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Ford New Models 2004 Mercury Brand Lincoln Concepts
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Ford: Ford Fiesta 2002 The all new Ford Fiesta 2002 COLOGNE, 22 August 2001 - Ford's fresh, new face of small-car form and function - the all-new Fiesta - will debut at the 2001 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show. The new Fiesta is packaged for enjoyment, and concentrates on what matters most to Europe's small-car customers. Space. Style. Safety. Value. Driving quality.
And Ford hasn't forgotten that fiesta means fun and sociability.
Spirit and Space The new Fiesta's main objective was to provide more space and style, without sacrificing manoeuvrability and economy. "It's difficult to enjoy a small car if you and your passengers aren't comfortable," said Martin Leach, Ford of Europe's vice-president of product development, "so it was imperative to pack a lot of space into a shape that is still small on the outside - to create spaciousness for all five occupants and their cargo. We've packaged Fiesta for sharing with family and friends. That's where the spirit of sociability and fun really happens."
photos: Ford Motor Corp. So, how can Fiesta offer class-leading rear-seat knee room, head room so generous that hats can make a fashion comeback, and a cargo area that's nearly 40 litres larger than the segment average - and yet still retain its small-car character for great manoeuvrability and parking ease? The new Fiesta is the story of achieving package efficiency. Getting the most inside from the shape that is outside. 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 before, which helped give rear-seat occupants much-needed knee room. The new Fiesta is also wider and taller than the current model, for extra spaciousness for both occupants and their cargo. "We discovered that the simplest way to engineer enjoyment is to find innovative ways to eliminate the frustrations about owning a small car," said Jeremy Main, the chief programme engineer for Ford small cars. "That understanding helped us achieve the package efficiency that allows Fiesta to do what many other small cars cannot." The new Fiesta's clever design eliminates many of the frustrations of small-car life: Child-seat wrestling: Larger rear doors and more rear-seat roominess mean that installing a child-seat in the rear seat is no longer an Olympic challenge. Even the bulkiest of child seats fit easily. Baby buggy dismantling: Fold-up baby buggies simply do not fit in the boot of most small cars, but with the new Fiesta, they do. Fiesta's cargo area is not only generous in space, but it has been engineered to be usable space. No disassembly required. Choose one: passengers or luggage: With most small cars, bulky luggage and passengers don't mix. There's just not enough room to accommodate luggage without folding at least a section of the rear seat down. The new Fiesta can accommodate two large suitcases in its boot - or a set of golf clubs - without sacrificing any rear seating area. The 'modern furniture divorce' (part 1): To load flat-packed furniture cartons into the boot of a typical small car is so difficult that a divorce lawyer should be retained for the occasion. With Fiesta's wide load floor and fold-flat rear seats, that's now an easier task. (But, even the new Fiesta cannot help with the 'modern furniture divorce' (part 2): the assembly process.) In an early confidential clinic, a group of customers had an opportunity to see the completely new exterior design planned for the Fiesta alongside a model of the new interior package. They couldn't equate the two, wondering how such a spacious interior could possibly fit into the stylish exterior. Individual Style "With new Fiesta, we've distilled the design cues that are central to every new European Ford car to their very essence," said Chris Bird, Ford's director of European design. "In a simpler, harmonious way, the new Fiesta design clearly signals its package efficiency, its strong driving quality credentials and that special zest for life." Under Bird's direction, a team led by chief designer Mark Adams created a stylish, taut skin to wrap around Fiesta's new interior package while expressing energy and agility. The vibrant design signals the spaciousness inside by putting emphasis on the cabin area. The bonnet is short, the glass area is generous and extended with a new third window on the side, giving rear passengers a light and roomy environment. Pronounced wheel arches, filled with Fiesta's standard 14-inch wheels and tyres, communicate the dynamic capabilities of the vehicle along with a distinctive bodyside feature line that dives downward dynamically from the rear of the vehicle all the way to the front. "The new Fiesta has a dynamic visual quality that creates a sense of movement and emotion," said chief designer Adams. "It invites you and your passengers to have fun." Creating a friendly face was also important. Fiesta's new face is engaging, appealing to the heart as well as the head. The front of the vehicle is dominated by large, expressive headlamps that signal technical competence by showing every working detail. The headlamps contain all of the primary lighting functions, including the turn indicator lamp at the top, inside sculptured composite lenses. Fiesta's front design is characterised by 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 and provides a mounting point for integral fog lamps at the very front corners on models so equipped. Strong outward visibility enables the driver to enjoy true small-car manoeuvrability. Raised feature lines on the edges of the bonnet allow even small-stature drivers to see the vehicle's corners, an important driver-confidence factor in urban driving and tight manoeuvres such as parking. A low belt line has also been styled for optimal side visibility and impression of openness. 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. Another Ford design cue, the high-mounted lamp units contain most rear lighting functions of the new Fiesta so that only the reflectors are neatly fitted into the bumper. Inviting and Ready for Action The light and roomy interior design carries on the theme of driving quality. For the driver and passengers alike, the interior of the new Fiesta is a great place to be. Taking advantage of Fiesta's new package efficiency, the height-adjustable front seats are 45 mm higher to reinforce the feeling of security afforded by strong outward visibility. Providing an ergonomically excellent driving position was a high priority. New Fiesta's gear lever, 95 mm higher than in the current model, falls conveniently to hand. The substantial, standard-across-the-range leather-wrapped steering wheel is well positioned and adjustable. The handbrake ergonomics and the reach and positioning of other controls have been carefully designed to suit a wide variety of drivers. The interior communicates Fiesta's desire to share more than an overt driver orientation. Fiesta's unique, new "stacked style" audio systems and optional navigation system are contained in a central dashboard unit that is easy to reach for both front-seat occupants. The centre unit also includes simple primary controls for heating and ventilation and the emergency hazard warning indicators. The dash is punctuated by large, circular, air vents that add an element of visual fun and friendliness to the design. Safety to depend on Fiesta continues Ford's commitment to safety with its Intelligent Protection System of dual-stage front airbags. With more than 10 million Fiestas built since 1976, its heritage of dependability is strengthened in the new model, led by an enhanced safety story. The New Fiesta features Ford's Intelligent Protection System, derived from the acclaimed technology first seen in the all-new Ford Mondeo. A central feature of this system is the fitment of dual-stage front air bags as standard on all new Fiestas. 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 advanced safety technology is founded on a robust body structure. 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. The rigid body structure has been engineered to provide multiple load paths for the management of crash energy that are designed to maintain the integrity of the passenger compartment in all real-world crash events. In addition to the lower path along the floor that is typically the only energy path in most small cars, Fiesta's body structure can distribute crash energy into an upper path via the cowl and into the A-pillar. 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. Fuelling the Fiesta value story The all-new model extends Fiesta's reputation for value with fuel-efficient, modern powertrains - including the latest common-rail diesel engine technology - that help keep running costs low. Real-world fuel economy - assuring that customers can achieve expected levels of fuel consumption - is a key aspect of the Fiesta powertrain story. The new Fiesta will feature three new powertrains which are targeted to deliver fuel economy improvements of up to 10 per cent across the range: 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 and 160 Nm of torque, this new drive-by-wire common-rail diesel is engineered for small-car driveability, excellent economy and new levels of refinement. 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. Extensively developed to suit this small car application, Duratec 16V engines are equipped with a precision electronic throttle, for responsive and economical performance. A friction-fighting new value engine, the 1.3-litre Duratec 8V, also joins the Fiesta family. Ultra low in cost to own and operate, the Duratec 8V is available in two variants, 58 PS or 68 PS, depending upon market. The new engine features low-friction valvetrain technology for its low fuel consumption levels on the official European driving test cycle and in the real world of today's small-car owner. Engineering driving fun is serious work This new small car from Ford wouldn't be a Fiesta without being a joy to drive, the result of Ford's healthy obsession with driving quality. Extensive engineering has been devoted to the new Fiesta's body structure, suspension and steering systems. Its strong twist-beam rear suspension has been honed for interior package efficiency while delivering class-leading handling capabilities. Its front suspension and steering systems have been scrutinised for friction reduction and compliance management, a technique already applied successfully to the Focus and Mondeo. As a result, the new Fiesta combines the fun handling of the Ford Puma with the chassis-engineering excellence found in the acclaimed Ford Focus -- and adds a little something extra, a feeling of large car comfort. It is a combination that makes for a truly entertaining small-car surprise. "This is just one example of how the new Fiesta provides benefits that today's small-car customers have always wanted but never expected to receive," said Philip Maguire, vehicle line director for Ford's small cars in Europe. "We believe we've created an impressive foundation for our future success in the European small-car market." New generation of Ford small cars and technologies Fiesta - which goes on sale in early 2002 -- is the first of a new generation of small cars coming from Ford over the 18 months following the Frankfurt debut. The new Fiesta and the models that follow will be produced in some of the most modern production facilities anywhere in the world. The emphasis is on efficiency, quality and flexibility.
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