LA Auto Show - First Look at U.S.-Spec 2011 Ford Fiesta

Don’t mistake Ford’s new Fiesta subcompact as homage to the ill-fated Festiva of the early 1990s. Don’t assume it’s a watered-down iteration of the European-market model, either. As Ford prepared both four-door sedan and five-door hatchback Fiestas for sale in the US, their goal was to minimize changes to Europe’s best-selling car. Fans of the global Fiesta will be excited to learn that, aside from a two-inch-higher hood shutline to comply with American impact standards, the Fiesta has arrived aesthetically unscathed. In fact, LED front accent lights are an enhancement that global Fiesta buyers can’t yet enjoy.

Interior elements have changed for the better, as well. The global Fiesta’s soft, knob-adjusted seats have been replaced by firmer, flatter, ratchet-reclining seats to accommodate a wider range of body types, and should prove to be more comfortable on road trips than their less-supportive European counterparts. North American Fiesta interiors will be available in seven color and texture combinations, including an avant-garde and decidedly premium Plum leather option. Premium exterior paint options, including glance-grasping Lime Squeeze and color-flopping Blaze Yellow hues, lend the Fiesta an upmarket look. The Fiesta doesn’t skimp on safety, either. The Fiesta is built with the highest number of high-strength steel components ever used in a Ford, and is equipped with seven standard airbags.

American buyers demand all-season tires to tackle the US’s diverse climate and terrain, so Ford engineers thickened the Fiesta’s front anti-roll bar and increased the size of its rear twist beam to compensate for the difference in tires. The Fiesta’s 1.6-liter twin-independent variable cam timing four-cylinder engine has been tuned to run on regular unleaded fuel. Whether buyers choose the standard five-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch automated gearbox, the Fiesta is expected to deliver 119 horsepower and 40 miles per gallon on the highway. Subcompact shoppers can test drive a Fiesta at Ford dealerships in mid-2010.

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