Ford has announced an upgrade for the ever-popular Fiesta which, for the first time ever, sees the car get a hybrid powertrain.
48-volt mild-hybrid
OK, so it's only a mild-hybrid, borrowing the 48-volt system for the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine from the new Puma, but that still makes it the first electrified Fiesta ever. "Adding EcoBoost Hybrid technology to Fiesta's best-in-class driving dynamics means customers can have even more power and still go further on a tank of fuel," said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford of Europe. "The Fiesta EcoBoost Hybrid will help Ford bring the benefits of electrification to more drivers than ever before."
Don't fancy even the mild-hybrid bit? That's OK, because the rest of the Fiesta's engine lineup has also been upgraded to offer better fuel economy and lower emissions, and there's the option of Ford's new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Cylinder shut-down
The EcoBoost Hybrid model comes in either 125hp or 155hop forms (is this, effectively, the return of the old Fiesta Zetec-S?) with 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance. That means that it can make more use of its stop-start system around town, boosting economy, or it can add an extra 20Nm of torque under acceleration, boosting performance. Ford claims that the engine records 5.4 litres per 100km economy, and 109g/km of CO2 under the tough WLTP emissions test.
There's further fuel-saving tech in the fact that the three-cylinder EcoBoost engines can now shut down one cylinder under light throttle loads, further improving economy. The 'dead' cylinder can be restarted in just 14 milliseconds.
High-tech additions
The Fiesta now comes with more tech, too, including, adaptive cruise control, speed-sign recognition, and connection to the FordPass smartphone app. In addition to helping drivers plan faster, less stressful journeys with live traffic updates for the available navigation system, customers can use the FordPass mobile app to operate such functions as 'Door Lock Unlock', 'Remote Start4' for Fiesta models with seven-speed automatic transmission, 'Vehicle Locator', and 'Vehicle Status' for checking fuel level, alarm status, tyre pressures, oil life and more. The Fiesta's eight-inch touchscreen has also been upgraded and comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Other tech updates include a self-parking system that can now park nose-in, a cross-traffic alert with active braking, Sport and Trail Selectable Drive Modes for the quasi-crossover Fiesta Active, and an updated Bang & Olufsen stereo system for high-end models.
"Fiesta is now easier to enjoy than ever. With FordPass Connect you can lock and unlock, find where you parked, check your last trip and make sure you have enough fuel for your next journey all from the palm of your hand, so you're always ready to go," de Waard said.