The Ford Fiesta: Big car feel
in a small hatch
THE Fiesta, Ford’s entry in the world subcompact market, is perhaps the most promoted car model in the country today. Prior to its media launch, Ford conducted a promotion in June using the social networking sites as medium and offered scale models of the car as prizes for lucky fans. Almost everyone who has seen the photos of the car on the internet and the scale model got excited.
On August 16, Ford dealers and the media got a glimpse of the car which comes in a five-door hatch and four-door sedan with a total of six variants and eight attractive colors. It made its public debut during the recent 3rd Philippine International Motorshow. The car will be available to buyers in October.
Ford believes the Fiesta has what it takes to take on the more established players like the Honda Jazz and City, the Toyota Vios and Yaris. It will also compete head-on with the Mazda 2 which shares the same chassis as the Fiesta. Last week, Ford invited some 20 journalists, one of the biggest Philippine contingents in recent years, to Phuket, Thailand to give them a Fiesta driving experience.
Ford chose Phuket, at one time Thailand’s top tourist destination until a killer tsunami hit its coastal areas in 2004. Phuket, Thailand’s biggest island which is almost the size of Singapore, has recovered since then as gleaned from the Renaissance Resort and Spa, our home during the three-day visit, and other first class resorts in the area.
Our one-day event started with a powerhouse cast of engineers and designers who shared with us insights on the development of the Fiesta as a global car. Debbie Pascoe is Ford’s color and trim manager for Asia-Pacific and Africa who is based in Melbourne, Australia. If you find the Fiesta’s colors and designs attractive and so pleasant to look at inside and out Debbie had a hand on them. The car is balanced with smooth lines, dramatic interior styling that matches the exterior finish.
Stefan Muenzigner heads Ford’s vehicle integration for B-cars for Asia Pacific and Africa. Based in Cologne, Germany, Stefan works closely with the development engineers in Ford’s European Engineering Center which has the lead for all Ford’s B-cars globally. He is responsible for the functionl attributes of the vehicle, such as Vehicle Dynamics (Ride and Steering), NVH ( Noise, Vibration and Harshness) and Performance Feel.
Ian Constance is director of product programs for Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. He has development responsibility for Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo, Transit, Ranger, Everest and Escape. These are the people who are part of the team that created some of the vehicles that we see or drive today. Meeting them was like coming face to face with an author of a best-seller book or a creator of an outstanding work of art.
Developed around the philosophy of bringing "big car" premium features into the small car segment, the new Fiesta sets higher standards for comfort and convenience for both driver and passengers.
With high-quality finishing touches, appealing contemporary materials and user interfaces inspired by the latest personal electronics, Fiesta is no ordinary small car. According to our resource persons, the new Fiesta is designed to give drivers the feeling they are seated behind the wheel of a sports car. Controls for major functions are within easy reach, including the new In-Car Entertainment (ICE) system embedded in the centre console. Steering wheel-mounted controls make it easy to adjust the audio system. To ensure a comfortable, yet sporty and widely adjustable driver’s seat, extra back and thigh support was added to complement the Fiesta’s driving character without compromising comfort.
The combination of vertical and horizontal adjustments ensures headroom is not compromised for even the tallest of drivers, despite Fiesta’s sleek roof profile. The steering wheel is the core interaction between driver and vehicle and communicates the new Fiesta’s sportiness and confident driving quality. The driving position is further enhanced by the angle of the steering column. The column features a two-way height adjustment and is located at a more vertical angle for greater comfort.
Two of the features I instantly enjoyed are the controls for the major functions and the easy to read decals on the car’s center stack. I would normally use my reading glass to operate audio controls on other cars but the Fiesta’s controls can be operated with minimal distraction. The steering wheel is also something to really like about the Fiesta. It is sculpted in such a way that your hands have a good grip of the wheel but at the same time its extended pads on the 10-and-2 o’clock positions give you a relaxing feel. The Fiesta is one of the few cars I’ve seen this feature on. Ian Constance explained that in designing the new interior for Fiesta, designers worked extensively with Computer Aided Virtual Engineering or CAVE. By using a series of projectors and computers, CAVE creates a life-sized simulation of a vehicle’s interior. With this computerized simulation, engineers can virtually adjust the position of the driver’s seat to ensure that visibility, comfort, steering wheel angle and ability to reach major controls are optimized.
Ergonomic experts helped designers shape the Fiesta’s rear windshield to ensure ample visibility, while maintaining its kinetic shape.
The striking centre stack on the instrument panel is the heart of Fiesta’s ICE. Designers were inspired by the new wave of personal electronic devices and came up with a more intuitive, interactive display.
Designers focused on the three themes of Ford’s Human Machine Interface (HMI) strategy: simplicity and integration, usefulness and personalization and control and automation.
The result is an interface that provides a screen, controls and electronics that are instantly familiar and easy-to-use for today’s driver. Each button and switch on the HMI has been crafted with the minute attention to detail that characterizes good portable electronic designs. I agree that the new Fiesta’s instrument panel centre stack looks and feels very different from traditional automotive switchgear.
MP3 and AUX input connections for personal entertainment devices are standard in all new Fiesta models. A first in this segment, the Sport hatchback model is equipped with Voice Control technology paired with Bluetooth®, which provides wireless connectivity to a mobile phone. The Voice Control feature allows the use of one’s voice to make and receive calls, change the radio station or music track, all playing through a six-speaker sound system. The Sport model is also available with a USB plug-in feature. I first saw a similar feature demonstrated by Motorola using a Focus during the 2007 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Other functions are easily controlled via a series of toggle-type switches located on the steering wheel, allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the road. The new Fiesta boasts more interior space without increasing the overall dimensions of the car and more stowage capacity. Despite its size, the car has sufficient legroom and shoulder room for occupants.
The car especially the hatch version has flexible luggage space. It also has at least nine storage spaces but the ones I like most are the large front door bins capable of storing a 1.5-litre bottle or road maps, windshield parking ticket holders which make sure that you don’t misplace toll or parking tickets and the drawer located under the passenger seat where you can place a pair of spare shoes or sandals.
The most enjoyable part of the day was driving the Fiesta itself on the wide, almost traffic-free roads of Phuket. It was a scenic 220-km drive through some of the island’s attractions like the Lam Pae waterfalls, mountains, the beaches of Phang-nga province and some mementos of the tragic 2004 tidal wave. In the beaches we visited including the beach by our hotel we saw tsunami warning signs and directional signs for evacuation sites in case a tidal wave strikes.
My co-driver, Ferman Lao of Top Gear, and I first tried the 5-door hatch with a 1.4L engine which features four-valve technology with port fuel injection. The engine produces 95 PS (70kW) of power at 5750rpm and 126Nm of torque at 4200rpm. The car handled very well on both highways and mountain roads. It felt very stable and kept pace with other variants that use the bigger1.6L engine. Ferman and I were one in saying that both the driver’s and passenger seats had very comfortable lumbar support and along with the very quiet cabin, it gave us a big car feel.
Stefan had earlier explained that Ford engineers were able to bring the NVH or noise levels to the minimum thus, you barely hear the roar of the engine nor the tires’ contact on the road.
The Fiesta also gets excellent marks on fuel consumption and safety. The car uses modern, fuel-efficient powertains that deliver exceptional power, fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions. In controlled fuel economy run conducted by Ford, the Fiesta recorded 6.1L per 100 kms or 16.6 kmsto a liter. The engines are designed to operate on RON 91 and E20 fuel, and are Euro III emission compliant.
Fully independent variable camshaft timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts is key to both power and fuel efficiency. This engine feature, Twin independent – Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) enables the 1.6-litre engine to produce 121 PS (89kW) of power at 6000rpm.
Ford’s new best-in-class six-speed PowerShift dual-clutch automatic transmission is standard on the 1.6L engines. PowerShift provides exceptional fuel economy and acceleration for all driving conditions.
To emphasize the car’s rigidity and cabin safety and quietness, the engineers also showed us the strategic areas that were strengthened by boron steel. More than 55 percent of the structure uses high strength steel with ultra-strong boron steel reinforcing several key points.
The Trend and Sport models feature a passenger-side airbag as standard equipment in addition to the driver’s side airbag. With its safety, fuel economy, convenience and comfort features, not to mention the "big car" feel, the Fiesta is one subcompact I would love to drive even on long provincial trips.