Congrats to Ford as the first Fiesta ST rolls off the assembly line

We have a few more months before the 2014 Fiesta ST is available here in North America, however the first production models have rolled off the line on February 6, 2013 in Cologne, Germany.

When it’s here, the 2720 pound 197 HP 215 lb-ft Fiesta ST will be a pocket rocket unlike any other in the country.

Ford Press video and technical specifications follow.

2014 FORD FIESTA ST

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

	1.6-liter five-door hatchback
BODY
Construction	Unitized steel   body
Final assembly location	Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico
POWERTRAIN AND CHASSIS
ENGINE
Type	1.6-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost®
Manufacturing location	Bridgend, UK
Configuration	Aluminum block   and head
Valvetrain	DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Bore x stroke	3.10 x 3.20inches/79.0 x 81.4 mm
Displacement	97.4 cu. in./1,596 cc
Compression ratio	10.0:1
Horsepower	197 @ 6,350 rpm   (est. w/premium fuel)
Torque	215 lb.-ft. @   5,000 rpm (est. w/premium fuel)
Recommended fuel	87 octane
Fuel capacity	12.4 gallons
Fuel injection	Gasoline turbocharged direct injected
Oil capacity	4.25 quarts with filter
Emission control	Three-way catalyst
Federal emissions (tailpipe/evaporation) (50-state)	Tier 2 Bin   4/LEV II
DRIVETRAIN
Layout	Front-wheel   drive
TRANSMISSION
Standard	Six-speed   manual
Gear ratios
First	3.727
Second	2.098
Third	1.357
Fourth	1.030
Fifth	0.821
Sixth	.690
Reverse	3.730
Final drive	3.82 to 1
SUSPENSION
Front	Independent   MacPherson strut with stabilizer bar
Rear	Twist beam with coil springs
STEERING
Type	rack-and-pinion with EPAS
Ratio	13.6:1
Turning circlecurb-to-curb	35.5 ft.
BRAKES
Type	Power-assisted disc brakes with four-wheel anti-lock braking system (ABS) and three-mode AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Control
Front	10.9-inch   vented disc
Rear	9.96-inch solid disc
TIRES AND WHEELS (TYPE, SIZE)
ST Hatchback	17-inch alloy   wheels with summer performance tires
DIMENSIONS (inches unless otherwise noted)
EXTERIOR
Wheelbase	98.0
Length	160.1
Width	67.8
Height	57.2
Track, front/rear	57.7/57.0
INTERIOR
Seating capacity		Five
Front headroom		39.1
Front legroom		42.2
Front shoulder room		52.7
Front hip room		50.6
Rear headroom		37.2
Rear legroom		31.2
Rear shoulder room		49.0
Rear hip room		49.2
WEIGHTS AND CAPACITIES
Total passenger volume (cu. ft.)		85.1
Cargo volume (cu. ft.)		10.1 –   full-size spare tire included
Maximum towing
capacity (properly   equipped)		Not recommended
BASE CURB WEIGHT (POUNDS)
Manual transmission		2,720
FUEL ECONOMY		City/highway
1.6-liter, six-speed manual		Not yet EPA rated

Global RallyCross Championship Ford Fiesta ST announced at Chicago Auto Show

We’re very fortunate here in North America to be able to reap the full benefits of the One Ford strategy in the Ford Fiesta and Focus. With the added benefit of finally having the top European performance Fords for sale here – not dumbed down (as in the case of the old SVT Focus, for example) but with the exact same engine and suspension packages as their European twins. The result is the Focus ST and the Fiesta ST, and in 2 years the global 2015 Mustang will be added to the set.

This strategy also extends to racing, where the new Fiesta ST race car for the global RallyCross Championship will be shown first in North America, at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show.

Ford Press Release and images follows:

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Ford Announces Fiesta ST Race Car, Expanded Partnerships for Global RallyCross Championship

• Ford Racing to introduce new OlsbergsMSE-built Fiesta ST Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) race car based off the new Ford Fiesta ST production car, which goes on sale this summer

• The OlsbergsMSE Fiesta ST GRC cars will be driven by Tanner Foust and Brian Deegan

• Ford Racing and OlsbergsMSE sign a multiyear manufacturer partnership to build on their back-to-back Global RallyCross Championships and multiple X Games medals

• Ford driver and 2012 X Games silver medalist Ken Block will also compete in the 2013 Global RallyCross Championship and will introduce his new Fiesta ST GRC car later this year

• The OlsbergsMSE Fiesta ST GRC race car will be on display Thursday and Friday at the Chicago Auto Show

• Ford announced as sole automotive sponsor for the 2013 summer X Games with RallyCross events at all four global events

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 6, 2013 – In many ways the 2014 Ford Fiesta ST is a race car built for the street; Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) fans will soon get an up-close view of the same car built exclusively for competition at the Chicago Auto Show.

With Ford’s global launch of Fiesta ST under way, Ford Racing will introduce the ST performance badge in the 2013 season of the Global RallyCross Championship and Global X Games events.

The move is part of an expanded Global RallyCross program for Ford as it capitalizes on the growing popularity of the series and its increased visibility through X Games and some larger-than-life personalities, including Tanner Foust, Brian Deegan and Ken Block.

The first Fiesta ST GRC cars will debut this season with Block, Deegan and two-time Global RallyCross champion Foust. Foust and Deegan will give performance car enthusiasts and media the first look at the OlsbergsMSE Fiesta ST GRC race car this week at the Chicago Auto Show.

“Global RallyCross has been a great series for us to demonstrate what Ford’s small performance cars can do,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford Racing. “With great drivers and teams, and now a formal manufacturer partnership with OlsbergsMSE, Ford Racing’s commitment to Global RallyCross is quickly growing. We’re excited about the debut of the Fiesta ST GRC car this year, and it will be fantastic to see Ford’s global performance car compete in four countries around the world this season.”

To support development of the RallyCross Fiesta ST program, Ford Racing has formalized its manufacturer partnership with OlsbergsMSE, whose credentials include two consecutive GRC driver championships with Foust, and podium finishes at all six rounds in 2012. The team has helped Ford earn GRC manufacturer’s championships in 2011 and 2012.

OlsbergsMSE will field the Fiesta STs for Foust and Deegan.

“OlsbergsMSE has a good history developing extreme/RallyCross cars, and with the longer-term manufacturer relationship with Ford and its technical support, together we will develop even stronger RallyCross cars,” said Andreas Eriksson, OlsbergsMSE team principal. “The partnership is exactly what OlsbergsMSE needs to continue to be a winning team in the coming years.

“There are great teams and manufacturers coming to the series and the sport,” Eriksson continued. “We will have better and tougher competition, and I look forward to the challenge of staying persistent in the development of our cars.

“Outside of our technical development, we will also be very focused on providing our drivers with the information and input they need to be the best,” Eriksson added. “This is the way our entire OlsbergsMSE program moves forward, together with Ford. To be the best in this extreme sport, hard work and dedication is required from drivers and team.”

Joining Foust and Deegan to round out Ford’s GRC program is Block and the Hoonigan Racing Division. Block’s strong 2012 Global RallyCross season was highlighted by a silver medal at X Games 18 behind World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb, and he posted top two qualifying positions in each of the series’ last four rounds.

“I’m stoked to be able to say I’m going to be continuing to race Fords in Global RallyCross for the next few years, especially with the four X Games events this summer,” said Block. “For the upcoming 2013 season, my team is taking everything we learned during my rookie season last year and applying it to an all-new RallyCross car. It’s going to be a fun season.”

The Global RallyCross Championship will have a true global presence in 2013. In addition to five expected North American events, there will be four X Games in 2013 with RallyCross competition. Ford is sole automotive sponsor for all four 2013 summer global X Games, which will include the traditional event in Los Angeles and new venues in Brazil, Spain and Germany.

“Global RallyCross and X Games allow us to connect with the next generation of Ford customers and a very important group of performance enthusiasts,” said Allison. “They already know Ford for great products like Mustang and Raptor, but are becoming a real force helping drive the growing B- and C-car performance segments.”

Fiesta success in 2012 Global RallyCross Championship

• 1-2 finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Marcus Gronholm and Foust
• Sweep at Texas Motor Speedway with Gronholm, Foust and Deegan
• Silver and bronze at X Games with Block and Deegan
• Third-place podium finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Deegan
• 1-2 finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Foust and Deegan
• 1-2 finish at SEMA in Las Vegas with Foust and Deegan
• Foust clinched second-consecutive GRC Championship, followed by Deegan
• Ford clinched second-consecutive GRC manufacturer’s championship with four first-place finishes and 12 podium appearances

Ken Block’s “Gymkhana Five: The Ultimate Urban Playground, San Francisco” tops all the others!

If you haven’t seen this video already, you’re not an internet maven. Within minutes of it being posted early today it was seen by tens of thousands of viewers, and even more when it was quickly embedded in sites worldwide (and 5.1 million times in the first 24 hours!). You could probably measure the impact to the economies of countries worldwide by the loss of productivity as office-bound viewers and their managers stopped everything to watch this new video.

We’re several hours late, but for the record, here is Ken Block’s 5th installment of his hoon driving videos. And this one tops all the others. What could possibly come next? And where can we get a Fiesta like his?

Be sure to look for the special cameo by Travis Pastrana!

Words fail: Ken Block Fiesta

And you think the Fiesta is “cute”?

Ford Fiesta for North American market introduced

The Feista has made the trip to North (and Central) America and it looks to be pretty much intact. Despite offering a chrome schnozola (the infamous 3-bar chrome grill, although not as overdone as the one on so many of it’s Detroit cousins) on the top of the line model, the Fiesta retains it’s European roots and design principles. The Fiesta truly sets the standard of small car design and options.

Ford Press Releases follow:
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2011 FORD FIESTA: FUEL-EFFICIENT, PROGRESSIVE DESIGN OFFERS VERSATILITY, PERSONALITY
- The all-new Ford Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, with sharp reflexes and a global track record that will redefine U.S. small car customers’ expectations
- Fiesta offers 15 class-exclusive technologies, adding luxury and convenience usually found in vehicles at significantly higher price points
- Fiesta is projected to deliver best-in-class highway fuel economy of 40 mpg, with a responsive 1.6-liter DOHC I-4 engine, advanced PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission and Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS)
- Designed to be versatile, personal and adaptable, Fiesta is expected to deliver best-in-class safety, convenience and connectivity with segment-exclusive SYNC® voice-activated communications system, an expressive color palette and available graphics

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 2, 2009 – Ford’s hot-selling new Ford Fiesta will deliver more than just great looks and top fuel economy of any vehicle in its segment when it goes on sale in North America next year. The 2011 Fiesta – available in four- and five-door body styles – also will set a new small car benchmark for safety, connectivity and powertrain technology.

In fact, Fiesta will offer North American buyers a stylish new choice of 15 class-exclusive technologies and projected highway fuel economy of 40 mpg, besting the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris and Corolla.

“Customers are savvy. They want expressive cars that deliver not just great fuel economy but also high quality, new technologies and a fun driving experience,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “We plan to answer the call with Fiesta; an all-new vehicle in North America we hope will set a new standard for small cars.”

Fiesta is the next milestone under the ONE Ford plan to design and develop vehicles that meet the differing needs, wants and expectations of customers around the world. More than 500,000 Fiestas have already sold to customers in Europe and Asia.

When developing the new Fiesta, Ford conducted extensive global customer research. Findings clearly indicated the need for style topped the list of customer desires everywhere in the world. In Europe, across North America and in the Asia Pacific region, customers are looking for a distinctively designed small car that offers world-class quality, convenience, comfort and connectivity.

“Fiesta was developed with customers, not just for them,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president for global product development. “Fuel economy, spirited performance and efficient use of space are universal desires, across global markets – and Fiesta delivers.”

The anticipated new Ford Fiesta arrives in North America with strong consumer awareness, thanks to the Fiesta Movement program. With 100 social media mavens chronicling their experiences of driving European market Fiestas on American roads, Fiesta has generated more than 675,000 Flickr views and more than 5.5 million YouTube video views.

Kinetics and aesthetics
Kinetic design imparts a sense of movement – even while standing still – harmonizing character elements to reflect global Ford identity, enabling Fiesta to project its own air of confidence, style and individuality. Fiesta targets a youthful “design progressive” mind-set, a consumer group that values style and diversity as worthy assets.

“These influential, prospective Fiesta customers relate to the design philosophy of ‘energy in motion’ because it reflects their personal outlook and lifestyle,” said Kevin George, Fiesta design manager.

Up front, Fiesta sports the global Ford face, centering the Blue Oval badge on the grille over the signature inverted trapezoid lower grille opening. These subtle cues engender familiarity across the portfolio, providing aesthetic linkage between the distinctive new Taurus, the fuel-efficient midsize Fusion and the bold Fiesta.

Adding eyes to the Fiesta face are sweeping, elongated headlamps that frame and connect the hood to muscular, sculpted front fenders. Available in sporty five-door hatchback or four-door sedan body styles, Fiesta provides ample space for occupants and their gear.

At the rear of the car, many design elements merge, including the chamfered rear liftgate glass, the low roofline sweeping into a spoiler and dramatic taillamps with honeycomb detailing mounted high in the five-door’s corners. Muscular rear quarter panels, wrapped tightly, draw the eye to the wheels and Fiesta’s confident stance.

The Fiesta design is further enhanced with a choice of nine vivid new colors. From Bright Magenta through Lime Squeeze to Blue Flame, Fiesta’s broad color palette – more available colors than any other segment competitors – instills vibrant individuality.

Inside Fiesta
Fiesta is as dramatic on the inside as it is on the outside. Boldly sculpted surfaces, contrasting colors and comfortable, supportive materials make the interior as individual as the driver.

The instrument panel centerstack – focal point of the new Fiesta interior – was designed to feel as useful and familiar as the keypad on a mobile phone.

The North American Fiesta features first-row bucket seats with a 60/40 split second-row seat. Cloth or leather seating surfaces vary by trim level offering comfort, style and individuality. High series Fiestas also offer leather with sporty contrast accent color piping.

Soft, sculptured surfaces and the centerstack layout provide the Fiesta with a sense of harmony. Intuitive switchgear placement, comfort zone seating and available ambient lighting allow a driver to maximize the mood with seven complementary colors – switchable among three levels of intensity – for interior accent lighting.

And Fiesta keeps it green; 25 percent of volume-series SE seat fabric inserts are comprised of recycled content.

Fun, with fuel efficiency
Fiesta’s flowing sculpted hood covers a 1.6-liter DOHC I-4 engine with an estimated 119 horsepower and 109 ft.-lbs. of torque. Spirited performance and fuel-efficient economy are signature attributes with the Fiesta expected to deliver best-in-class fuel economy at 40 mpg.

Fiesta’s advanced 1.6-liter engine features Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) allowing the engine to be downsized for fuel economy while continuously optimizing camshaft phasing for throttle response, performance and flexibility.

Big results from a small package are possible with several new technologies in this new global engine, including an advanced new front end accessory drive (FEAD) belt with stretchy dynamics to improve the engine’s thermal dynamics. The elasticity in this new drive belt eliminates the need for a belt tensioner and contributes to overall fuel economy.

Fiesta features a standard five-speed manual transaxle with gear ratios selected to offer spirited off-the-line performance and exceptional fuel economy for drivers who desire three pedals and a stick shift to maximize driving experience.

Specially tuned front struts, bushings, dampers, stabilizer bars and a rear twist-beam axle keep Fiesta sure-footed and firmly planted. Sporty, European driving dynamics prevail.

Automatically game-changing
An available all-new North American industry-exclusive PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission combines the responsive performance and fuel economy of a manual transmission with the convenience of a traditional automatic in one advanced, dual dry-clutch package.

“Fuel economy leaders have traditionally been manual shift models,” said Pierro Aversa, team leader for transmissions. “Fiesta changes the game by offering an advanced PowerShift six-speed automatic that delivers maximum fuel economy.”

Twin internal clutches keep the PowerShift in constant mesh, always optimizing for maximum responsiveness or fuel efficiency, depending on input received from the driver’s foot on the accelerator pedal.

This “dry” transmission operates with sealed internal lubrication, reducing internal friction and adding to Fiesta fuel economy. The lack of pumps and hoses reduces under-hood complexity, saves weight and also contributes to fuel efficiency.

PowerShift has been proven in Ford’s European market and will redefine North American small car segment expectations for responsive shifting and fuel efficiency.

Power steering conserves fuel
For confidence-inspiring on-road dynamics, Fiesta features Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) which reduces complexity while saving weight and fuel. This advanced system is speed-sensitive – providing optimized assist based on speed, cornering forces and acceleration or deceleration.

Ford is aggressively moving to EPAS across its product lineup. The system already is available in several Ford, Lincoln and Mercury nameplates, and by 2013 nearly 90 percent of Ford’s lineup will offer this fuel saving technology.

EPAS also includes Pull-Drift Compensation to help Fiesta track true regardless of road crown or side wind conditions. In addition, active nibble control helps detect and compensate for tire balance irregularity. Both features – enabled by EPAS – are class-exclusives.

Strength, safety, quality and quiet
More than 50 percent of Fiesta’s welded body structure is made from high-strength steel, with ultra-strong boron steel used in several critical areas. This rigid body shell contributes to Fiesta’s confident road-holding, best-in-class occupant safety and quiet composure.

Fiesta safety is enhanced by an array of features including dual-stage first-row air bags, a class-exclusive driver’s knee air bag, side air bags and side curtain air bags. AdvanceTrac® with ESC (Electronic Stability Control) is standard on Fiesta, along with seat belt pretensioners, rear door child safety locks and a Safety Canopy® system.

Tested and proven on virtually every continent where you can drive a car, Fiesta arrives with proven quality and customer readiness.

“For North America, the global Fiesta was tweaked, not re-designed or re-developed.” said Steve Pintar, chief engineer. “We built on the success of the European Fiesta and are really proud of how little has changed.”

Fiesta NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) control is taken to a new level of quiet for this segment, helped in part by a specially laminated, class-exclusive windshield that was chosen to help absorb and contain noise. Engine noise is subdued by a hood blanket, with enhanced door seals keeping wind noise minimized.

Special padding behind the instrument panel and foam baffles mounted inside the pillars keeps Fiesta quiet. Even the headliner material was specified for its sound-deadening qualities.

Much of Fiesta’s sound-absorbent materials are comprised of recycled content, helping to conserve resources as it preserves peace and quiet. In addition, Fiesta aerodynamics contributes to both NVH control and fuel efficiency.

Features and functionality
From class-exclusive automatic climate control to a standard aux input, Fiesta offers customers a number of standard and available features that increase convenience and add connectivity. Among them is Ford SYNC®, integrating a driver’s mobile phone with Fiesta’s onboard, voice- activated communications and entertainment system.

Fiesta also offers keyless entry and push button start, a feature unique within the segment. Drivers of all sizes can adjust the tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel to suit their individual preferences. Reflecting Fiesta’s versatility and adaptability, adjustable cup holders can accommodate Red Bull cans and Big Gulps along with every container size in between.

Fiesta also features Ford’s EasyFuel® Capless Fuel-Filler System, a North American industry- exclusive, as standard equipment.

Fiesta sales success
Fiesta is continuing its sales momentum as Europe’s No. 2-selling car and Ford of Europe’s top-selling vehicle, helping increase Ford’s share in Europe’s main 19 markets. More than 500,000 Fiestas have been sold since the car was launched last autumn. In Europe, the Fiesta name has long been synonymous with outstanding drive quality, design and value. It’s winning enthusiastic media reviews in Asia. Now, the all-new Fiesta offers North American consumers a stylish, fuel-efficient alternative.

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FORD FIESTA BALANCES FUEL EFFICIENCY, DRIVING FUN
- The all-new Ford Fiesta arrives with a responsive 1.6-liter DOHC I-4 engine, featuring Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) to deliver the optimum balance of power and fuel efficiency
- Fiesta offers buyers a choice between an advanced PowerShift six-speed automatic or traditional five-speed manual transmission
- Fiesta brings European road holding and sharp handling characteristics to redefine North American small car driver expectations

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 2, 2009 – Ford Fiesta arrives with a sophisticated drivetrain – striking a balance between responsive and responsible – delivering both European driving dynamics and projected 40 mpg highway fuel economy to challenge the North American small car status quo.

“The Fiesta powertrain redefines performance, fuel economy and flexibility for the small car segment,” said Barb Samardzich, vice president of Ford global powertrain engineering. “The Fiesta delivers a fun-to-drive experience that will set it apart from the competition.”

Power to the people
The Ford Fiesta’s 1.6-liter DOHC I-4 engine delivers an estimated 119 horsepower and 109 ft.-lb. of torque, giving customers responsive performance. Big results from a small package are possible with several new technologies in this new, global engine.

Fiesta features Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) which allows the engine to be downsized for fuel economy while continuously optimizing camshaft phasing for throttle response, performance and flexibility.

Ti-VCT gives variable – yet precise – control of valve overlap or the duration of time in which both intake and exhaust valves are simultaneously open. Valve overlap management by sophisticated controller mechanisms is critical to eliminating intake and exhaust flow compromises.

This technology also optimizes phasing on both intake and exhaust camshafts by spinning them ever so slightly to advance or retard valve timing, resulting in improved throttle response at initial throttle tip-in, reduced emissions at part throttle and enhanced efficiency at higher rpm. The outcome is more power, responsiveness and fuel efficiency from less overall cylinder displacement.

During development of this global engine measures were taken to keep overall powertrain weight as low as possible.

The block, cylinder head and oil pan – traditionally the heaviest engine components – are aluminum castings. To increase rigidity, these elements are ribbed for additional strength and durability. Pistons are cast aluminum, as well, with the light weight helping to reduce reciprocating mass and adding to fuel efficiency.

Composite material is employed to keep intake manifold weight to an absolute minimum while allowing for induction routing to increase thermal efficiency and improve low-end torque characteristics.

Another Fiesta powertrain innovation is the new Front End Accessory Drive (FEAD) belt with stretchy dynamics, to improve the engine’s thermal properties. The elasticity in this new drive belt eliminates the need for a tensioning device. This decreases under-hood complexity and weight, helps increase fuel economy, and eases belt replacement at specified mileage intervals.

Transformational transmission
Fiesta launches with an all-new, North American industry-exclusive PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission combining the responsive performance of a manual shift with the convenience of a traditional automatic.

Fiesta’s PowerShift transmission gives better fuel efficiency than a traditional torque convertor automatic or manual shift transmission.

“PowerShift is a transmission that changes the game,” said Samardzich. “Our fuel economy leader is now a PowerShift automatic. Traditionally, a small car driver needed a stick shift and a clutch pedal to enjoy the greatest fuel efficiency.”

Twin internal clutches keep the PowerShift in constant mesh, continuously optimizing for maximum responsiveness and fuel efficiency, depending on engine speed, vehicle speed and input from the driver’s foot on the accelerator pedal.

PowerShift is a dual dry clutch transmission, operating with sealed internal lubrication, reducing friction and adding to Fiesta’s fuel economy. The lack of pumps and hoses reduces complexity, saves weight and contributes to fuel efficiency.

Simpler, more responsive and more fuel efficient than a conventional four-speed automatic transaxle, PowerShift represents an innovative small car breakthrough.

Do-it-yourself alternative
For some small car drivers, the experience isn’t complete without being given the choice of shift points.

Fiesta offers customers a standard five-speed manual transaxle with the ideal combination of gearing to provide swift acceleration from rest, responsive power at mid-range speeds and relaxed highway cruising in the overdrive fifth gear. Hydraulic actuation makes for smooth engagement with an easy-to-modulate clutch pedal, reduces the potential for slip and helps fuel economy.

Fuel-efficient power steering, with benefits
Fiesta features Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS), which decreases complexity, saves weight and improves fuel economy by significantly reducing parasitic drag on the engine in comparison to traditional hydraulic power-assisted steering. EPAS is speed-sensitive, providing optimized assist based on vehicle speed, steering wheel angle, cornering forces and acceleration or deceleration.

For the Fiesta application, EPAS is tuned to provide an engaging driver experience.

EPAS enables Pull-Drift Compensation to help Fiesta track true. This software-based technology detects road conditions – such as a crowned road surface or blustery crosswinds – and adjusts the EPAS system to help the driver compensate for the pulling and drifting these conditions can cause. Pull-Drift Compensation is designed to be imperceptible to the Fiesta driver.

In addition, EPAS enables Active Nibble Cancellation. This technology senses for irregularity in wheel balance and the related steering wheel vibration – or “shimmy” – it can cause. Like Pull-Drift Compensation, Active Nibble Cancellation is designed and integrated to be seamless and unnoticeable to the driver while sensing and compensating for rotational oscillations due to wheel balance issues or uneven brake rotor wear.

Euro dynamics
The front-wheel-drive Ford Fiesta features MacPherson Strut front suspension. Tuned front shock absorbers – combined with a 22-mm front stabilizer bar – work in harmony with the EPAS system to preserve Fiesta’s European road holding and handling dynamics.

In addition, Fiesta features a twist-beam rear axle that provides the optimum combination of responsive handling, smooth ride and excellent space utilization. Specially tuned rear shock absorbers complete the package. Like its European and Asian counterparts, the North American Ford Fiesta features front disc and rear drum brakes with ABS functionality.

Depending on series level, Fiesta offers 15- and 16-inch wheel options, fitted with grippy, all-season tires. A 17-inch Ford Racing wheel package is offered as well.

Fiesta’s powertrain and driving dynamics combine to provide the ideal balance between exceptional fuel economy – up to a projected 40 mpg highway – and responsive performance with world-class handling and responsiveness.

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Good news – Ford not screwing up the 2011 Fiesta

This first pic of the 2011 Fiesta sitting on an engineering rig show the new front grill and bumper. Good news – the Fiesta has made transition to North America intact. No gadawful three-bar chrome grill, no giant schnoz, and nothing else to screw it up. It’s still 100% European, with only slight changes necessary to meet our bumper standards and our headlight/taillight standards.

Now lets see what options the car offers and whether it’s upmarket interior will be intact. And just as importantly, whether or not an ST version will be offered.

Pics below show the car in the assembly plant in Mexico undergoing production tolerances measurements.