Ford takes Fiesta upmarket to lift profitability

Ford’s global president Mark Fields and Ford of Europe chief executive Jim Farley outlined to attendees how Ford is becoming more than an automaker, with projects in broader mobility services, autonomous technology and connectivity. Ford Australia is yet to announce local details and potential introduction dates.

The expanded Fiesta range is set to offer more personalisation options to customers than ever before, and Ford says it enhances the sporty, fun to drive character that has delighted generations of customers. It also offers rear disc brakes, which Goold says can bring the vehicle to a stop within a meter of a Porsche 997. The company has introduced the new Fiesta in four trim levels – Titanium, Vignale, ST-Line and Active. Ford may use an updated version of the current car’s 1.6-litre four-pot, but there have been rumours of a modified version of the 1.0-litre Ecoboost appearing under the bonnet. Tunes will be pumped through the available B&O PLAY Sound System, giving a crisp and clear entertainment feel throughout.

Most likely, Ford will not go for an extreme makeover, as a more discreet attitude for the ST models is what the Blue Oval applied to recent models of this series. This has deactivation for one cylinder, which will, the company claims, be an industry-first when the new unit goes on sale.

Engine choices are similar to the current model with the standard 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol, 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol and the 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol EcoBoost. It’s also critical for Ford’s business in Europe and China that the Fiesta, and other small cars, remain fresh and high-quality. The company has not yet said when a new model or models for the USA market will be revealed. “There’s no competition between those products – they are quite different”.

In a move that could herald a new model focus at Ford, Ford has decided the successful Fiesta should no longer just be a cracking little auto with terrific handling, but should be all things to all buyers.

“We can do it in scale now because we have Vignale on [other models] so a dealer can really invest money into it”, he said. We’ll happily eat our words if Ford sells shed loads of the things, but that’s not something we’re expecting to happen.

Rumors also suggest that new active safety and driver assist equipment will be offered with the Fiesta. We’ll probably learn more at Ford’s event on Tuesday. “We’ve seen it grow now on Mondeo, where it is now close to 10% of the overall sales and on S-Max it is above 10%”. The Fiesta is more important than most investors think – but now you know.