Ford Fiesta 2012 News

The Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has commenced legal proceedings against Ford Motor Company of Australia.

An automatic transmission designed to save fuel has increased complaints among Ford customers who claim it's not a smooth operator.

Ford says their capped price service offer, MyFord, has been successful in bringing thousands of owners back to the brand -- 13,000 in 2013 alone. So they're taking the offer further, raising it to seven years and 135,000km from the six years/105,000km that rolled out in 2011.The revised program -- available on vehicles built from 2007 -- has been extended to cover brake pad replacements and rotor machining across the range except the sporty FPV, ST and XR5 variants and the light commercial Transit van. All eligible models will have front pads capped at $259 and rear ones at $219, except the rear-wheel drive Falcon and Territory rear pads, which will be capped at $259. Machining is capped at $88.Ford has also announced a year's free membership and roadside assistance with state motoring organisations -- NRMA, RACV, RACT, RACQ, AANT, RAA and RAC -- at participating dealers with the sale of any new car, except FPV and Transit.“The addition of the Auto Club Program is another customer-focused offering that Ford owners will enjoy,” Ford Australia general manager, customer service division, Stephen Kruk, says. “Customers expect this level of certainty from their dealers and we’re happy to say that since it was introduced in July 2011, the program has been very well received by our customers.”Owners can check the maximum price for a service, and all terms and conditions at www.ford.com.au/myfordcps.  MyFord Capped Price Servicing is available on the following vehicles.Ford Fiesta – WQ, WS, WTFord Focus – LS, LT, LV, LVIIFord Mondeo – MA, MB, MCFord Falcon – BF, BF FPV, BF MkII, BF MkII FPV, BF MkIII, FG, FG FPV, FG MkII, FG MkII FPVFord Escape – ZD, ZCFord Econovan - JHFord EcoSport - BKFord Kuga - TE, TFFord Territory – SY, SY F6X, SY MkII, SZFord Ranger – PJ, PK, PXFord Transit – VM, VNThis reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Ford’s Fiesta ST is already arguably the king of the light hot hatch set, but a new report out of the UK suggests that an even hotter RS version is under development. AutoExpress suggests that a RS-badged Fiesta could be followed by the much-anticipated third-generation Focus RS, if a business case can be made for the models. Ford has been toying with the idea of a Fiesta RS since at least 2004, with a pumped-up concept based on the previous generation model shown at the Geneva motor show that year. Stranding in the way of the number crunchers though is the current economic woes of the Ford hatches’ European-market heartland, and the plans are reportedly far from being locked in. If a green light is given, tradition suggests we’ll see the new RS models towards the end of the Fiesta and Focus model life cycles, which could result in a Fiesta RS arriving at least 12 months ahead of as Focus RS – and as soon as 2015. The likely power source for a Fiesta RS would be an uprated version of the ST’s 134kW/240Nm 1.6-litre turbo, producing in the order of 172kW to trump the existing 160kW/320Nm Mountune-enhanced version available overseas.  A tricky diff is possible to help put such power to the ground, along with widened tracks, monster brakes, and pumped wheelarches and other agressive body enhancements to help link it with the RS-liveried Fiesta WRC racer. Development mules have already been sighted of a Focus with the same treatment, with the likely motive source a version of the 2015 Mustang’s circa-227kW 2.3 litre EcoBoost engine. This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn  

The 59-year-old, one of the last senior executives from the tumultuous Jacques Nasser era, started as Ford's vice president of design in 1997 after working with BMW, Audi and Volkswagen.

When Ford showed the Fiesta ST Concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year, we all knew it was only a matter of time before a production model made its debut. And one year later, at this year's 201

India will be a major supplier to Ford's Asian plants, including making engines for the Australian-bound Fiesta and Focus. Engines will also go to Europe. Ford executive of manufacturing for Asia Pacific, Gary Johnson, overnight says: “From an engine perspective, we'll be exporting not just to Europe but also to Thailand”. Thailand makes the Ford Fiesta and Focus passenger cars, as well as the Ranger ute. If somewhere needs more engines and we've got the capability, then we're going to ship them,'' Mr Johnson says. India has three manufacturing plants in India. One makes the small Fiesta-based EcoSport SUV - in Australia early next year - and another is an engine plant that now makes a 1.2-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel.A 1-litre turbo-petrol engine - to be used in the EcoSport, Fiesta and Focus - is being added to production. Mr Johnson says Ford has the capacity in India to build 600,000 engines by 2015. It will also be capable of building 450,000 small cars. Ford boss Alan Mullaly, speaking to Carsguide in Delhi in February this year, says that in Asia, India would be a centre for light to small cars while “other Asian” centres would make small to mid-size cars (for example, Focus in Thailand).Ford has invested more than $2 billion to build factories in India. It is rated eighth in terms of sales in India, behind market leaders Hyundai - which makes the i20 for Australia in India - and Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra-Ssangyong. Ford India currently exports 40 per cent of its engine production and 25 per cent of its car production to 35 countries, primarily in Asia and Africa. 

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.  

While it’s not meant to fill in for a future Fiesta ST, the Fiesta Metal gets a higher-tuned 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT petrol four-cylinder.

Several car companies such as Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda and Volvo have prototype "robotic" models and Google has created an autonomous car that uses their navigation software.Now an American survey has found that many drivers can't wait to take their hands off the wheel and their feet off the pedals. The US Automotive Emerging Technologies Study shows more than one in three (37 per cent) of drivers would buy a robotic car. According to research by J.D. Power that figure drops to one in five when they realise the cars will cost at least an extra $3000. The American survey of 17,400 vehicle owners also found interest strongest among men aged 18 to 37 and owners of premium vehicles who may already have experienced autonomous technology such as adaptive cruise control, lane assistance and self-parking, a feature that is now available in Australia even in small cars such as the Ford Fiesta.Those in favour of robotic cars want them to perform the tedious driving tasks such as commuting and long trips, but also expressed interest in being able to drive themselves for pleasure and in dangerous situations. Those against robotic cars complain that it takes the fun out of driving and is unsafe. Industry sources say robot cars are still a decade away with the major hurdle being legislation. For example, law makers are uncertain of the legal ramifications for the "driver" if a robot car is involved in an accident. However, Nevada has already legislated for autonomous cars. As for the safety aspect, former research vice-president at General Motors Larry Burns believes they will be safer. He worked on the GM electric networked vehicle project and has co-written a book called Reinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century.He claims that with proper infrastructure, networked robot cars would never crash into anything. "The intent is to have the self-driven vehicle be the safest driver in America," he said. To satisfy legal requirements there needs to be an alert driver in the driver's seat, to intervene in an emergency, he says. However, he told last month's National Automobile Dealers Association meeting that networked electric cars would be lighter, have smaller batteries, require less parking space and have "zero percent crashes or deaths." Public acceptance of such safe cars would likely be much higher than one in three.       J. Christian Gerdes and Sunil Paul talk to The Wall Street Journal about the future of personal transportation and its carbon footprint.