UK's What Car? names Ford Fiesta its Car of the Year
In another sign of good things to come from Ford later this year, the company's new Fiesta has just won a Car of the Year award from What Car? magazine in the UK. Specifically, the Fiesta 1.25i Zetec was selected by the publication's editors. They praised the looks, handling and efficiency of the new B-segment entry that's now available in Europe and has just started production in China. At the end of 2009, Ford will start production at a plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico that is being converted from production of F-Series trucks.
Fortunately, Ford has seen the light and will offer both hatchback and sedan variants of the Fiesta in North America. The U.S. market is expected to initially get the car with a 1.6-liter normally aspirated four-cylinder and a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. We can't wait to try it out for ourselves and pit the Fiesta against the Honda Fit and its other segment-mates. Check out a high-res gallery of the Fiesta below and then click on the jump to read the official press release.
Gallery: 2009 Ford Fiesta
[Source: Ford]
PRESS RELEASE:
FIESTA NAMED "CAR OF THE YEAR" BY WHAT CAR?, BRITAIN'S LEADING SOURCE OF NEW-CAR ADVICE
What Car? editors praise Fiesta as "the most complete small car we've ever tested."
Award marks another accolade for new Ford Fiesta, the first in a series of fuel-efficient small cars being developed by Ford
BRENTWOOD, UK, Jan. 22, 2009 – What Car? magazine, Great Britain's leading source of new-car advice, has named the new Ford Fiesta 1.25i Zetec its Car of the Year 2009, adding to the growing list of accolades for the new small car that Ford is introducing around the world.
What Car? editors praised the Fiesta for its stylish design, performance and fuel economy. "The Fiesta is the most complete small car we've ever tested – it's practical enough to be used as a family car, fun enough to be used as a sports car and stylish enough to make the right impression. It's also affordable to buy, cheap to run and kind to the planet," said Steve Fowler, editor of What Car?.
Introduced in Europe last fall, the Fiesta is off to a strong sales start in the traditional 19 European markets, where sales topped 61,000 units after slightly more than two months on the market. As soon as the Fiesta went on sale in the UK, it became the best-selling car for both November and December.
Designed and developed in Europe for sale across Ford's global markets, the new Fiesta is the first in a series of new, fuel efficient, small cars developed through Ford's global product development process. Its stylish and dynamic flair combines with all the traditional Ford small car strengths to create a confident, contemporary introduction to the next chapter of the Fiesta story.
Within five years, Ford expects to build about one million vehicles worldwide off of the new global B-car platform, the basis for the new Fiesta.
The Fiesta began production at Ford's Cologne Assembly Plant in Germany last year. Earlier this week, Ford's plant in Valencia, Spain, also began producing the car.
Ford launched Asian production of the Fiesta last week at the state-of-the-art Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Company manufacturing facility in Nanjing, China. The Nanjing plant is making the five-door hatchback and four-door sedan versions of the new global Fiesta for the Chinese market and the vehicles will go on sale later in the first quarter.
Ford's plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico, will build the new Fiesta for the United States and other North American markets. Construction of the integrated stamping facility and retooling of the assembly plant is underway.
In North America, the new small car will be offered in two models: a sporty hatchback and a sedan, beginning in early in 2010.
In accepting the What Car? award, John Fleming, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe, said the magazine's recognition is a sign of more Fiesta success to come. "This is tremendous news for the whole Ford team – the great British public has already made the new Fiesta the UK's best-selling car in the closing months of last year, and this ultimate endorsement by What Car? will drive the new Fiesta to even greater success this year."
What Car? judges also named the Fiesta as the top car in the "supermini" catetory. They praised the new Fiesta inside and out, stating that no other supermini got close to its 'look at me' factor. The delicate curves and sharp edges made it the epitome of the stylish modern supermini.' They also commended the "zingy 1.25-litre engine, nimble handling and strong grip to make it a 'brilliant winner'........"
Adding to the success of Fiesta, the Ford Mondeo won Best Family Car and Best Estate for 2009.
The What Car? Car of the Year 2009 awards are covered in the magazine's February edition, available now. What Car? magazine has helped Britain's car buyers make purchasing decisions for more than 30 years. What Car? also publishes a price guide and operates whatcar.com, the UK's biggest car-buying advice website.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Torrent 7:38PM (1/23/2009)
It's a sign of great things to come from Ford. Now bring over that Ka!
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notYou 7:44PM (1/23/2009)
You had me until "...just started production in China." and "...will start production at a plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico."
Ugh.
I mean, I'd rather see our bailout money make it into the pockets of American workers. But I guess with NAFTA, CHANGE, and all - we're way past that.
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notYou 7:49PM (1/23/2009)
(I should point out that I'm aware that Ford didn't take any loot, but to think they aren't benefiting from the fed windfall would be naive)
Torrent 7:52PM (1/23/2009)
Who cares if it's made in Mexico? The Fusion is made in Mexico. That doesn't stop the critics from saying it's a great car.
compy386 9:03PM (1/23/2009)
Ford building cars in Mexico allows the company to offer more higher paying jobs here in the US. I'm all for that. Also why would you be against a US company making money selling cars in China?
C.W. 3:35PM (1/24/2009)
where it is built does not provide the biggest economic benefit anyways. it's where it is engineered, tested, designed, etc... building it mexico just means we are able to get it here in the U.S. at all... if it wasnt built in mexico, we wouldnt get it. Our gov't has decided to make it easy for transplant auto makers to build cars here to a cost advantage over our domestic OEM's so Ford is forced to build small cars elsewhere.
i say kudos to Ford for being smart... build it cheap so you can bring the people what they want.
joe 7:45PM (1/23/2009)
Top gear had a review of this a while back. Very entertaining and the gave it very high marks.
This needs to be available ASAP.
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Jake B 7:47PM (1/23/2009)
Blame high taxes and unions for the car being produced in Mexico.
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the vegas style guy 3:11AM (1/24/2009)
BLAHX3 = BLAH BLAH BLAH
doug 7:48PM (1/23/2009)
This comes out just in time for my Fusion lease to run out. Can't wait!
BTW, it's being built in Mexico for the cost savings, but also to avoid the tariffs many South American countries place on US made cars but not on Mexican made cars. Same as the Fusion - which does quite well in the Southern Hemisphere.
Ford is a global company - it's not all about the US market. (...and Ford hasn't taken any bailout money!!)
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PumaGTO 11:46AM (1/24/2009)
Indeed. The fusion is the only (almost) afordable big saloon we have here in Brasil. Camry and Accord are almost 50% more expensive, and thats all thanks to the fusion bein produced in Mexico.
Farmboy 8:10PM (1/23/2009)
I am so stoked for this car. It looks incredible. It will be a big blow to the competition with all of the praise it has gotten. It has always been a favorite of British car enthusiasts. It is going to sell in a very large volume here, no doubt. It is much better than anything else on the road, especially the Yaris (ugh!!!). This car will look great on American soil. I can't wait so see what else Mulally has in store for the good ole USA!
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mr.ed 8:19PM (1/23/2009)
Question #1: Can they make any money on this, as the dealers call it, "sh*tbox?" The dealers are bigger dinosaurs than the pickemup drivers.
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Rev Junkie 8:53PM (1/23/2009)
Great, so now the paddle-shift crap is going to be on the Fiesta. Will they even offer a three-pedal stickshift over here? I mean, it's way cheaper than some stupid flappy-paddle tranny for poseurs without the cognitive capacity to push a pedal and move a lever, and it is an ECONOMY CAR. A six-speed stick would probably get better mileage because the little 1.6 isn't working overtime to overcome the additional drivetrain losses a twin clutch transmission would incur not to mention the weight of the extra clutch, layshaft, etc.
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compy386 8:59PM (1/23/2009)
I hear you but the facts are only 5-10% of the market want a stick. Although the Fiesta should come with one standard. The dual clutch is optional.
firstplace 9:00PM (1/23/2009)
twin clutch transmissions are traditionally more efficient then regular manuals in terms of fuel economy, and this one was specifically designed for just that... I think time will show you to be mistaken on this one... mostly because the computer shifts better then the people do and in auto mode could be programed to be more efficent then most drivers.
Jeff 9:17AM (1/24/2009)
Agree. The Fiesta has a lot going for it-- looks, handling, build quality for the price, etc-- and I'd very seriously consider one. No clutch pedal is a deal breaker, though.
Mike 12:10PM (1/24/2009)
I wasn't sure about DSG and tried out an 07 GTI. I couldn't get it home fast enough. I have a bunch of gear. 99 Cobra (track car), 03 Dodge 2500 (tow vehicle), 07 Boxster S and a 07 Honda fit. I row gears and drive slush boxes. I do believe that autos have improved a lot in the last 5 years and the weight penalty for the DSG may be its negative but the parasitic loss of power seems to be in it's favor. I know that the GTI is fun to drive on track (3 or 4 laps and then the brakes drop off. Car needs a diet.) and I'm looking forward to my next Boxster with the PDK.
I think the Fit will get a run for its money with this car and I like the fact that the writing on the buttons looks large enough that its easy to read at a glance.
montoym 6:25PM (1/24/2009)
quote from Rev Junkie: -
"A six-speed stick would probably get better mileage because the little 1.6 isn't working overtime to overcome the additional drivetrain losses a twin clutch transmission would incur" -
You seem to be equating a dual clutch transmission to a traditional auto. Just because it's an auto does not automatically mean it has higher losses than a traditional(torque converter) auto. It does have two sets of clutches, but only one is engaged at a time, no different than a traditional stick shift.
Looking at the EPA figures for the GTI which is available with a 6spd manual as well as a 6spd dual clutch tranny, the EPA figures are in the DSG's favor. At least they were up to '08, for some reason for '09 the 6spd manuals figures climbed by 1mpg city, 2mpg hwy, and 1mpg combined. I don't know the reason for that as I'm not aware of any changes that were made.
Anyhow, looking at the '06-'08 model years, the GTI had better EPA figures for the DSG versions than the manuals(20/29/24 vs 22/29/25).
In my opinion, much of the reason that autos achieved worse mileage than sticks in the past had to do with the difference in gears. For a while, 4spd autos were the norm while 5spd and 6spd manuals were the norm. The extra ratio(s) allowed manuals to achieve better mileage than their automatic counterparts. As autos have gained gears(now surpassing manuals in some cases), their efficiency has climbed and closed the gap with manuals. I'm sure technology advances and more efficient autos have helped, but I truly think that those additional ratios are what really make the difference.
dwaltr 9:07PM (1/23/2009)
It's DOA for America for two reasons.
1. It's not a truck.
2. For those that only buy cars it doesn't have a Japanese badge on it.
Sorry Ford, but keep your good stuff in Europe where it belongs and don't waste your time with anything but the big heavy stuff for the big and heavy Americans.
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