Ford is playing a familiar tune with the new Fiesta. It goes like this: Take a hot product from the European portfolio, adapt the car to U.S. regulations, and spread the development cost over another continent. It sounds simple, but the Focus and the Contour—Ford’s previous attempts at a “world car”—showed the complications associated with that orchestration. The Contour’s size (and especially its back seat) was too small for American tastes, and the Focus, while a sales success, was plagued by recalls in the switch to North American production.

With the Fiesta, Ford is hoping three’s the charm. We drove the European version of the car, and our impression is that it has what it takes to be a hit. We’ll see if that’s still true when production begins early next year at Ford’s plant in Cuautitlán, Mexico.

At 155.5 inches long, the Fiesta is 19 inches and change shorter than a Focus sedan and plays in the subcompact segment with the likes of the Honda Fit. Both the Fiesta and the Fit have the same basic jelly-bean silhouette, which maximizes inter­ior space, but the Honda, with an extra 6.1 inches of length and marvelous folding rear seats, wins on cargo size and versatility. When folded, the Fiesta’s rear seats don’t make a flat load floor, but the Honda’s do. Read more »

Unsurprisingly, of the twelve vehicles whose crash test results were released today by Euro NCAP, eight of them were awarded with a maximum of five stars. Euro NCAP’s top scorers for adult occupant protection in this release were the Alfa Romeo Mito, Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 308CC, Volkswagen Golf VI, Renault Megane, Honda Accord, Opel Insignia and the Volvo XC60. Oddly enough, and even though the new Ford Ka shares the same platform and mechanics with the Fiat 500 which has obtained a five-star rating, Ford’s mini was awarded with four stars.

Read more »

The countdown has began for the announcement of the European ‘Car of the Year 2009′ winner as the organizers released the shortlist with the seven finalists. The cars that made it to the final round of the 2009 COTY are: Alfa Romeo MiTo, Citroen C5, Ford Fiesta, Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, Renault Megane, Skoda Superb and Volkswagen Golf VI. The COTY jury, which is made up of 59 senior motoring journalists from 23 countries around Europe will reveal the winner on November 19.

The COTY’s organizing committee also released a statement in concern of recent news stories that gave the result of a ‘European Car of the Year’. According to the committee, this contest was a national one staged by the Italian Motor Journalists Association and had no connection whatsoever with the ‘Car of the Year’.

COTY PREVIOUS WINNERS

• 2008 — FIAT 500
• 2007– FORD S-MAX
• 2006 — RENAULT CLIO
• 2005 — TOYOTA PRIUS
• 2004 — FIAT PANDA
• 2003 — RENAULT MÉGANE
• 2002 — PEUGEOT 307
• 2001 — ALFA ROMEO 147
• 2000 — TOYOTA YARIS
• 1999 — FORD FOCUS
• 1998 — ALFA ROMEO 156
• 1997 — RENAULT MÉGANE SCENIC
• 1996 — FIAT BRAVO / BRAVA
• 1995 — FIAT PUNTO