Ford’s product development chief Derrick Kuzak told Reuters that the North American launch of the Ford Fiesta and the redesigned Focus are on schedule for next year. Kuzak said that production of the Fiesta will kick off in Mexico in the first half of 2010, followed by the Focus in the second half.

The two models will put Ford ahead of U.S. rivals GM and Chrysler in adding and improving their small-car lineup.

“Right now, both of those programs remain on target,” Kuzak said. “And on the Fiesta side, launching in the U.S., we will be building on some very good momentum because the vehicle has already launched in other regions of the world.”

The Ford Fiesta and the Focus are a part of Ford’s world-car strategy to build vehicles globally with as many parts in common as possible in a move that reduces cost.

It is reported that the next-generation Ford Fusion and the Taurus will be built on Ford’s European C/D-Class platform, which currently underpins the Ford Mondeo.

Check out our First Drive of the 2010 Ford Fiesta here.

First Drive: 2010 Ford Fiesta:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Reuters

Here we are, the first Miscellaneous Thoughts for the week of Monday, May 18, 2009. Today, you can watch hot chicks (literally hot chicks) wash the Ford Fiesta, learn about the ‘Great Ethanol Scam,’ and read just how many 2010 Toyota Priuses have been sold before the hybrid goes on sale at dealerships.

The Great Ethanol Scam: Not only is ethanol not receiving enough attention as a alternative fuel-source for gasoline, it is destroying engines. – BusinessWeek

Toyota gets 80,000 pre-orders for the 2010 Prius: Last week we reported that Toyota has received a total of 75,000 orders for the 2010 Prius before it went on sale in Japan. Well, the 2010 Prius goes on sale in Japan today, and Toyota said that it has received 80,000 pre-sale orders for the third-generation of its popular hybrid. – Reuters

Hot chicks wash the 2010 Toyota Prius: As the Ford Fiesta Movement moves along, Fiesta agents have come up with creative ways to use the social media to spread the word about Ford’s brand-new hatchback. Here someone did the obvious and got a bunch of hot chicks to wash the 2010 Ford Fiesta. – YouTube (via Jalopnik)

Click through for the video.

- By: Kap Shah

Jake Bronstein, one of the 100 test-drivers that is participating in the Fiesta Movement, has reported his Magenta Fiesta stolen. Letting the world know about his unfortunate situation via Twitter, jakehimself tweeted:

#fiestamovement car STOLEN. No, really. Police en route now. I almost couldve predicted this somehow.

Ford’s social media head Scott Monty confirmed the report by tweeting the following:

You knew it had to happen. Our first @FordFiesta from #fiestamovement has been stolen. http://bit.ly/11mgL6

Can you help? The stolen @FordFiesta (GPS tracked) is on I-95 near Port Chester, CT. Let us know if you see it.

Apparently, Ford is tracking the Fiesta live and is working with authorities to get the car back to its rightful owner, or test-driver or whatever you want Bronstein to be.

First Drive: 2010 Ford Fiesta:

- By: Omar Rana

Want to drive the Ford Fiesta? Ford has announced that it will be launching an 8-month test-drive tour as a part of the Fiesta Movement, adding to the huge social media campaign built around the 2010 Fiesta that will hit U.S. markets next year.

“The Fiesta Movement is about bringing a fuel-efficient, fun new car to the people to experience,” Connie Fontaine, Ford Brand Content and Alliance Manager. “Our goal is to conduct 100,000 consumer test drives by the time that we reveal the North American production version later this year.”

Starting this month, five regional test drive teams will travel across the U.S. to give consumers the opportunity to test drive a Euro-spec Fiesta. The teams will visit over 100 cities in 8 months, stopping in small towns and big cities. Each location will have a free WI-FI hotspot for visitors to share their Fiesta experience immediately after driving one.

Check out our review of the 2010 Ford Fiesta here.

First Drive: 2010 Ford Fiesta:

Press Release:
 

BE PART OF FORD’S FIESTA MOVEMENT: 100,000 TEST DRIVES PLANNED FOR THE NEW FUEL-EFFICIENT FIESTA

DEARBORN, Mich., May 11, 2009 – Ford is launching an aggressive eight-month consumer grassroots test drive tour as part of the Fiesta Movement, the company’s social media campaign to build awareness for the new Fiesta launching next year.

“The Fiesta Movement is about bringing a fuel-efficient, fun new car to the people to experience,” Connie Fontaine, Ford Brand Content and Alliance Manager. “Our goal is to conduct 100,000 consumer test drives by the time that we reveal the North American production version later this year.”

From May to December, five regional test drive teams representing the Fiesta Movement will travel across the country to engage consumers with the opportunity to test drive a European-specification Fiesta. The teams will visit at least 100 cities over the eight months, with a goal of 100,000 test drives overall. Stops will be in small towns and big cities, as well as at major and regional events and festivals.

Along with the vehicle drives, each test drive location will be a free wireless internet hotspot for visitors. This will allow visitors to share their Fiesta experiences immediately following the drive, providing the online community real-time updates about the test-drive events.

“Providing digital capabilities at each test drive location is symbolic of the way that the Fiesta Movement connects consumers to each other and facilitates two-way communication between Ford and potential customers,” Fontaine explained. “This campaign is about providing honest reviews and accessible outlets to promote and learn about the Fiesta.”

Five teams comprised of five Ford Fiestas that will criss-crossing the country from event to event. For the larger major events, multiple test drive teams will pair up in order to meet higher consumer traffic and demand. Other stops will be set up by individual teams working to “intercept” consumers at locations such as amusement parks, shopping centers, college campuses and other high-traffic areas.

Those who complete a test drive will receive a downloadable music playlist that was compiled with the Fiesta and its audience in mind. Test drivers also will be eligible to win the grand prize – two all-expense paid trips for two to attend top music festivals in Chicago, New Orleans and Indio, Calif. Trips also include VIP/backstage passes and VIP access to Spin magazine’s after party for the events selected.

Information about drive stops, including monthly calendars, is available on www.fiestamovement.com under the “Ride & Drive” section. Visitors to the site can also sign up to receive test drive updates, as they become available.

The Fiesta Movement
These drives are just one element of the Fiesta Movement. In April, Ford selected 100 trendsetters who will test drive and “live” with a European version of the Ford Fiesta for six months, traveling as an “agent” on special “missions” and relating their experiences through a variety of social media platforms.

More than 4,100 people applied for the chance to be part of the Movement and a large majority created videos for YouTube, which have already garnered an excess of one million total views.

The chosen agents are socially vibrant, unique and able to tell a good story. They come from all across the country and work in a variety of occupations. But most importantly, they have established social networks with a strong Web presence. Most have hundreds, if not thousands, of Facebook friends. There also are thousands of people following them on Twitter, YouTube, MySpace and other social networking sites. Overall, the agents have a combined reach of over four million people.

This month, each Fiesta Movement agent chose their first monthly mission. Based on the theme of travel, all of the missions are designed to engage with people in their Ford Fiesta. The adventures include recreating travel scenes from famous movies, taking friends on road trips, turning the Fiesta into an ice cream truck or hosting a “fiesta” inside the Fiesta. Agents will then generate content based on their mission to share with their social networks. Future themes include technology, social activism, adventure, style & design and entertainment.

About Fiesta
In Europe, the Fiesta name has long been synonymous with outstanding driving dynamics, design and value. The all-new Ford Fiesta is taking that three-decade heritage to U.S. consumers for the first time.

The Fiesta already is a hit in Europe and Asia, where it went on sale last year and earlier this year, respectively. With this year’s European sales now totaling over 108,000, the Fiesta is the best-selling Ford model in Europe so far in 2009. Since it made its debut in August 2008, sales of the new Fiesta have totaled almost 170,000 and the car already is making a significant contribution to Ford of Europe’s market share improvement. Early response from buyers in China and other Asia-Pacific markets also is outstripping company expectations.

In March, the Fiesta overtook the Volkswagen Golf as Europe’s most popular model, outselling the Golf by more than 6,000 units. The Fiesta is now the company’s fastest-selling model ever, with the 250,000th vehicle coming off the Cologne, Germany assembly line just nine months after the car went on sale.

In 2010, the Fiesta will be produced at plants in North America, Europe and Asia for sale in markets around the world. The Fiesta for the North American market will be built at Ford’s assembly plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico.

Follow the Fiesta Movement
The Ford Fiesta also is gaining attention on Facebook and Twitter, with more than 900 fans on the Fiesta Movement Facebook fan page and more than 1,700 followers on the @FordFiesta Twitter account. To follow the Fiesta Movement and the agents, visit and bookmark http://www.fiestamovement.com and the following Web accounts:
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/fiestamovement
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fiestamovement
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fiesta-Movement/73386615309
Twitter: http://twitter.com/fordfiesta or @fordfiesta

- By: Kap Shah

Ford said that its new Fiesta outsold the Volkswagen Golf to become Europe’s most popular selling model in the month of March. According to Automotive News, sales were boosted by incentives allowing the Fiesta to have its best March in Germany since 1998. In Italy, the Fiesta rose from no.3 to the no.2 spot in the list of best-selling cars.

Ford said it sold a total of 52,805 Fiestas in Europe last month, up 15.5 percent from March 2008. Volkswagen reported a slight drop in Golf sales by 0.1 percent or 46 units for a total of 46,415.

So far for the first-quarter of 2009, the Volkswagen Gold still maintains a lead on the Fiesta – 119,651 to 113,576.

Click here to check out our First Drive of the 2010 Ford Fiesta.

First Drive: 2010 Ford Fiesta:

- By: Omar Rana

Earlier this week, Ford let us pickup an all-new 5-door 2010 Ford Fiesta for a one-night-stand. Excited, we drove up together to NYC and drove the Fiesta back to our home-base and prepared to film a video review the next day. While we had to get the Fiesta back to Ford by 10 a.m. the next morning, we spent as much as time as we could with Ford’s first global vehicle.

Unfortunately, the rain killed our original plans to film a thorough video review of the Fiesta. Nonetheless, the Squeeze Green Fiesta (that’s what our keychain said) was just screaming to be driven when we pulled into the parking lot on gloomy Tuesday morning. So without further ado, here is our test-drive, first-drive, review or whatever you want to call it, of the 2010 Ford Fiesta.

The new 2010 Ford Fiesta is lighter, faster and more efficient than its predecessor and looks much better than the previous models. We almost want to say that the new Fiesta is the Mondeo for those looking at an entry-level Ford. At this point you can say that Fiesta has scared the heck out of its rivals and is the best car in it class… yada yada yada… but look a little closer and you’ll see there is more to the Fiesta than just a good-looking subcompact car.

Make the leap to read more and view the high-res image gallery and to see our video review.

First Drive: 2010 Ford Fiesta:

Exterior:

“We have a kinetic family look now – each individual, yet instantly identifiable as part of the new generation of Ford vehicles,” says Ford of Europe’s Executive Director of Design, Martin Smith. Based on the Ford Verve concept, the new 2010 Fiesta drops its boring looks for a more aggressive, young and fun Ford kinetic design theme. Whether you purchase the Fiesta in a 5-door or 3-door configuration, the Fiesta is sure to attract quite a bit of attention. From the front to rear, the new Fiesta demands presence with a sloping A-pillar that sets it apart from rivals such as the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and the Nissan Versa. What many have come to known as Ford’s dullest car, the 2010 Fiesta has completely broken the mold with its bold exterior design.

Interior:

Open the door, and right away you’ll notice that Ford put a lot of hard work into making sure the Fiesta has a solid, quality build. Ford says the center-console was inspired by cell-phones and once you get in one you’ll see exactly what we mean. However, instead of the cell-phone inspired interior design, it’s the list of features and options the Fiesta comes with that steal all of your attention. Yes, it’s got Bluetooth connectivity, an iPod/MP3 USB connector, satellite radio and basically every feature that seem to have become the “things to offer” in every other car.

But for a subcompact car, the Fiesta takes it even further with little features that you probably wouldn’t expect to find at first. There is the FordKeyFree System that allows you to get in and out of the Fiesta with a mere touch of a button on the door handle and allows you to start the car without inserting the key in the ignition with the FordPower Starter button. Switching lanes is easier with a new indicator that you can push halfway down which allows the turn-indicators to flash three times – a feature mostly found on German luxury cars. It’s got rain-sensing wipers, park assist, power-fold side-view mirrors with integrated indicators and heated seats. The Voice Control feature works seamlessly and picks up about everything you want to do in your Fiesta without using your hands (we tried things such as defrost on, radio and phone commands). Not to mention the Voice Control has a fairly attractive British female voice that made us feel like James Bond for a split second. Another Fiesta feature that wowed us was the four-level height adjustment for the fog-lamps. The point is, the Fiesta may feel like a small car, but with really big car luxury equipment.

Performance:

Our Fiesta was powered by a 1.6L 4-cylinder engine making close to 120-hp. That will get you from 0 to 60 mph in a boring (about) 10 seconds with a top speed of 120 mph. So it’s not that fast – however, it does feel like a bigger and more sophisticated car when compared to rivals such as the Honda Fit. At high-speeds, the Fiesta feels sharp and nimble and fairly quick. Fuel-economy figures for the stateside have yet to be released but the Euro 1.6L 4-cylinder petrol version returns a combined fuel-economy of 47.9 mpg which converts to 40 mpg in U.S. terms.

Overall:

What didn’t we like about the Fiesta? Rear-seat legroom. One bystander kept asking us why Ford even bothered with a five-door variant and all we could do was show him how uncomfortable 3 adults would be sitting in the back of the Fiesta. Nonetheless, the 2010 Fiesta is the perfect car for young trendsetters, commuters and city folks.

The 2010 Ford Fiesta will arrive in U.S. Ford dealerships in the summer of 2010. Pricing has yet to be announced but expect it to be competitive with the other vehicles in its class.

First Drive: 2010 Ford Fiesta:

Video: First Drive: 2010 Ford Fiesta:

- By: Omar Rana

Ford of Europe is celebrating a significant growth in Europe’s two largest markets in March. Led by incentives, Ford’s sales grew 39.6 percent to 28,300 units last month in Germany, Europe’s No. 1 market. Sales in Italy, Europe’s second largest market, grew 21.7 percent to 23,800 units.

In the United Kingdom, Ford’s sales fell by 21,000 to 62,300.

Nonetheless, France and Spain helped boost sales of the Fiesta and Ka minicars. Fiesta had its best sales month in Germany since 1998 and the Ka had its best month since 2002.

The Fiesta was Ford’s overall bestseller across Europe with 52,800 units sold in March, bringing sales to 170,000 units since its launch in autumn of 2008.

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

A total of 3,300 applicants applied to be a part of the “Fiesta Movement.” However, only 100 new Fiestas arrived today on U.S. shores helping Ford move one-step closer to having Americans fall in love with Ford’s first global small car.

The 100 European-built Fiestas arrived today at Baltimore and Oxnard California. All will be loaned to the 100 young trendsetters that were chosen from more than 3,300 applicants. The winners will share their experience with the Fiesta through various social networking sites such as Facebook, Flickr and YouTube in an attempt to build anticipation for the North American launch next year.

Make the jump for the press release.

Ford Fiesta Reaches U.S. Shores for Fiesta Movement:

Press Release:

FIESTA MOVEMENT REACHES U.S. SHORES; FORD’S NEW SMALL CAR DEFIES DOWNTURN IN EUROPE AND ASIA

    -  U.S. consumers one step closer to experiencing the Ford Fiesta with arrival of European-specification “Fiesta Movement” vehicles at ports in Baltimore and Oxnard, Calif.

    - More than 3,300 Fiesta Movement “agent” applications received and total views of video submissions on YouTube exceed 580,000

    - The new Fiesta already is the No. 2 selling car in Europe and is on track for its best sales month yet in March. Early Fiesta sales in China and other Asia-Pacific markets are exceeding expectations

DEARBORN, Mich., March 26, 2009 – The arrival today on U.S. shores of 100 new Ford Fiestas marks an important step in the rollout of the first of Ford Motor Company’s new generation of global small cars.

The European-built Fiestas arrived today at seaports in Baltimore and Oxnard, Calif., and will be loaned for six months to 100 young trendsetters chosen from more than 3,300 applicants as part of the “Fiesta Movement.” Those picked to drive the European Fiesta will share their experiences online through social media sites such as Facebook, Flickr and YouTube to build buzz and anticipation for the vehicle’s North American launch early next year.

The Fiesta already is a hit in Europe and Asia, where it went on sale last year and earlier this year, respectively. The new Fiesta already is the second-best selling vehicle of any make across Ford’s 19 major European markets, and is headed for its best month yet in Europe in March. Early response from buyers in China and other Asia-Pacific markets already is outstripping company expectations.

“In the midst of the toughest economy many of us have ever seen, the Fiesta is becoming a legitimate global success story,” said Jim Farley, Ford Group Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “The Fiesta Movement is all about introducing a new kind of small car to a new generation of buyers.”

The 100 five-door Fiestas coming to the U.S. were built at Ford’s Cologne Assembly Plant in Europe. For many U.S. customers, it will be their first chance to see and read about the small car that is one of three finalists for the World Car of the Year award that will be announced next month at the New York International Auto Show.

“We’re really excited to be able to get our U.S. customers behind the wheel and experience this car,” said Sam De La Garza, small car marketing manager. “It’s all part of a plan to build excitement about the new Fiesta with the next generation of Ford customers.”

Designed and developed as Ford’s first global car, the Fiesta takes the nameplate’s three-decade heritage to a new level with its eye-catching kinetic design, widely acclaimed driving dynamics and unexpected refinement.

Before coming to the U.S., special permission was granted by the EPA and the European-spec vehicles were modified for American drivers.

The language in the vehicles’ instrument panel message center was changed from German to English and the speedometers were changed from kilometers to miles per hour. The voice piping from the Bluetooth-enabled vehicle, however, retains its British accent. All the Fiesta Movement vehicles feature keyless entry with push-button start, EasyFuel™ Capless Fuel-Filler System, 16” or 17” wheels, and many other features typically found on larger or premium vehicles.

Agents on a mission

Beginning in late spring, the chosen participants, or “Fiesta Movement” agents, will be asked to complete monthly missions in their vehicles, capture their experiences digitally and share them with Ford and others through social networks.

Ford is aiming the Fiesta Movement at Millennials, the next-generation consumer group born between 1979 and 1985 that will total 70 million new drivers in 2010 – the largest class of any generation. Making up 28 percent of the driving age population, the potential size of the market serves as an opportunity for Ford to connect with a group that hasn’t yet established brand loyalty and is very connected to the use of technology and social networking.

For Millennials, social media is a part of everyday life. Statistics show that for those born after 1980, 62 percent of the content they consume comes from someone they know personally. The missions will be designed based on monthly themes that will take them to new places, to meet new people and to experience new things in their Fiesta.

Collecting data about how the car performs in the U.S. market is an integral part to the vehicle’s launch. With this program, Ford aims to gather valuable customer input on how they perceive the vehicle prior to the next year’s North American launch. It’s the first opportunity Ford has ever had to get a wealth of feedback so early on prior to launch – unique in content and unfiltered from a multitude of sources.

The movement already is catching on, with more than 3,300 agent applications to the www.fiestamovement.com website and 580,000 views of applicant videos on YouTube.

About Fiesta

In Europe, the Fiesta name has long been synonymous with outstanding performance, design and value. The new Ford Fiesta takes that three-decade heritage to a new level with eye-catching styling and exemplary driving dynamics for U.S. consumers.

The vehicle is also winning awards, including being named Car of the Year 2009 by the authoritative What Car? magazine in the U.K. and was awarded a prestigious “red dot” award for international product design.

In 2010, the Fiesta will be produced at plants in Germany, Spain, Mexico, Thailand and China for sale in markets around the world. The Fiesta for the North American market will be built at Ford’s assembly plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico.

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Mountune Performance, in association with Ford Team RS has unveiled performance upgrades for the new Ford Fiesta 1.6 model. The upgrades will be available at selected Ford dealerships in the UK.

With a new high-flow air induction system, a high performance exhaust including high-flow catalyst and tubular manifold and re-calibration of Ford’s 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT engine, the Fiesta now produces 140-hp. That allows the Fiesta to go from 0 to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds – up from 9.9 seconds.

The upgrades are available for the Fiesta Zetec-S and Titanium models with prices starting at £1,299 ($1,692 USD). The upgrades also carry a minimum of 12 months/12,000-mile dealer warranty.

- By: Kap Shah

The 2009 New York Auto Show is just around the corner and the 2009 World Car of the Year finalists have been announced. Picked from an initial list of 51 new vehicles from all over the world, the top three contenders for the 2009 World Car title include the Ford Fiesta, Toyota iQ and the new Volkswagen Golf VI.

Finalists for the 2009 World Performance Car include the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Nissan GT-R and the new Porsche 911 Carrera. The 2009 World Green Car finalists include the Honda FCX Clarity, Mitsubishi i MiEV and the Toyota iQ. Contenders for the 2009 World Car Design of the Year include the Citroen C5, Fiat 500 and the Jaguar XF.

To be eligible for the overall World Car award, a vehicle must be in production and sold in at least two continents during 2008.

Winners will be announced at the 2009 New York International Auto Show on April 9, 2009.

According to AutoCar, Ford has said that its high-performance Fiesta, known as the Fiesta ST, has been delayed and may never even make it to production. The 200-hp Ford Fiesta ST was expected to join the Fiesta hatchback lineup later this year but ford has put a hold on the project due to it current financial situation.

“Now is not the right time for a Fiesta ST,” a source told Autocar. “We may have a better opportunity to make the ST later on in the car’s life, when Ford’s direct-injection petrol engines are ready and the range would benefit more from the extra interest surrounding such a car.”

The source said that the a Fiesta ST may not happen until 2012.

Why not just through the 180-hp 1.6L 4-cylinder EcoBoost being shown in the Iosis Max Concept in Geneva?

Source: AutoCar

FoMoCo is reminding us once again today that it has selected 100 lucky individuals for the chance to receive a 2010 Ford Fiesta for 6-months. All 100 individuals are said to be tech-savvy and will use various social-media such as Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and MySpace (yes that boring social-network) to blog and share their experiences with the Fiesta.

Ford said the first of the 100 Fiestas are rolling off the line today Ford of Europe’s Cologne assembly plant in Germany.

Ford received over 1,500 applications for the request to be one of the 100 individuals to drive around in the new Fiesta. Where is our Fiesta? We’ll have to contact Ford and ask them. If you’re one of the lucky 100 and read eGMCarTech – let us know in the comments section below.

Click through for the press release.

Press Release:

FORD TARGETS 100 SOCIALLY-NETWORKED MILLENNIALS FOR FIRST DRIVE OF FORD’S NEW SMALL CAR, FIESTA

    *  “Fiesta Movement” is designed to spread the word online and generate excitement among Millennials about Ford’s new global small car leading up to the 2010 North American launch
    * The first of the 100 Fiestas are coming off the line today at Ford of Europe’s Cologne assembly plant in Germany
    * Millennials, born between 1979 and 1995, are expected to be the largest cohort group of drivers by 2010 – over 28% – representing tremendous opportunity to meet their vehicle needs
    * Over 1,500 applications have been received in the quest to be one of 100 individuals chosen to drive a new Fiesta and tell others about their experience through social media sites

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 20, 2009 – Ford Motor Company is creating a ‘movement’ and it has its own official car.

As part of what Ford is calling the “Fiesta Movement,” 100 specially selected people will be given new Ford Fiestas before the vehicle launches in North America in 2010. The cars for the movement were built this week in Germany and are now on their way to the United States.

“It’s all part of a plan to build excitement and spread the word about the arrival of the new Ford Fiesta to the next generation of customers,” said Sam De La Garza, Ford’s small car marketing manager. “These 100 socially-vibrant Fiesta Movement ‘Agents’ will then relate their driving experiences through social media sites such as Facebook, FlickR and YouTube.”

Ford is aiming the Fiesta Movement at Millennials, the next-generation consumer group that will total 70 million new drivers in 2010 – the largest class of any generation. Making up 28 percent of the driving age population, the potential size of the market serves as an opportunity for Ford to connect with a group that hasn’t yet established brand loyalty and is very connected to the use of technology and social networking.

“The Millennials are an emerging market force, with 11,000 reaching driving age every day,” De La Garza said. “It’s the most important demographic trend since the Baby Boomers, and it represents one of the greatest opportunities for Ford.”

“Agents” Spread the Word About Fiesta
Beginning in late spring, the chosen “agents” will be asked to complete “missions” in their Fiesta on a monthly basis and capture their experiences digitally and share them with Ford and others through their social networks. For Millennials, social media is just a part of life. In fact, statistics show that for those born after 1980, 62 percent of the content they consume comes from someone they know personally. The missions will take them to new places, to meet new people and to experience new things in their Fiesta.

Social networks are becoming an increasingly important way to talk to consumers, especially for the Millennial generation. According to statistics from a Universal McCann Comparative Study on social media trends, 45 percent of online users have started a blog, 57 percent have joined a social network and 55 percent have uploaded photos – these are all tasks that agents will be asked to complete to create a social media conversation.

“Socially vibrant campaigns are so important because of their power in delivering authentic and genuine messages across a broad spectrum of media, which only will help us deliver a more positive consumer experience when the car launches in the U.S. next year,” said De La Garza.

Most importantly, these consumers also will give Ford valuable feedback on the features and performance of the Fiesta prior to the launch in 2010. It’s the first opportunity that Ford has ever had to get a wealth of feedback so early on prior to launch – it also being unique in content as it will be unfiltered from a multitude of sources.

The movement already is catching on, with more than 1,500 “agent” applications to the www.fiestamovement.com website.

The application also asks applicants to submit a two to five minute video explaining why they want the opportunity to become part of the Fiesta Movement. Applications will be accepted through March 13, 2009.

About Fiesta
The initiative to introduce the new Fiesta to consumers in North America is kicking off today with the first of the 100 “Movement” vehicles coming off the assembly line at Ford of Europe’s Cologne plant in Germany.

In Europe, the Fiesta name has long been synonymous with outstanding performance, design and value. The new Fiesta takes that three-decade heritage to a new level with eye-catching styling and exemplary driving dynamics.

Since it was introduced last August, sales of the new Fiesta have totaled more than 89,000 units across the main European markets. That success continued into 2009, with January sales of more than 28,000 vehicles. The model is continuing to win awards, as well as orders. In Britain it recently was named Car of the Year 2009 by the authoritative What Car? magazine.

The Fiestas engaged in the Movement campaign are European-specification vehicles, updated for use in the U.S. The language in the message center was changed from German to English and the speedometer was changed from kilometers to miles per hour, but the voice for the Bluetooth functionality has a British accent!

In 2010, the Fiesta will be produced at plants in Germany, Spain, Mexico, Thailand and China for sale in markets around the world. The Fiesta for the North American market will be built at the Cuautitlán plant in Mexico.

Ford of Europe reported an increase in its market share in January by 0.5 percent to 9.3 percent – the highest January share since 2004. The new 2010 Fiesta was the best-selling Ford car in January in the main 19 European markets.

Ford of Europe said it sold a total of 98,300 vehicles in the first month of 2009. The Fiesta accounted for 28,300 units of the total number. Since the Fiesta’s launch in August 2008, Ford of Europe has sold a total of 89,000 units.

The new 2010 Ford Fiesta is FoMoCo’s first in a series of global, small-cars from Ford. It will arrive China and other Asia Pacific markets later this year. North American sales will start in early 2010.

Ford announced today that it will introduce the dual-clutch PowerShift 6-speed seen on the Lincoln C Concept in its 2010 small-cars. Weighing in less than 30 pounds than the 4-speed automatic currently seen on the Focus, the PowerShift 6-speed automatic will deliver the fuel-efficiency of a manual gearbox.

Ford currently offers a PowerShift transmission on the European Ford Focus. The 2.0L TDCI Focus uses a twin wet-clutch system; however, the new PowerShift that will debut on the 2010 Ford Fiesta will be a dry-clutch system that will be more efficient.

Ford said that almost 100 percent of its transmissions will have advanced 6-speed gearboxes by 2013.

Follow the jump for the press release.

Press Release:

FORD TO INTRODUCE FUEL-EFFICIENT DUAL-CLUTCH POWERSHIFT TRANSMISSION IN NORTH AMERICA IN 2010

DETROIT, Jan. 21, 2009 – Ford Motor Company announced today it will introduce an advanced dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed transmission in North America in 2010 for the small-car segment.

PowerShift will deliver the fuel efficiency of a manual gearbox with the convenience and ease of a premium automatic transmission – making it a key enabling technology as Ford targets best-in-class or among-the-best fuel economy with every new vehicle it introduces in North America.

“PowerShift represents a true competitive advantage for Ford and is one of the many technologies that will help our global small-car platforms set a new world standard for efficiency and drive quality,” said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Global Powertrain Engineering, who announced PowerShift’s production timing at the 2009 Automotive News World Congress. “This advanced six-speed is an improvement over today’s automatic transmissions in terms of fuel economy, while providing customers an even more fun-to-drive experience.”

Overall, Ford has committed that almost 100 percent of its transmissions will be advanced six-speed gearboxes by 2013. Six-speed transmissions already have helped vehicles such as the 2010 Ford Fusion achieve best-in-class fuel economy, while at the same time allowing the Ford Flex and Ford Escape to achieve unsurpassed fuel economy in their respective segments.

Ford is leveraging six-speed transmissions, advanced internal combustion engines such as EcoBoost, hybrids, full electric vehicles, vehicle weight reduction and electric power-assisted steering to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions fleet-wide by 30 percent by 2020.

Automatic Comfort

Compared to traditional automatic four-speed transmissions, PowerShift can help reduce fuel consumption by up to 9 percent depending on the application.

PowerShift provides the full comfort of an automatic with a more sophisticated driving dynamic, thanks to uninterrupted torque from the dual-clutch technology, which consists essentially of two manual transmissions working in parallel, each with its own independent clutch unit. One clutch carries the uneven gears – 1, 3 and 5 – while the other the even gears – 2, 4 and 6. Subsequent gear changes are coordinated between both clutches as they engage and disengage for a seamless delivery of torque to the wheels.

In Europe, Ford currently offers a PowerShift transmission in the Ford Focus. This PowerShift uses a twin wet-clutch system to handle the higher torque levels of the 2.0-liter TDCI engine available in the Focus.

In North America, a dry-clutch derivative of Ford’s PowerShift transmission will be used for added efficiency and durability. A dry clutch transmits power and torque through manual transmission clutch facings, while most automatic transmissions utilize wet clutch plates submerged in oil. As a result, the dry-clutch PowerShift transmission does not require an oil pump or torque converter, providing superior mechanical efficiency.

“A dry clutch is a real sweet spot for lighter vehicle applications,” said Piero Aversa, manager, Ford Automatic Transmission Engineering. “PowerShift is more efficient, it saves weight, is more durable, more efficient and the unit is sealed for life, requiring no regular maintenance.”

PowerShift, unlike conventional automatic transmissions, does not need the heavier torque converter or planetary gears. In addition, the dry-clutch derivative eliminates the need for the weighty pumps, hydraulic fluids, cooling lines and external coolers that wet clutch transmissions require. As a result, the dry-clutch PowerShift transmission can weigh nearly 30 pounds less than, for example, the four-speed automatic transmission featured on today’s Ford Focus.

Differentiating PowerShift even further in terms of its customer appeal is its shift quality, launch feel and overall drive dynamic, which are all facilitated by an expert blend of Ford-exclusive electro-mechanical systems, software features, calibrations and controls. These unique driving features include:

• Neutral coast down – The clutches will disengage when the brakes are applied, improving coasting downshifts and clutch robustness as well as reducing parasitic losses for increased fuel economy.

• Precise clutch control in the form of a clutch slip to provide torsional damping of the engine vibration – This function improves noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) at low engine speeds and enables lower lugging limits for improved fuel economy.

• Low-speed driving or creep mode with integrated brake pressure – This function simulates the low-speed control drivers are accustomed to from an automatic transmission. The amount of rolling torque in Drive and Reverse is precisely controlled, gradually building as brake pressure is released.

• Hill mode or launch assist – Prevents a vehicle from rolling back on a grade by maintaining brake pressure until the engine delivers enough torque to move the vehicle up the hill, providing improved driver confidence, comfort, safety and clutch robustness.

Ford is hoping the Fiesta will win fuel-economy conscious consumers over when it is launched in the U.S. in 2010. To help gain some traction for Ford’s latest global compact car, Ford will be handing out 100 Fiesta’s to 100 tech-savvy enthusiasts under a new program called “Fiesta Movement.”

Ford will ask the 100 lucky individuals to relate their experiences through social media sites such as Facebook, Flickr and YouTube. Ford says the by handing out Fiesta’s to the selected consumers, Ford will have the opportunity to learn more about what consumers wants and needs in the growing compact segment.

Starting later this spring, the chosen consumers, or as Ford calls them – “agents” – will be asked to complete missions in their Fiesta on a monthly basis and capture their experiences digitally to share with Ford and other consumers.

Applications for those interested in becoming an agent can be found online at www.fiestamovement.com or www.fordvehicles.com/2011fiesta. The application process includes a two- to five-minute video explaining why applicants want the opportunity to become part of the Fiesta Movement. Applications will be accepted through March 13.

FoMoCo announced yesterday that while its European sales fell 21.4 percent, the new Ford Fiesta helped it outperform the overall industry. The Fiesta sold more than 42,000 units in the 19 most important markets in the two months since its launch.

“The Fiesta is already our second best-selling model behind the Focus,” Ingvar Sviggum, vice president of marketing, sales and service for Ford of Europe said in a statement. “In the U.K., the Fiesta’s market share for November was the highest since January 1998 for the nameplate, and the new Fiesta attracted 1,000 more retail British buyers than the previous model in November 2007. This is a promising start for our all-new global model.”

The 2010 Ford Fiesta is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. in early 2010. The Fiesta will be offered in a three-door hatchback variant alongside the five-door hatchback and the sedan. Ford plans to price the Fiesta below the Focus.

2010 Ford Fiesta:

Source: Detroit News

The hit television series Top Gear receives a lot of fan mail on a daily basis but one in particular caught their attention this time around. The letter read “Why do you not test cars properly anymore - or have you forgotten how?” Well, with a brand new Ford Fiesta in their hands, Clarkson decided to give viewers a proper review of the new compact five-door hatchback.

We already told you last month about how Clarkson drives the new Fiesta off a military landing aircraft, but there is much more Clarkson does to give viewers like you a thorough and proper review.

We’re not going to waste anymore of your time so head on over after the jump to watch the video and make sure you do it before YouTube and BBC have a little talk.

Click through for the video.

While Jeremy Clarkson is busy driving the Ford Fiesta of a military landing aircraft, FoMoCo is busy promoting the compact cars U.S. launch. Even though we may be a little more than a year away from seeing the Fiesta on our roads, Ford feels that it should start marketing the car as soon as possible and has launched a mini-site for the new small five-door and three-door hatchback.

Unlike the Europeans that will get a variety of engine choices, the U.S. will get a 118-hp 1.6 4-cylinder unit with VVT. It will be mated to Ford’s new PowerShift dual-clutch transmission.

The car will be based completely on the European model with minor changes to meet U.S. safety standards when it arrives here in 2010. The recently unveiled Ford Fiesta Sedan will also make it to the stateside in 2010 as a 2011 model year.

Source: Ford