FIRST DRIVE ~ 2011 FORD FIESTA

Fiesta blends class-leading content with European style

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - This summer, Canada welcomes the 2011 Ford Fiesta, a brand new, small car that brings European panache and performance to North America at a starting price of $12,999.
And it’s about time.
“I can’t count the number of times friends have returned from Europe and bugged me about the great little cars they’ve seen and driven over there,” said Steve Pintar, Chief Engineer for Fiesta North America. “And they’d ask me, ‘Why don’t we have them over here?’”
“Well,” he added, nodding at the Fiesta, “we’ve got one now.”
The Fiesta nameplate has been a success, with over 12 million cars sold in Europe. And the latest version is off to a roaring start with three quarters of a million sales already, making it the number one seller in Europe, so far this year.
“And I believe there’s been a convergence, with less difference between North American and European drivers than in the past,” Pintar told me at the vehicle launch.
A next generation of North American drivers, raised on imports, has become increasingly sophisticated and demanding. Global customer research found that style topped the list of customer desires everywhere in the world. Drivers accept no economy excuses, expecting a distinctively designed small car, quality-built with conveniences, comfort and connectivity.
The new 2011 Fiesta is based on Ford’s global “B” platform, shared with the Mazda2, and in Canada it will be available in four-door sedan or five-door hatchback layout.
Up front, Fiesta sports the global Ford face, centering the Blue Oval badge above a signature style inverted trapezoid lower grille opening. There’s little variance from the European model - the same elongated headlamps frame the hood, bracketed by muscular, sculpted front fenders. A rising beltline and strong character lines sweep back to the rear taillamps, most dramatically accented on the spoilered five-door hatchback version.
Fiesta’s youthful verve is enhanced by nine vivid new colours from Bright Magenta to Lime Squeeze and Blue Flame, to name just a few.
The Fiesta shares a sixty percent commonality with its European cousin, but yes, there are subtle differences. The Ford family tri-bar upper grille, added to the North American Fiesta, finds its roots in Fusion’s success while adjusted bumpers, meeting higher impact-point rules for North America, created an opportunity to accent larger side marker slots with LED strips taken from the Taurus.
There are still some cultural differences to be taken into account, as well. European drivers, for example, prefer the precision of rotary dials for seat recline and height adjustment whereas North Americans lean towards levers.
But inside, you’ll find more similarities than differences. The interior is boldly sculpted with contrasting colours and accented by Ford’s funky available ambient lighting, an illumination system that sets the mood with a choice of seven colours.
And the Fiesta is quiet, with the kind of NVH-robbing attention to insulation you’d expect in a more expensive car.
The instrument panel centre stack, a focal point of the Fiesta interior, was designed to feel as familiar as the keypad on your mobile phone, and its Tranformer-reminiscent layout will no doubt resonate and raise a giggle from next gen drivers.
Rear seating requires compromise from the front row occupants but, this is a small car, after all, and it is as comfortable as its size allows.
The first-row buckets and 60/40 split second-row come in cloth or leather with front heated surfaces available in both textures.
Under the hood, a 1.6-litre DOHC I-4 engine makes 120 hp at 6,350 rpm and 112 lb/ft of torque at 5,000 rpm. Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) allowed the engine to be downsized for fuel economy without compromise of throttle response or performance.
The Fiesta held its own on the streets of San Francisco or cruising the Pacific Coast Highway. Like most small engines, it makes the most of its power through proper gearing, in this case harnessing either a five-speed manual or a new, industry-exclusive PowerShift six-speed automatic dual-clutch transmission ($1,250).
Ford boasts an early projected 40 mpg highway average but Transport Canada has returned even more optimistic numbers (see below). I managed only a dismal 8.7L/100km. Well, not that dismal, really, because I was flogging the car unmercifully and having way too much fun on spiraling mountain roads to worry about fuel economy.
We’ll probably never see Europe’s variety of engines, including the 1.6-litre diesel that rivals the Prius hybrid’s fuel economy numbers, unless fuel prices go through the roof. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ford add an Ecoboost turbo version in a year or two, just to re-spike driver interest.
The 2011 Ford Fiesta will start at $12,999 in Canada.
Sure, that’s a bit of a “stripper” model, $1,000 cheaper than an American entry version that starts with air conditioning, but even the base five-speed manual sedan comes with seven airbags, halogen headlights, ABS, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), power mirrors, tilt/telescopic steering, tachometer, tire pressure management systems and 4-speaker AM/FM/Aux audio.
Regardless of trim level, the 2011 Ford Fiesta offers Canadians a new and vibrant economy car option with class-leading levels of performance and content, accented with European styling élan. It is aimed squarely at competitors like the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris and has beaten its domestic rivals out of the gate – the Chevy Spark and Chrysler’s rebadged Fiat 500.
And, best of all for Ford, the 2011 Fiesta is going to be a surefire hit.


BODY STYLE: four-door subcompact sedan; five-door hatchback
DRIVE METHOD: front engine, front-wheel-drive
ENGINE: 1.6-litre DOHC I4 engine (120 hp, 112 lb/ft) with five-speed manual or six-speed automatic
PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY: Manual 7.1/5.3L/100km (city/hwy); Auto 6.9/5.1L/100km (city/hwy)
PRICES: Fiesta 4-Door Sedan S - $12,999
Fiesta 4-Door Sedan SE - $16,099
Fiesta 4-Door Sedan SEL - $18,199
Fiesta 5-Door SE – $16,799
Fiesta 5-Door SES - $18,899