The 2017 Ford Fiesta has been revealed overnight with four variants shown, including a ‘crossover’.
THE 2017 FORD FIESTA has been revealed overnight in Germany, with Ford showing four variants, including a crossover, the Fiesta Active crossover. At the event, Ford said it would roll out several other crossovers, or Active variants in the coming years.
The four variants shown were the Fiesta Titanium, the Ford Performance-inspired Fiesta ST-Line, the Fiesta Vignale and the Fiesta Active. There will be three- and five-door variants available.
“It’s because we share our customers’ passion for Fiesta that we’ve been able to take this iconic small car’s lovable, fun and sporty-to-drive character to the next level, with a greater choice of models than ever and each with a distinctive personality,” said Jim Farley, executive vice president and president, Europe Middle East and Africa, Ford Motor Company.
“We now have a Fiesta option for every driver, including the luxurious Fiesta Vignale and the Fiesta Active crossover, with advanced technologies and features that small-car customers could only have dreamed of just a few years ago.”
The Fiesta Vignale joins other Vignale variants in the Ford Europe line-up offering things like quilted leather seats, exclusive 18-inch alloys and more. The Active offers an increased ride height, roof bars and body tweaks to set it apart from the rest of the range. The Fiesta ST-Line offers a bodykit and sports-inspired and tweaked suspension. The Fiesta Titanium gets most of the available options and reflects the purchasing pattern of buyers in Europe.
Ford claims it has reduced the number of centre console buttons by half on the new Fiesta, with Sync 3 standard across the range (via an 8.0-inch touchscreen) and a B&O PLAY sound system available on some variants.
“The Fiesta’s floating, tablet-inspired 8-inch colour touchscreen can be operated with pinch and swipe gestures. Also offered with SYNC 3 is a floating 6.5-inch colour touchscreen, and a 4.2-inch colour screen is combined with the MyFord Dock that enables users to store, mount and charge mobile devices such as phones and navigation systems. All Fiesta screens offer class-leading resolution and are up to twice as bright as competitors, making it even easier for drivers to read and navigate on-screen information and functions,” Ford said.
The new Fiesta will also offer active parking systems and a pedestrian detection system that can pick-up pedestrians at night to help avoid collisions at night. More than that, the Fiesta features functionality that help it prevent distracted drivers from bumping into another car when using the automatic parking function.
“For some drivers our automated parking technologies deliver a ‘future shock’: they remain so advanced that customers using them for the very first time can be a little awe-struck,” said Darren Palmer, small car vehicle line director, Ford of Europe. “Brake interventions for Active Park Assist can prevent distracted drivers from having low speed parking bumps, and make parking in tight spaces even less stressful.”
The Fiesta will also be available with large-car safety systems, including Traffic Sign Recognition, automatic high-beam assist, and Cross Traffic Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control, Adjustable Speed Limiter, Blind Spot Information System, Distance Indication, Driver Alert, Lane Keeping Aid, Lane Keeping Alert and Forward Collision Warning.
Ford claims the new Fiesta features reduced buttons on the centre console, it also says the leather interior has been tested to resists ground in coffee and stains from denim jeans. The windscreen wipers clear 13% more of the windscreen while the doors, allegedly, require 20% less effort to close them.
The Australian line-up hasn’t been detailed yet, but the engine available to Fiesta include a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine in several outputs, a 1.1-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel.
Ford said the new Fiesta was 15% stiffer and offers 10% more cornering grip; front track has been increased 30mm and the rear by 10mm, the wheelbase is 4mm longer.
“A fun driving experience is central to the Fiesta’s appeal, and our next generation Fiesta remains true to the character that has delighted generations of drivers, with the sharpest, sportiest and most balanced performance yet,” said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe.
“Offering more style, more refinement, more technology, and more fun, Europe’s favourite small car is more Fiesta than ever.”
Question: The new Ford Fiesta looks like it’ll be a cat amongst the pigeons when it arrives here next year, would you consider it?
