Ford has announced that volume production of the new Ford Fiesta has begun at its assembly plant in Cologne. The reception to the new styling of the Fiesta has been mixed, but the features on offer and the its legacy of being Europe’s best selling Small car should keep it going strong.
“The new Fiesta has seven powertrain options – both diesel and petrol – that deliver fuel economy of less than 100 grams of CO2 per kilometre,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford of Europe.
Ford has sold more than 15 million Fiestas worldwide since the vehicle first went into production in 1976. More than 235,000 have been sold in Europe in the first three quarters of 2012, making it the best-selling small car in the region.
The new Fiesta debuts Ford MyKey in Europe. MyKey is Ford’s technology that enables parents to program restricted driving modes for their kids. The MyKey is different from the Admin Key used by the vehicle owner. Using the MyKey instead of the admin key ensures that important safety features remain on, automatically mutes the audio system volume whenever seat belts are not worn. It also allows you to choose and place speed limits and audio system volume, and can also bring the low-fuel light on sooner.
The European version also get voice-activated in-car connectivity system SYNC, Active City Stop that helps drivers avoid low speed collisions and SYNC Emergency Assistance that directly connects vehicle occupants to local emergency services operators after an accident.
Arriving in dealerships soon, new Fiesta is offered with 1.0-litre EcoBoost – the 2012 ‘International Engine of the Year’. An ECOnetic Technology version powered by a 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine achieves 87 g/km CO2.
This piece of news lends credence to speculation that the Fiesta in India should be getting the 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine after the launch of the long awaited EcoSport. When the new Fiesta does land on Indian shores, it should get the 1.0 litre EcoBoost and we hope at least the Active City Stop, if not MyKey and SYNC. Come to think of it, in our country MyKey would definitely work wonders for the sales figures of the new Ford Fiesta.