Ford Fiesta ST Concept is a five-door street tough
Filed under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Performance, Hatchback, Ford
If you're wondering about the future of Ford powertrains, the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show and the 2013 Ford Escape should provide all the clues you need. The entry-level crossover features a pair of EcoBoost four-cylinder engines and exactly zero V6 options.
The smallest EcoBoost displaces only 1.6 liters, and promises terrific fuel economy and performance. That engine is the thriftiest engine in the Escape, but what if it were to reside under the hood of something much smaller? That's where the Fiesta ST Concept comes into play. The performance-oriented Fiesta is on display at the Ford exhibit in LA, and though it's a showcar for now, this B-segment hatch looks production ready.
Ford claims that in this application, the 1.6-liter EcoBoost delivers 180 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque - a whopping 60 more ponies than the naturally aspirated 1.6 featured in the garden-variety production Fiesta. Given that the base Fiesta is only 2,600 pounds, we're guessing 180 horsepower is more than enough punch to turn the Fiesta into one heck of a fun ride.
The Fiesta ST concept certainly looks the part of a high-performance hatch, with a gaping, aggressive black mesh grille, attractive body-colored moldings and chunky five-spoke 17-inch wheels. Hit the jump to read over the Ford press release, and feel free to click on the gallery above for our high-resolution photos.
Continue reading Ford Fiesta ST Concept is a five-door street tough
Ford Fiesta ST Concept is a five-door street tough originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord bringing five-door Fiesta ST concept to LA Auto Show
Filed under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Performance, Hatchback, Ford
Ford already debuted the Fiesta ST concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, but if you recall, that show car was based on the three-door Fiesta that isn't available here in the United States. Now, Ford is showing off a proper five-door version of the Fiesta ST, set to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in two weeks.
Ford still tells us that the Fiesta ST is purely a concept right now, but the fact that both three- and five-door variants of the concept have been made leads us to believe that we'll eventually see a production version. What's more, Ford's own press release states, "The five-door Fiesta ST Concept shows the promise for a globally available performance model." Here's hoping.
Just like the three-door concept from Frankfurt, the five-door Fiesta ST is powered by Ford's new 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline four-cylinder engine, good for 180 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Like its big brother, the Focus ST, the Fiesta ST concept uses a front-wheel-drive setup, with power being sent to the wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
Speaking of the Focus ST, we already saw the production car alongside the three-door Fiesta ST in Frankfurt, but Ford has announced that it will debut the left-hand-drive, North American-spec version of the car in Los Angeles, as well. The Focus ST is powered by Ford's 2.0-liter EcoBoost four, good for 250 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque, and features amenities like Recaro seats, a performance-tuned suspension and upgraded wheels, tires and brakes.See what the Fiesta ST concept looks like with an extra set of doors in our attached high-res image gallery, and follow the jump for Ford's official release on the new concept.
Continue reading Ford bringing five-door Fiesta ST concept to LA Auto Show
Ford bringing five-door Fiesta ST concept to LA Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord rushes to fix gearbox problems, but not quickly enough for Consumer Reports
Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Hatchback, Ford
Consumer Reports recently cited issues with the PowerShift dual-clutch transmission in the Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta as one of the primary reasons behind the automaker's fall from grace in its annual Car Reliability Study, but according to The New York Times, the automaker has already worked to solve most of the problems with the gearboxes. Ford has issued a number of technical service bulletins designed to improve drivability at low speeds. On September 13, Ford sent its dealers a bulletin describing how to reprogram the powertrain control module for "smoother acceleration, reduced hesitation, better low-speed drivability and improved shift scheduling."
In addition, a separate bulletin sent out on September 2 specifically dealt with harsh gear changes in the Fiesta. Like its larger sibling, dealers were instructed to reprogram the transmission for better performance. Still, those fixes come too late for Ford in the Consumer Reports' report. We'll have to wait until next year to see if the changes improve the Blue Oval's ranking.
Ford rushes to fix gearbox problems, but not quickly enough for Consumer Reports originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord falls, Chrysler jumps in Consumer Reports reliability survey
Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Jeep
Consumer Reports has released its annual Car Reliability Study, and the results weren't kind to Ford. The automaker saw its ranking fall from 10th to 20th due to issues with three specific models: the Explorer, Fiesta and Focus. Each of those vehicles ranked below average in reliability during their first year on the market due to issues with MyFord Touch and the dual-clutch transmissions in the Fiesta and Focus.
Meanwhile, Chrysler busily inched its way up the reliability ladder. Jeep managed to jump to the 13th spot to become the most reliable domestic manufacturer while Chrysler jumped 12 spots in the study and Dodge maneuvered up by three places.
According to the study, the Chrysler 200, Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee all performed well in their respective reliability evaluations. Even so, Consumer Reports notes that of the 97 domestic vehicles the publication studied, 35 percent still rate as below average compared to the rest of the field. Head over to Consumer Reports to learn how the rest of the field shook out.
Ford falls, Chrysler jumps in Consumer Reports reliability survey originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Focus and Fiesta to be well represented at SEMA
Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Budget, Hatchback, Ford
Ford is hitting SEMA with a volley of modified Focus and Fiesta models this year. The company says that the aftermarket show is the perfect venue for showing off just how customizable both vehicles can be, and with creations from the likes of Roush, Cobb Tuning and Gold Coast Automotive among others, there should be a hatch or sedan on hand in Las Vegas for everyone. Roush is doing what the company does best: plopping an R900 TVS Supercharger on top of the four-cylinder engine in the Focus for a substantial bump in power, and a full Roush exhaust ensures that the engine will breathe easy.
Cobb Tuning, meanwhile, will be going the turbocharging route with its Focus. The car will boast forged pistons, a custom turbo kit and front-mounted intercooler, as well as a unique air box, intake and exhaust manifold. No one's saying just how much power the Focus will make, but a StopTech Trophy big brake kit should ensure the car can be brought down from speed in a hurry.
The star of the Fiesta show this year will likely be from Gold Coast Automotive. With an intercooled Jackson Racing Rotrex supercharger, Wilwood braking hardware on all four corners and a custom front diffuser and rear spoiler, this GCA entrant could be the mightiest Fiesta of them all. Hit the jump for the full press release.
Continue reading Ford Focus and Fiesta to be well represented at SEMA
Ford Focus and Fiesta to be well represented at SEMA originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Fiesta Metal edition heads for UK
Filed under: Budget, Performance, Hatchback, Ford, UK
Ford UK is set to release a hotter version of the Fiesta to its customers. The Fiesta Metal Edition packs 132 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque courtesy of a reworked version of the same 1.6-liter Duratec engine that U.S. buyers enjoy. That's a 12 horsepower nudge over the base figures, and as a result, the special-edition Fiesta can hop to 62 mph in 8.7 seconds. A slightly lowered ride height is also part of the handling package. Right now, Ford is only planning to build 1,000 examples of the hotter hatch, each with a price tag of £15,695.
In addition to the slight bump in power, the Fiesta Metal Edition will come packing dual chrome exhaust tips, a silver-painted grille surround, and fog light bezels as well as 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the vehicle features a piano-black center stack surround, as well as Ebony black leather sport seats with contrasting stitching. Buyers will only be able to choose between three colors, however; Panther Black, Midnight Sky and Frozen White. Hit the jump for the press release.
Continue reading Ford Fiesta Metal edition heads for UK
Ford Fiesta Metal edition heads for UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Fiesta ST Concept is tiny-tough hotness
Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show, Performance, Hatchback, Ford
Meet the Fiesta ST concept - it's all the goodness of the newly introduced Focus ST, just in a smaller package. It looks just about ready to hit the streets, and that's a good thing, since
Ford says that it is "seriously looking" at bringing this hot little number to production.
The beating heart under the Fiesta ST's bonnet is a 1.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, producing somewhere between 175 and 180 horsepower. The concept car uses a six-speed manual transmission and sends power exclusively to the front wheels, and Ford claims that the Fiesta ST is capable of running to 62 miles per hour in under seven seconds.
The big reason why we're hoping the Fiesta ST gets the go-ahead? Ford says that the car will be a global model, meaning we'll have two new Ford performance products to sink our teeth into in the United States. We've seen plenty of spy shots of the hotted-up Fiesta, so we're fairly confident that this little darling will see the light of day sometime after the Focus ST goes on sale. The question is, will we get the three-door configuration, or will it spawn a set of rear doors?
We'll have a slew of live images direct from the Frankfurt Messe in short order. For now, hit the jump to read over Ford's official press release.
Continue reading Ford Fiesta ST Concept is tiny-tough hotness
Ford Fiesta ST Concept is tiny-tough hotness originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 03:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsKen Block’s Gymkhana 4 is automotive hoonage, Hollywood style
Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford, Celebrities, Humor, Specialty
If you're Ken Block and you feel the need to top your previous and ridiculously popular Gymkhana videos with a fourth installment, what do you do? Why, turn to Hollywood, of course. For Gymkhana 4, Block and his DC Shoes crew travel to the Universal Studios lot, and, as such, you'll see plenty of classic movie props in this film.
Let's see... we've got Back to the Future, Jaws, Zombieland and Slumdog Millionaire for starters, along with a couple of gorillas and Segways. But it's the automotive action you're most interested in, right? And in that case, we've got more good news for you: Block's sideways smokey action in back in full effect, and this time, he crashes through buildings, dodges animatronic sharks and pirouettes around the guys from Epic Meal Time.
All in, you'll find just over nine minutes of automotive hoonage starring Block's Ford Fiesta Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle, punctuated by movie references and product placement along with plenty of special effects and insane camera angles. See it all for yourself right after the break.
Continue reading Ken Block's Gymkhana 4 is automotive hoonage, Hollywood style
Ken Block's Gymkhana 4 is automotive hoonage, Hollywood style originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord celebrates 100 years in Britain with special edition Fiesta Centura
Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Ford, UK
While we tend to think of Ford as an American automaker - and it is - the fact of the matter is that it has also been in the British market for longer than most automakers have been around altogether. 100 years, all told, and the company has been celebrating that milestone throughout the year in a variety of ways. And this is the latest.
Called the Centura edition, this special Fiesta marks the Blue Oval's centenary in the UK with a bunch of options bundled into one package. To start with, the special Fiesta nods at its forefather in its color options: British buyers can get it in any color they want, as long as it's black. Panther Black metallic, to be specific. It's also got a 1.25-liter Zetec four, chrome mirror caps, 16-inch alloys, daytime LEDs and a slew of automatic do-dads.
While hardly the exclusive GT supercar you might expect Ford of Britain to celebrate with, it is decidedly more accessible. And in the end, wasn't that what Henry Ford envisioned for the motorist? Details in the press release after the jump.
Continue reading Ford celebrates 100 years in Britain with special edition Fiesta Centura
Ford celebrates 100 years in Britain with special edition Fiesta Centura originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord Fiesta turns 35, hits 15 million units, celebrates
Ford kicked off the Fiesta Movement in 2010, but the little hatchback's history goes back 35 years. In 1976, Ford launched the Fiesta, and since then, it's gone on to sell 15 million units. The latest iteration joined the family in 2010, and Ford's keeping it fresh for 2011 with new colors and upgrades to the highest trim level.
Mars Red and Fashionista are the new hues on the Fiesta color palette, and the Fiesta Titanium adds a dash of chrome to the grille, new wheels, and a woven headliner. You can also order partial leather seats for it.
Check out the progression of the Ford Fiesta in the gallery and click past the jump for the full press release.
Continue reading Ford Fiesta turns 35, hits 15 million units, celebrates
Ford Fiesta turns 35, hits 15 million units, celebrates originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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