The new Fiesta has been unveiled to the world's press in Europe. A more important model for Ford than its traditional 'light car' market standing would suggest, the Fiesta has been developed from the three Verve concepts introduced progressively, starting from the Frankfurt Motor Show last year.
Ford has extensively surveyed prospective buyers all around the world and the response to the new car's styling has given the company some optimism that the Fiesta will be well received in regional markets.
The car's styling was key to its ability to succeed, says Ford of Europe's Executive Director, Global Small Cars -- and ex-pat Aussie -- Marin Burela, who alluded to "emotional pull" in describing the company's need to establish a love-at-first-sight connection between buyer and car.
"Getting that 'emotional pull' up front was absolutely critical," he said of the Fiesta (Spanish for party) and the way its styling polled in marketing clinics.
"Style is king," he subsequently observed. In effect, the best car in the world won't succeed if it fails to ignite passion to own it in the heart of a buyer -- a point that's occasionally overlooked by car companies in the rush to offer buyers cars that are practical at the expense of style.
So far -- and on the basis of the focus groups -- Ford believes the Fiesta will be a success, even in America, traditional heartland of large cars and trucks. If the world generally finds the Fiesta appealing, then it's a relatively easier task to fine-tune specifications for different regional preferences and requirements.
The new Fiesta is a sporty iteration of Ford's Kinetic Design, whereas the smaller Euro-focussed Ka which will follow is more upright and "cute".
Styling is not the end-game for Fiesta. Getting buyers to open doors in the showroom is the next stage. Ford's research shows that typically, tyre-kickers will open the door of a new car in a showroom and then close the door immediately. The company had set up CCTV cameras in showrooms to monitor prospective buyers and their reactions to new cars. Left with little else to do, the customers would pull the door open and then close it, assessing the door's closing sound quality.
"The first [physical] contact with the vehicle is by pulling the door handle," says Ford's Andreas Ostendorf, Chief Engineer for Ford's Product Development.
"And most potential customers don't pull the door open and sit in the vehicle. Before they do this, they slam the door -- for whatever reason, but probably in the dealership that's all they can do..."
According to Ostendorf, the customer is also assessing other things about the door, such as the feel of the handle surface, any play in the handle and the way the latch mechanism operates. So, the Fiesta not only has to present a case of love at first sight, but also love at first feel.
Ford carried over the Fiesta's Kinetic Design quality to the interior and has expanded the range of utility there by offering such things as iPod integration and a Bluetooth connection that allows the driver to navigate from a navigation-equipped mobile phone through the car's information and entertainment system.
One thing that Ford has discovered about 'regional preferences' in car design was that North American and European buyers were actually not as far apart as the company had previously believed on an issue such as seat comfort.
Americans prefer a V-shaped cushion for the seat base (much like the seats in the FG Falcon), but Europeans prefer a U-shaped cushion, which is a bit flatter. Ford believes the same car can cater to both tastes by offering different seats in different variants: V-shaped for comfort and cruising, U-shaped for sportier variants designed to be driven.
All of these qualities are aimed to get the buyer into the Fiesta, but Ford also wants to keep the customer there. Thus the Fiesta is 40kg lighter than its predecessors, but is stronger and safer through the use of high-strength steel for 55 per cent of the body. Safety is further enhanced with a knee airbag for the driver.
Ford claims class-leading front legroom (1069mm) and luggage capacity ranging from 295 litres with the rear seats up to 979 litres with the rear seats folded flat. When it comes to accommodating life's stuff, the door bins are capable of holding up to 1.5-litre bottles.
Australian buyers will be able to purchase the Fiesta with a 1.6-litre petrol four-cylinder engine (not the diesel available elsewhere) in three and five-door body styles. The three levels of trim will be CL, LX and Zetec.
Ford will introduce the Fiesta locally at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney next month. In the meantime we'll keep you abreast of further information on the Fiesta and look out for our initial drive impressions next week.
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