If you were in Soho NYC this morning you might have caught a glimpse of a bright green hatchback swerving through the cabs…that was us. The car in question is the new US bound Ford Fiesta already drawing favorable reviews from Europe. The sleek exterior goes a long way to bury the term econobox. The five door hatchback, like the new VW Polo we mentioned previously, has a very refined feel. The small car segment, mostly due to Europe’s influence is undergoing a renaissance. While manufacturers race to bring new alternative energy vehicles to market, small, efficient cars represent a bridge segment to the next generation plug-in hybrids.
Our test drive began north of Union Square, along for the ride was Fiesta Brand Manager Sam De La Garza from Ford and Stephen Marino of Ogilvy who coordinated our drive. We headed south down Broadway maneuvering through the mid-morning traffic and construction. The combination chilly day and multiple potholes we pegged didn’t produce a single rattle or squeak. The build quality is impressive.
Next we decided to try some of the tight streets around Chinatown. The car’s ability to squeeze between delivery trucks and maneuver around parked cars demonstrate it’s European heritage.
Our next stop was the New Museum on Bowery for a photo op. We rather quickly drew a group of passers-by who stopped to check out the car. People seemed be excited about the design. One gentleman in particular liked the attention to detail in the headlights and the side mirrors. The interior too was getting favorable comments. The dash is wrapped in a soft touch material that you’d more expect in a luxury vehicle.
The completion of our loop back up to Union Square saw a few thumbs up signs from fellow motorists. While we didn’t have the opportunity to take the Fiesta out on the highway, for city driving, the car preformed well. Ford has selected 100 ‘agents’ around the county to drive the car for six months in advance on next year’s launch. Each agent has been writing about and documenting their experiences on video at the Fiesta Movement site.
The Ford Fiesta goes on sale in the Summer of 2010. Pricing has yet to be released.
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Good job Ford. Hope you sell a million of them in the U.S. over the next couple of years.
April 7th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Yes, this is the real deal. I was told only very minor changes will made from the European spec model shown above to the US version. Mainly it involved moving the bumpers out a few millimeters to meet the safety regs here.
April 7th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Why automatic?
April 7th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Istvan,
that was for the safety of the pedestrians.
April 7th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
well for me a small car with automatic just doesn’t look right. Maybe its because i grew up in europe where every small car only comes with manual tranny lol
April 7th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
I’ve been hankering for a MINI since I learned to drive this year. VERY expensive, no matter how you cut it. This fella could be a contender. Wonder if there is an open top?
April 8th, 2009 at 6:55 am
There’ll be a 6-speed automatic and a 5-speed manual version available. Most of the cars for the Fiesta Movement program are manual.
Scott Monty
Global Digital Communications
Ford Motor Company
April 8th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
that sounded like a press release
April 17th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
the entire post
April 17th, 2009 at 12:07 pm