2010 Ford Fiesta

Enter the globally-produced Fiesta, Ford’s B-segment car that’s on sale now in Europe and soon, in America. While even the exact U.S. model year hasn’t been pinned down yet — 2010 or 2011 — the Fiesta will physically appear in North American dealerships in early 2010.

Exterior Design
Ford previewed the styling of the new 2010 Fiesta in the Verve concept, which was shown at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The production Fiesta hatchback looks a lot like the Verve, so it’s reasonable to expect that the North American version of the Fiesta will closely resemble the Verve sedan, which features a larger upper grille and a posterior that picks up some of the cues seen on the 2008 Focus. And while Ford of Europe design language differs widely from what Ford offers in the States, certain elements such as the wedge-shaped profile and pronounced fender arches show a clear family resemblance to some of Ford’s American designs.

Interior Design
Inside, the 2010 Ford Fiesta again looks very similar to the Verve concept. While the loud colors are gone, the highlight remains the futuristic looking center stack. Ford says the layout, which features a display screen at the top of the stack and control buttons below, was inspired by contemporary cell phone design. The Fiesta features redundant stereo and phone controls on the steering wheel, while the climate controls use a variation of the classic three-dial layout with buttons to control airflow direction.

Hardware
The 2010 Ford Fiesta will be offered in Europe with five different engines, including 1.25-, 1.4- and 1.6-liter gasoline-fueled, 4-cylinder models and 1.4- and 1.6-liter diesel engines, with power output ranging from 59 to 113 hp. All come with a 5-speed manual transmission; the 1.4-liter engine will offer an optional 4-speed automatic transmission. Ford has not yet announced powertrain options for the North American version of the Fiesta.

Safety
Ford did not announce a full list of safety features, but they did tout the Fiesta’s use of strategically placed high-strength steel in and around the Fiesta’s safety cage. Ford says the Fiesta will feature an “Intelligent Protection System” that includes a driver’s knee air bag, a first for the Fiesta and an unusual find in a subcompact car.

Technology
The 2010 Ford Fiesta debuted with several features that will appeal to tech-savvy buyers, including keyless ignition with push-button starting, a capless fuel filler, voice-controlled Bluetooth connectivity, and a USB port for MP3 players. No mention was made of the Ford Sync system, developed in conjunction with Microsoft, which so far has only appeared in U.S.-market Ford models.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 10:24 pm and is filed under 2010 Models, Ford. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.