Ford Fiesta Econetic beats Prius

Not only does the new Ford Fiesta Econetic turbo-diesel beat the Toyota Prius on price, but it is also more fuel-efficient. The Econetic goes on sale from December 1 with a drive-away price of $24,990 - $15,000 cheaper than the cheapest Prius hybrid. It also wins the fuel economy battle with a combined fuel economy figure of just 3.7 litres/100km, .02 of a litre better than the Prius.

By Ford's own estimates, the Econetic will travel more than 1000km between refills. The newest Ford is also only the second car in Australia to achieve a greenhouse gas emission rating under 100g/km and the only non-hybrid car to get a low C02 figure of 98g/km. The hybrid Prius is the other with C02 emissions of 89g/km.

Ford Australia president and chief executive officer, Marin Burela, has big hopes for the 1.6-litre TDCi, which could pave the way for other Econetics. He says the company is committed to achieving "fuel economy leadership in every segment in which we compete".

The Econetic has already attracted a lot of interest from both private and fleet buyers. However, Burela is not prepared to put a sales forecast on the frugal hatch. "Right now we're taking it a step at the time," he says. "We're not wanting to be too bullish."

However, it is clear Burela thinks the hatch will be a winner and attract city buyers. "I think it is a game changer for us," he says.

He says the car is Ford's most visible commitments to going green. The success of the Fiesta, which is a sellout, is also expected to help Econetic sales, he says. "Most cars with this level of fuel efficiencies tend to compromise," he says. "This is no compromise."

The Econetic, like the petrol Fiestas, is being sourced out of Cologne in Germany. However from mid-2010 Fiestas will be imported from Thailand and benefit from the Free Trade Agreement, wich should help lower prices.

There are no plans to build the Econetic in Thailand, Burela says. At the heart of the five-door is Ford's Duratorq TDCI 1.6-litre four cylinder and five-speed manual transmission. It develops 66kW at 4000 revs and 200Nm from 1750 revs. To help reduce emissions it gets a diesel particulate filter. Economy has improved through the use of low-rolling resistance Michelin tyres, a recalibrated transmission and final drive ratio and improved aerodynamics.

The spare tyre has been dumped in an effort to save weight, replaced by a tyre ‘mobility kit’. Visually the car looks little different to a CL version, with steel wheels and a slightly lower ride high.

The cabin remains the same, except for a green shift light indicator in the dials. And if the Fiesta Econetic takes off, Ford has more ultra-frugal diesels waiting in the wings.

In Europe Econetic versions of the Focus and Mondeo are available. Burela says they could be easily added to the lineup. "We'll wait and see how the Fiesta goes first," he says.

Ford executives will be watching Toyota's rollout of the hybrid Camry next year with strong interest before formulating a response. However, Burela says any fuel efficient strategy "must go down that path of affordable economy".

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