Ford Fiesta 2007 News

Scheduled to go on sale here towards the middle of 2013, the Ford Fiesta range will kick off with the tiny 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder EcoBoost engine that claimed the World Engine of the Year award a few months ago. “We’ve confirmed the three-cylinder turbo for the Fiesta,” Ford spokesman Neil McDonald says. “Originally it was going to be the EcoSport SUV  but Fiesta will beat it to market by several months. The turbocharged engine is offered in two levels -- 74kW/170Nm and 92kW/200Nm – but there’s no indication yet of whether we will get both. “It’s a little bit early to talk what the engine line-up will be,” McDonald says, although agreeing there would have to be consideration of whether the local market would go for two 1.0-litre versions or would expect to see a larger unit in the upper spec cars. The leaked official images show the main styling changes are focused on the nose, which gets the Aston Martin-flavoured grille shape -- already worn by the overseas Ford Fusion (Mondeo) – set off with a new front bumper and headlight clusters featuring LED running lights. McDonald says it’s also too early to discuss whether price and specification levels will change markedly from the current range, which opens with the $16,990 CL and tops out at the $23,490 Zetec – or whether they will be joined by the Fiesta ST seen overseas. “There’s been a Fiesta ST concept vehicle shown in Europe but we haven’t confirmed it for here,” he says. “For the rest of the range, it’s too far out to talk about price, but we plan to remain competitive. The Fiesta has been doing quite well -- around the 700 per month. It’s been a pretty strong seller for us.” While the release of fresh metal can often mean extra demand that constrains supply of some imported cars, McDonald points out Asian production means it won’t be a problem for the Fiesta. “Our vehicles are built in Thailand so I don’t think supply is going to be an issue,” he says.  

A street version of its Fiesta RS World Rally Championship weapon for 2011 is "under consideration'' - the first sign that the Blue Oval is prepared to rekindle memories of the XR4 edition of the early 2000s. "We would love a high-performance Fiesta,'' says Ford Australia's general marketing manager David Katic.  "We're looking at al opportunities (the WRC car can bring)." He describes the XR4 as a "great car''.  But no-one at Ford Australia is talking about timing, pricing or even the name. It is possible it could wear the ST moniker to share with the hot Focus hatch that is also a possible for Australia. The talk in Europe about a hot Fiesta is stronger. Spy shots show a three-door hatch with twin exhausts and an intercooler peeking through the front bumper inlets. It is believed that adding the turbocharger and intercooler to the 1.6-litre engine will produce up to 130kW. That should be sufficient for a 0-100km/h time of about six seconds. The hot Fiesta would be built in Europe, alongside the ECOnetic diesel. Other Fiesta models for Australia are now made in Thailand.

Getting value for money and being able to keep their new car; and new-found freedom; on the road has proved to be the biggest factors for first time car buyers.

This is how the next Ford Fiesta will look. Not exactly, because this great-looking hatch is only a motor show tease, but the basics are right for a new Ford compact contender in 2009.The Fiesta will be previewed as the Ford Verve at the Frankfurt Motor Show in two weeks and no one is denying the direct line from the show to a showroom in Australia.Equally, no one at Ford Australia is prepared to confirm the Verve as a Fiesta.“It's a B-car concept. It's definitely a concept,” Ford Australia spokeswoman Sinead McAlary, says.She admits the current Fiesta is on the road to a runout and that Ford is working on something special to replace it.She also hints that the Verve will be tweaked next year into a car that becomes the next Fiesta, without confirming timing.“Next year may be too soon. Next year we would probably reveal the production version,” she says.The Verve is as radical as the Iosis X, the last significant Ford concept to make the transition from spotlights to stoplights.The Iosis was used as the basis for the new mid-sized Mondeo, which comes to Australia next month with the potential to give Broadmeadows a boost with family-car buyers.It's the same story with the Verve, which takes a new line for Ford baby cars. It has a smooth hatchback line, a gaping mouth and looks different to anything on the road.The cabin is the same, though it has a similar radical twist as the Honda Civic.“Bold, even radical,” is how Ford of Europe design chief Martin Smith describes the Verve.He says the baby car is pitched at “a sophisticated, fashion-ware generation” with everything from a coupe-style body to 18-inch alloy wheels, a giant glass sunroof and a side profile without intrusive B-pillars.But there is more inside.“A new generation of buyers raised with mobile electronic devices will feel right at home,” Verve chief interior designer Niko Vidakovic says. 

Only one in three drivers puts safety first, while 53 per cent cite price and a further 43 per cent believe fuel consumption is most important, according to an NRMA Insurance survey.Despite buyers putting safety third, NRMA Insurance is calling on Australian vehicle importers to include safety features such as electronic stability control.State manager Brett Robinson said many car importers were not including ESC here, or only including it as an expensive option, even though it was included as standard in their overseas versions.The US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found ESC, or swerve control, can reduce the risk of single-vehicle crashes by more than 40 per cent.Swerve control uses sensors to detect when a car is skidding and use brakes and power to stop the slide.Robinson said NRMA Insurance gave discounts on premiums for people with cars equipped with ESC.“Australians are missing out on this potentially life-saving technology,” he said.“Many popular cars, such as the Ford Fiesta, Honda Jazz, Nissan X-Trail and Toyota Corolla and Yaris, are being sold in Australia without ESC, even though this technology is often optional in the same models sold in countries such as Sweden and Germany.”In May, safety advocate Clive Matthew-Wilson accused importers of stripping out safety features such as ESC and curtain airbags to keep costs down. 

In May, sales were 9,571 compared with 11,145 in May 2006 and in the first five months sales were 43,997 compared with 48,496 in 2006.The ageing Falcon is the main culprit, down to 9571 in May compared with 11,145 in 2006 and 43,997 so far this year, compared with 48,496.A new Falcon is still not due for about 10 more months.But Ford Motor Company president Tom Gorman is upbeat about the future, despite declaring there is nothing that can be done to speed up the launch date for the next Falcon.At the launch last week of the Fiesta XR4 hot hatch, Gorman pointed out that light commercial vehicles were doing very well for Ford and that they had several new model launches this year that would help lift sales.“We have an exciting portfolio of product to come,” he said.That includes the diesel Focus next month, followed by a cabriolet Focus and the mid-sized European built and acclaimed Mondeo later this year.Gorman said it was important there was a comprehensive line-up for customer choice.Ford has many import options, including more diesel engines, Fiesta and Focus SUVs and more.However, import product marketing manager Jogi Shetti said it was important not to have too many model choices. He said that could confuse customers, make it more difficult to communicate a simple marketing message and could leave too many unsold models on showroom floors, leading to dealer discounting and devaluing of the product range.Shetti is planning 10 years into the future, but said he could not pinpoint exact models that far away.He said the biggest challenges would be in powertrains to comply with current and coming greenhouse legislation.Ford is considering small-capacity petrol and diesel engines as well as mild hybrids which use regenerative braking to store wasted heat energy and shut the engine down when the car is in traffic.Shetti also mentioned alternative energy sources such as biofuels and lightweight body materials.Meanwhile, Ford in England has produced a Focus hydrogen-powered Fuel Cell Vehicle, driven recently by Prince Charles.

The Fiesta XR4 has taken the winning philosophy from the Focus XR5 and downsized. There is no turbo on this little hot hatch and it won't light the wick in performance terms, but it has been purpose-built to do its job. “The XR4 will be the benchmark in the light car hot-hatch segment,” says Ford Australia president Tom Gorman. “It is a vehicle designed with the passionate driving enthusiast in mind boasting a specially modified 2.0-litre engine, many safety and sports enhancements and eye-catching appearance.” The XR4 three-door hatch will launch at $24,990. The company, however, can only guarantee supply of 40 a month. “Obviously demand for this car is still very strong in European markets and 40 a month is what we have available for now,” says Ford Australia's Ed Finn. “The XR5 is going extremely well and comfortably meeting sales predictions of 50 a month and obviously we are confident the XR4 will also meet expectations.” The XR4 will come standard with a specifically-tuned dynamic stability control program, dual front, side curtain and side thorax airbags, traction control, ABS, electronic brake force distribution and, for the first time on a Fiesta, four-wheel disc brakes. There is a body kit with strong cues to the Focus XR5, sports suspension, leather and cloth sports seats and twin overhead racing stripes — a $300 option. Where the XR5 is a genuine performance offering with its 166kW and 320Nm from the forced 2.5-litre engine, the naturally aspirated baby brother XR4 is a little less aggressive, although out of the same TeamRS race development stable responsible for the XR5. The 2.0-litre Duratec four-cylinder, borrowed from the garden variety Focus, has been tweaked to produce 110kw of power, up a meagre 3kW on the Focus engine, but with a much flatter and broader torque profile. The XR4's peak 190Nm is reached at 4500rpm, but with 80 per cent on tap at 1500rpm and 90 per cent available from 2200rpm through to 6150rpm, the flexibility of the engine is impressive. “The 2.0-litre Duratec engine characteristics are ideally suited to the performance Fiesta as it combines free-revving performance and impressive low-end torque for excellent all-round drivability,” says TeamRS director Jost Capito. There has also been considerable input into the tuning of the suspension and chassis to provide a more stable platform but without the need for architectural modifications, Capito says. An exceptionally rigid body structure with ultra-stiff mounting points for the suspension and steering on the basic Fiesta was the starting point foundation for the team's work, he says. A front sub-frame carries the MacPherson-strut front suspension and steering system, while the Fiesta's rear suspension is a twist-beam providing strong lateral stiffness to aid handling and good longitudinal compliance for ride comfort. “The latest-generation Fiesta is solid as a rock,” says Capito. “It was the ideal basis for a performance derivative. What I am particularly proud of is that we have achieved its high standards of handling and grip while keeping a really good ride quality.” The XR4 front springs have been stiffened from 16.5N/mm on the standard car to 24N/mm with the dampers recalibrated. A revised design for the front suspension knuckle provides more negative camber to the suspension to generate more front-end grip. The rear springs also have been stiffened, from 15N/mm to 17N/mm, and the dampers modified. The twist beam axle has also been stiffened by almost 50 per cent to 720Nm/deg. The steering rack ratio has been shortened by 10 per cent and the toe-in reduced, to make the steering more agile while maintaining high speed stability and controllability. The Fiesta XR4 will be on sale from today.

"All of our efforts are going into Falcon," said Ford chief Tom Gorman.However, he has ruled out an early launch for the car, despite the current model haemorrhaging sales.In the first two months of the year Ford is down 1250 sales or 2.6 per cent market share.Only strong sales of Fiesta, Focus and new Ranger have stemmed the company bleeding from the 2304 drop in Falcon sales."Falcon will continue to be a challenge in our final year of BF Mark II," Gorman said.He would also not reveal whether Falcon will have a diesel option at launch."My first (priority) would be LPG. It is critically important to us," he said."Diesel would be next ahead of hybrid. Ethanol also is a player."Gorman welcome the Federal Opposition's proposal to implement a $500 million Green Car Innovation Fund but said it was "too early" to say how it would affect production.Gorman also ruled out a facelift to Territory before the next Falcon is released."We're not going to change the face of the Territory this year," he said."We're going all out on Falcon and Falcon Ute."With the small and light car segments booming largely on sales of cheaper models, Ford's strategy seems to be to bring in new upmarket models.Ford announced it would this year introduce a Fiesta Zetec five-door, Fiesta XR4, Focus Coupe-Cabriolet, Focus turbo-diesel and Focus styling updates.Gorman ruled out a price war on Fiesta and Focus."We're not about bringing in Korean product and rebadging it," he said, referring to Holden importing Korean-made Daewoo Barinas and Vivas, and rebadging them as Holdens."Our strategy is about building great driving cars."We're not into dropping the price. We stand by the product and what it delivers."

Mitsubishi, Ford and Holden all showed off production or concept cars that are designed to move fast and get the blood pumping.But the big news came from Toyota, which launched its new TRD performance brand in Australia at the show.The launch of TRD represents first time Toyota has marketed under the TRD banner anywhere in the world. It is timed to celebrate the car manufacturer’s 50th anniversary of involvement in motorsport globally.Several models sporting new TRD livery were unveiled at the show, including an Aurion and a HiLux concept car. There are several more models on the way.Also previewed at the Toyota stand was the new Corolla hatch and a new Corolla rally car, which is based on the new production model to be launched soon.Mitsubishi opened the show with a Lancer concept “Sportback”.But Ford and Holden went all-out in the performance stakes. Ford revealed a new Fiesta XR4 which will be on sale in July this year. It will feature a variant with a two-litre diesel engine – the first diesel car to grace Ford Australia’s line-up.Also on show was a 40th Anniversary GT from FPV.Holden tried to top that with the unveiling of a Chevrolet Camaro concept car which attracted great interest from the assembled press. It was the first time this car had been seen in Australia.The company said although there are no plans to launch the Camaro here, it was on the stand in Melbourne to gauge customer reaction. The implication was that if interest is strong enough it may launch here.

HOLDENThe focus at the GM-owned stand willbe the concept of the next generation of America's iconic muscle car, the Chevrolet Camaro. The partly Australian-designed sports coupe concept will make its debut here.Holden will be evaluating public response to determine if the Camaro will be a viable option for the local market.The new model has been confirmed for production in North America at the beginning of 2009. It is expected to be identical to the concept model, a modern interpretation of its original 1969 form.Part of the Camaro's engineering and design work is done in Melbourne.Holden is also unveiling a diesel version of its Captiva family all-wheel-drive plus the new Epica mid-size sedan. FORDThe hottest new baby car for Australia is the Fiesta XR4 (pictured on today's cover) which Ford will start selling here mid-year.The European-built car will complement its big brother the Focus XR5 Turbo.The XR4 will be powered by a 2.0-litre Duratec 16 valve engine. Falcon Cobra-style stripes will enhance its racy looks.Also following the Cobra style is a limited-edition run of 200 FPV GTs to commemorate 40 years since the first Falcon V8, the XR GT, was built in 1967.The distinctive black with gold stripes machine will sell for $65,110 from next month. TOYOTAThe company will reveal its latest prestige performance vehicles. The locally designed Toyotas make their world debut in Melbourne.The TRD range features a supercharged 3.5-litre, V6 Aurion sports sedan and the supercharged 4.0-litre, V6 HiLux sports utility.The Aurion will go on sale in the middle of the year and the Hilux will be launched towards the end of the year. AUDI The surprise of the show could be Audi's new S5 and A5 models, which make their world debut at the Geneva show next week.The A5 will be available in both four-cylinder and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, with the 3.2-litre, 195kW V6 petrol topping the range.The S5 has an eight-cylinder 260kW engine, producing 440Nm of torque. It sprints from nought to 100km/h in 5.9 seconds.The coupes will be available to order from March, with deliveries starting in June. JEEPThe Chrysler brand will preview three of its new production models in Melbourne.The all-new Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited will be the main attraction to the stand, along with the first compact SUV for Jeep, the Compass.The Wrangler has been redesigned, and has a new diesel engine added to the range.The Unlimited is a four-door model, with five seats and extended wheelbase.The new Compass will be available in both petrol and diesel engines when it goes on sale this month and the company believes it will appeal to a younger audience. NISSANNissan will unveil three new models, including the much-talked-about Qashqai, which has been renamed Dualis for the Australian market. The Dualis will be launched in Australia towards the end of this year and will slot into the small segment.Nissan will also display the new Micra, a 1.4-litre small car which will also go on sale towards the end of the year and the revised 350Z. With a new 3.5-litre, V6 engine, the 350Z will go on sale in April. It also features changed interior and exterior designs. HONDAHonda's latest offering in fuel-cell technology, the new FCX concept, is making its Australian debut in Melbourne.The low-riding, sporty sedan runs on hydrogen and has more power, while still offeringa a full-sized cabin. Honda is currently working on a retail version of the prototype for the US and Japan. EDAGThe engineering and design company will exhibit its EDAG SUV, a one-of-kind model based on the Porsche Cayenne. The modified SUV has been lowered and reshaped and the roofline dropped by 70mm.It has a 447kW turbo engine, with large air inlets on the front bumper for the intercoolers. Wedge-shaped side skirts and muscular fenderflares give the EDAG SUV even more character. It sits on 23-inch wheels with ultra-low profile tyres.Inside, four sports seats are separated by a full-length centre console, which features a DVD player and Sony PS2 game console. BMWWe'll see the debut of the new X5 in Australia at the motor show.The revised SUV will go on sale in April with a 3.0-litre diesel and a 4.8-litre, V8 petrol engine. A 3.0-litre petrol will be available from June. Prices will start at $80,000.BMW will also show the 3 Series convertible as well as the the updated 5 Series and 1 Series. MAZDAMazda will feature the Australian preview of its new large SUV, the CX-9. The seven-seater will be the third SUV for Mazda when it goes on sale in Australia in January.It is expected to cost $55,000-$60,000.Mazda will have both a cut model with the roof taken off, as well as a left-hand drive, North American production model on display.