The 2011 Ford Fiesta has made quiet a name for itself in the US. This is due to the huge success of the Fiesta Movement which for the last six months has had hundreds of agents driving millions of miles on the Euro-Spec version of the Ford Fiesta. I have been following it very avidly since I took a Ride and Drive event in New Richmond Ohio
My first experience with the Ford Fiesta was a Lime Squeeze green 1.6L Ti-VCT mated to a 5-Speed manual transmission. My biggest qualm at the time was with the Brake Package. I understand that there is a price point which has to be met and this saved money but it was one of the issues that I did have. The second thing was the shifter was quiet loose with too much clearance in the gates and a somewhat long throw. There really wasn't much of a chance to really see how this car really drove because I was only allowed to take it around the block. The only thing I could take from this was good steering feel which was light but very precise with good feel. I left with a sense of being unsure if I liked the car or not. I really wanted to like it but I had issues with it.
On the other hand the Ford Fiesta signifies a huge step forward in the American B-segment or actually a first in the B-segment. In the United States the Fiesta will be offered as a 4-Door Sedan as well as a 5-door hatchback. This is due the American tendency to buy their small cars as sedans. I don't mind this, because when I think of a hatchback I think of a city car, but when I see a small sedan I still see it as a very tiny version of a highway cruise. Though the Fiesta Movement agents have been spreading the love for the hatchback I still think the Sedan will be a huge seller here.
Features I think we will see:
-Microsoft SYNC system
-MP3 Interface
-ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution
-Keyless Entry
-Possible 1.6L EcoBoost 180hp option (later model upgrade)
These are just some of what I will see, while speaking with Sam De La Garza I was told that limiting the engine choices compared to the European model will allow great leeway in putting more options on the interior of the vehicle. This means that there could be a considerable difference in build quality compared to the European model. This bodes well and heightens my anticipation for the release of the US Spec version.
Tonight the Fiesta Movement agents are cruising Hollywood Boulevard in anticipation for the Sneak Peek tomorrow night. At the event they will have to hand over their keys and the Fiesta Movement will have finally come to an end after six month of tweets, videos, pics, and missions. It has to be hard for them to let it go, but at the same time the public will finally be able to see the US Version that the public has so patiently waited for. Final pricing info will be released as well so you can finally know how much you will have to lay down to have an awesome small car.
I am writing this because I am so excited to finally see the product that me as an American is going to see on dealer lots. This is a step in the right direction for American auto makers and I hope to see more and more fuel efficient vehicles with fun driving personalities and nippy small displacement engines that you can easily fall in love with. The Fiesta Movement has brought the public into direct contact with the executives who make the decisions on the cars that us as consumers are going to buy. Tomorrow will be an excellent day and I am excited to see the Fiesta for the first time.
Ford didn't tell me to write this in any shape or form but I just wanted to thank them for giving me an excellent experience and allowing me to get an inside view into the world of getting a vehicle in the country and in the hands of American drivers.
