The Ford Fiesta has been one of the better vehicles in its segment for some time. But despite its brilliance, it was starting to show its age. At an event in Cologne, Germany last night, Ford revealed the newest Ford Fiesta.
Evolution, not revolution:
Ford has now become as adept at playing the ‘evolution’ game as Audi has, evolving appearances rather than designing stark new ones for its vehicles. It’s no different with the new Ford Fiesta – which in appearance hasn’t changed vastly from the previous one.
Styling has been sharpened and refined, and the Ford Fiesta now looks a lot more like its big brother Focus.
Proportionally it’s still much the same as the old Ford Fiesta, and with good reason behind that. The new Ford Fiesta will operate on essentially the same chassis as the Fiesta of old. That’s not a bad thing.
For one, it’s a damn good chassis – one of the finest in segment – and promises an involving feel and enjoyable drive, with good suspension tuning for a perfect mix between comfort and sportiness. Also, it helps the bean-counters reduce costs of development, meaning they can spend that money elsewhere where it’s desperately needed.
Upmarket Feel:
As much as we like the Ford Fiesta, in one particular area it was particularly ‘old’. The interior was a bit Spartan from day one, and the rough, harsh materials were out of place against competitors like the VW Polo and Opel Corsa.
Ford has focused on a more refined interior for the Ford Fiesta – or at least that’s what we’ve been told. Sadly, there aren’t any images of the interior just yet, and at this stage further details are scarce. We’ll update this article with more information and images as we receive them.
The interior will however feature an 8-inch floating touch screen, with Ford’s SYNC 3 infotainment and communications suite. A Bang & Olufsen sound system will also be available.
Cylinder De-Activation:
Usually the preserve of high end vehicles with big displacement 8-, 10-, or 12-cylinder engines, for the first time ever, Ford will be introducing cylinder de-activation in a 3-cylinder engine.
The engine of choice is none other than Ford’s award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost 3-cylinder. In 14-milliseconds, the Ford Fiesta will be able to disengage, or re-engage, 1 of the three cylinders, saving fuel in low-load situations such as coasting or cruising at a steady, slow-ish speed.
Operable up to engine speeds of 4500rpm, Ford claims the Ford Fiesta will feature technology, such as a dual-mass flywheel and a vibration-damping clutch kit among other things, to counter the unbalanced nature of running on two cylinders, but also claims the savings are up to 6% on fuel efficiency.
No word yet on power outputs, but expect slightly more than the previous Ford Fiesta’s 92kW.
New Body Styles:
The impression of choice is one human’s will never fail to love. The new Ford Fiesta is no different in this regard, and will now offer 4 different styling variations.
The core model will be the Ford Fiesta Titanium, whilst those seeking crossover aesthetics can look forward to the ‘Active’ trim, which sees faux body cladding, roof rails, and more aggressive styling added to the mix. An ST-Line kit will offer sportier looks to the Ford Fiesta, whilst the ‘Vignale’ trim will sit at the top of the range, promising additional levels of refinement and luxury.
Ford Fiesta ST:
No Ford Fiesta ST just yet, but expect one in due course as Ford seeks to continue the standard set with the previous hot hatch.
