Design and chief creative officer. “We’ve designed it with an acute understanding of global customers, yet it’s tailored for each individual region. Focus combines the best from Europe, North America and Asia to deliver a level of emotional driving enjoyment never before experienced in a car this size.”

2012 Ford Focus 5 Door Hatchback

Ford is promising new levels of agility and responsiveness being brought to the C-segment with the new Focus. Utilizing multilink rear suspension and semi-isolated front and rear subframes, Ford is saying this will help achieve the desired driving characteristics. Complimenting all this is a all new electric power steering system. This system has been tuned for responsiveness at highway speeds while still remaining light for parking lot speeds.

2012 Ford Focus Sedan

The global powertrain line up in the new Focus will have everything from an EcoBoost four cylinder to a Duratorq TDCi common rail diesel. The North American Focus will launch with a all new DOHC 2.0 liter gasoline engine featuring both DI (Direct Injection) and Ti-VCT (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing). This 2.0 liter is estimated to put out 155 hp and 145 ft-lb through a six speed PowerShift transmission. PowerShift is Ford’s new dual clutch transmission that is also being used in the new 2011 Fiesta. The new 2.0 liter will be E85 capable unlike most engines with DI.

PowerShift 6 speed transmission

2012 Focus Interior

The PowerShift dual dry clutch transmission is sealed. The transmission is said to be maintenance free. The removal of pumps and hoses not only saves weight but helps achieve better fuel economy. Additionally, the new Focus will feature a Hill Start Assist function. This system is sensor based and will activate when an incline is greater then 3 percent. The system will “hold” the brakes for an “instant” (2.5 seconds) which will prevent rollback when stopping or starting on an incline.

The innovative MyFord system announced last week at CES will be available on the new Focus. This will compliment the latest generation Microsoft SYNC system which includes a sophisticated voice control system, bluetooth, and satellite navigation.

2012 Focus Interior

“When the new Focus launches in late 2010, it will be among the global leaders in fuel economy and CO₂ emissions,” said Kuzak. “We will continue to pioneer new technologies beyond launch, including a true zero-emission model launching in North America in 2011. Throughout its life cycle, Focus in all forms, in all regions, will demonstrate the Ford commitment to deliver unsurpassed fuel economy on a truly global scale.”

High strength steel is used heavily in the next generation Focus especially in the body shell. The high strength steel comprises 55 percent of the body shell. More then 26 percent of the vehicles overall structure is ultra high strength steel and Boron Steel. This is more then any other Ford product to date. This helps with safety and weight. Due to the extensive use of these materials, the next generation Focus has 25 percent greater torsion rigidity.

“We believe the new Ford Focus will provide consumers with an unmatched driving experience, together with an unrivaled ownership experience,” said Jim Farley, Ford group vice president, Global Marketing. “The Focus brand always has been very special to Ford, and this new global model shows our commitment to developing another generation of exciting and appealing cars.”

The Focus promising to be a lot of things. On paper it sounds great. It even has room for growth with future engines like a sport EcoBoost model in North America perhaps, or possibly a SVT version. The fact remains, we as Americans have been asking for the Focus that Europe has had for years. It seems we will be receiving a car that is in large part just that.  The new Focus should have Honda and Toyota up at night.

For years people have been begging Ford to bring the same quality vehicles they are selling in Europe to the U.S.  Ford has listened and is doing just what was asked.  The 2011 Fiesta is heavily based on the European version, which is a highly regarded car in Europe.  Many people worried that the U.S. version of the Fiesta would be changed drastically by becoming watered down.  Fear not, slight changes were made due to differing safety standards, but over sixty percent of the European Fiesta made it to the U.S. version.

The Fiesta will be powered by a 1.6 liter DOCH I-4 to the front wheels.  The engine is estimated to provide 119 hp and 109 ft-lbs while achieving an estimated 40 mpg.  Two transmissions will be offered.  The first being a 5 speed manual and the second, a class exclusive six speed dual clutch transmission.  Ford’s dual clutch transmission will go under the “PowerShift” moniker.  The transmission is “sealed for life” and never requires any maintenance.  When asked if the clutches could be replaced, Ford did say yes.

2011 Ford Fiesta Sedan- note the chrome 3 bar grille

2011 Ford Fiesta Light Pipes

The Fiesta will come in both sedan and five door hatch forms.  The hatch will have a grille similar to the European model while the sedan will get a chrome, three bar grille.  The three bar grille aligns with other U.S. models such as the Focus, Taurus, and Fusion.  The grille in both the sedan and the hatchback are the exact same size, theoretically making them interchangeable.  The fog lights from the European Fiesta have been replaced with light pipes such as those on the new Taurus SHO.  The Fiesta will be the most customizable Ford to date, with tons of optional dealer installable accessories that are not bug shields.  Everything from body wrap graphics to wheel packages will be optional in order to make your Fiesta unique.

The Fiesta is composed of over fifty percent high strength steel.  This makes for a lighter, safer car.  Ultra strong boron steel is used in several critical areas.  Boron steel is even stronger than high strength steel.  Fiesta will boast class leading safety with features such as standard electronic stability control, seat belt pretensioners, rear door child safety locks, and Safety Canopy (side curtain air bags essentially).  Ford made sure to mention, “Fiesta is proof that a small car can deliver big safety.”  Fiesta offers a segment-exclusive driver’s knee air bag, developed to help reduce lower leg injuries in the event of a frontal collision and to work together with other safety features.

Many class exclusive features will be available on the Fiesta.  Everything from keyless entry and push button start, to Ford’s SYNC will be offered.  Also unique within the segment will be a tilt and telescoping steering wheel.  Standard will be Ford’s innovative EasyFuel capless fuel filler.  Ford did make one major change on the interior which is somewhat disappointing.  The U.S. Fiesta will only be available with manual climate control.  I understand meeting a price point, but the European Fiesta has available automatic climate control.  Worse yet, the controls felt somewhat cheap.

The features and technology in this vehicle is definitely class leading.  I would say the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit were just put on notice.  With 15 class exclusive technologies and the estimated 40 mpg fuel economy rating, the new Fiesta will be a force to be reckoned with.

Optional Leather Interior Package