This is Ford's fresh, new face of small-car form and function – the all-new Fiesta – which will debut at the 2001 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in three weeks' time. The new Fiesta incorporates Ford's new Intelligent Protection System of dual-stage front air bags, similar to those fitted to the all-new Ford Mondeo.
Fiesta offers class-leading rear-seat knee room, generous head room and a cargo area that’s nearly 40 litres larger than the segment average. Ford engineers pushed Fiesta’s wheels even further to the corners of the vehicle, giving it the biggest footprint in its segment without being the biggest vehicle. The wheelbase is 41 mm longer than beforeand the new Fiesta is also wider and taller than the current model, for extra spaciousness for both occupants and their cargo.
The bonnet is short, the glass area is generous and extended with a new third window on the side, and pronounced wheel arches cover standard 14-inch wheels and tyres.
The front of the vehicle is dominated by large headlamps that contain all of the primary lighting functions, including the turn indicator lamp at the top, inside sculptured composite lenses.
Fiesta’s front design incorporates the arc-shaped grille opening that is now characteristic of the Ford family. The lower grille features an inverted trapezoid shape that further emphasises Fiesta’s wide track and 'planted' stance.
At the rear, a large glass area continues to provide strong outward visibility and large, high-mounted tail lamps provide clear, safe indication for following drivers.
Inside, the height-adjustable front seats are 45 mm higher than in the current car, and new Fiesta’s gear lever is 95 mm higher. The standard wheel is leather-wrapped and Fiesta's new 'stacked style' audio systems and optional navigation system are contained in a central dashboard unit.
Ford's Intelligent Protection System, derived from the technology first seen in the all-new Ford Mondeo, includes dual-stage front air bags as standard. They feature new 'smart safety' technology that can sense the severity of a frontal impact. The objective of the system is to tailor the air bag response to provide the front seat occupants with the correct level of air bag protection based on the type and severity of the collision.
A sophisticated crash severity sensor at the front of the vehicle is capable in milliseconds of sensing the type of accident and the impact severity. The airbags deploy in timed stages, according to a pre-determined protocol based on potential accident situations.
Dual-stage airbags are part of an occupant protection package of six available air bags for the new Fiesta. Thorax-protecting side airbags are available for the front seat occupants in the event of a side impact. Optional inflatable side curtains provide side-impact head protection of the front and rear seat passengers. The curtains inflate to cover the full length between the vehicle’s A- and C-pillars.
Fiesta’s body is 100 per cent stiffer in bending and 40 per cent stiffer torsionally than the previous model, making extensive use of high-strength steels to create a robust body structure for occupant protection.
Special emphasis in the design has been applied to reducing driver lower leg injuries through footwell intrusion in a frontal crash. Fiesta has a new deploying brake pedal assembly to minimise such injuries.
The new Fiesta will feature three new powertrains:
• The all-new 1.4-litre Duratorq TDCi is a compact, lightweight, aluminium, turbodiesel engine featuring new-generation common-rail injection technology, delivering 68 PS.
• A new double-overhead cam petrol engine developed from that fitted to the Ford Focus – the Duratec 16V – joins the Fiesta range in two small-car configurations, the 80-PS 1.4-litre, and a 100-PS 1.6-litre variant.
• A new 1.3-litre Duratec 8V is available in two variants, 58 PS or 68 PS, depending upon market.
August 2001
by Brian Byrne