“The most complete small car we’ve ever tested.”
Wayne Gerdes –
CleanMPG – Jan. 22, 2009
2009 Ford Fiesta Zetec w/ the 1.25L ICE (not the diesel) – 43.6 mpgUS combined on the NEDC.
Brentwood, UK – What Car, Great Britain’s leading source for new-car advice, has named the new Ford Fiesta 1.25i Zetec its 2009 Car of the Year.
The editors praised the Fiesta for its stylish design, performance and fuel economy. “The Fiesta is practical enough to be used as a family car, fun enough to be used as a sports car and stylish enough to make the right impression. It’s also affordable to buy, cheap to run and kind to the planet,” said Steve Fowler, editor of What Car.
Other judges praised the new Fiesta inside and out, stating that no other super-mini got close to its 'look at me' factor. The delicate curves and sharp edges made it the epitome of the stylish modern super-mini.' They also commended the "zingy 1.25-litre engine, nimble handling and strong grip to make it a 'brilliant winner'…"
Introduced in Europe last fall, the Fiesta is off to a strong sales start in the traditional 19 European markets, where sales topped 61,000 units after slightly more than two months on the market. As soon as the Fiesta went on sale in the UK, it became the best-selling car for both November and December.
Designed and developed in Europe with the Mazda2 underpinnings, the new Fiesta is the first in a series of new, fuel efficient, small cars developed through Ford’s global product development process. Its stylish and dynamic flair combines with all the traditional Ford small car strengths to create a confident, contemporary introduction to the next chapter of the Fiesta story.
Within five years, Ford expects to build about one million vehicles worldwide off of the new global B-car platform, the basis for the new Fiesta.
Ford launched Asian production of the Fiesta last week at the state-of-the-art Changan Ford/Mazda Automobile manufacturing facility in Nanjing, China. The Nanjing plant is making the five-door hatchback and four-door sedan versions of the new global Fiesta for the Chinese market and the vehicles will go on sale later in the first quarter.
Ford’s plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico, will build the new Fiesta for the North American markets. Construction of the integrated stamping facility and retooling of the assembly plant is underway.
In North America, the new small car will be offered in two models: a sporty hatchback and a sedan, beginning in early in 2010.
In accepting the What Car award, John Fleming, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe, said the magazine’s recognition is a sign of more Fiesta success to come. “This is tremendous news for the whole Ford team – the great British public has already made the new Fiesta the UK's best-selling car in the closing months of last year, and this ultimate endorsement by What Car? will drive the new Fiesta to even greater success this year.”
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