Ford Introduces 63.6 MPG ECOnetic Diesel Fiesta... Only in Europe

Why oh why is it always europe?

I suspect it'll have something to do with what they took out to reduce the weight of the vehicle. Not street legal this side of the Atlantic, perhaps? Just a guess, though.

The reason this won't be sold in the U.S., is simply that the car is built in Europe, where it's workers earn Euros. If it were sold in the U.S. the price would need to be greatly increased to make it profitable.

F U Ford, you deserve to die if you don't offer this car in north america. Unbelievable.

I'm pretty sure Toyota didn't make much (if any) money on the Prius when it first introduced it. Ford is losing billions. At least they could keep some marketshare and get some good press with a car like that, even if they lose money on it while switching production over to NA.

Ford wouldn't want this for the US because they want us to keep using gas guzzling cars. Unless the government forces them or they have good competitors they and others will keep doing the same. There is nothing hindering them from producing it here, but they don't want to.

Would this version be EPA legal in the US? DOT safety standards legal? If not should EPA and DOT standards be changed? .......DB

Ford, like other automakers, makes more money on trucks and SUVs. It's gas prices that will change that. As long as consumers didn't care about low mpg, carmakers were happy to sell them what they wanted.

Lets not blame them too much, after all, someone is buying these vehicles.

But we can certainly blame them for lack of foresight. Oil hasn't been cheap for years now.

I don't understand, why is this car not MADE in the U.S. of A. For the U.S. market. I'm sure there are people reading Treehugger who can explain. And wasn't there a small Ford model on the market some 15-18 years ago? Didn't make enough profit?

- Martin

Ford would clean up the market right now with this car if the sold it in the US. They could easily sell it for $20k since it gets better mileage than a Prius without the expensive battery packs. How short-sighted can they be?

improved aerodynamics (its coefficient of drag is 0.33), weight reduction,.... Simple enhancements that could be used on most cars.

In other news, Ford posted an $8.7 Billion loss for the second quarter (http://www.canada.com/theprovince/story.html?id=e11ccae0-ba20-4732-88d3-1e22cbbeacdb). That's $8.7 lost in 3 months. Why are they still in business? How can they still be in business?
Anyway, if this car was available in Canada, at a reasonable price, I'd buy one.

There was another post earlier (can't find it now) that pointed out a bunch positive changes happening in in Europe that are NOT happening in the US. There were comments questioning the patriotism of the Treehugger poster.

This story about Ford is exibit 10547!!!

"I think there is less conspiracy here than you imply. You can not simply bolt on a coeficcient of drag of 0.33 or reduced weight."

I don't think anyone saying it's a conspiracy.

The lower coefficient of drag was achieved by having the car ride slightly lower, by blocking of slightly some air vents in front, by putting different bumps near the rear tires, etc. These modifications can be made on all vehicles, though of course the shape you start with is crucial.

Reduced weight can be achieved with aluminum, or high-strenght steel, or smaller engines, etc.

Current collusive agreements between the oil and auto industries prohibit the sale of this car in the U.S. For the foreseeable future, we must rely on imports for high-mileage products.

By the time they "alter" it to match "American Tastes" it will be a mere shadow of itself.

I used to blame the auto makers but now I have to include the average American consumer which too often doesn't have a clue about what is really good or important in a vehicle. There are exceptions and they have been driving really good cars for a long time but it wasn't until the latest run up in prices did a good number of those "average" Americans begint o question how they get around every day.

Darn "Sheeple"!!! VBG!

Ford, like the other Major corporations are in it exclusively for the money. If they were trying to be good citizens, they would put on a radically different face. Americans are like sheep compared to Europeans. We eagerly swallow the lies that they tell us - that we're the greatest country in the world while we get screwed. We are consumers - we feed the corporations better than any other consumers on the globe. Someday maybe we'll learn to think and make demands on our politiical and corporate leaders. Until then, we might as well be a bunch of stupid apes.

I was just reading an article about Ford and apparently Ford North America doesn't communicate very well with Ford Europe and Ford South America. FE and FSA communicate fairly well with each other but Ford NA isn't real friendly with the other companies and doesn't like to work with them. I would be interested to find out if the South American and European divisions are still profitable.

Compare these two pages
Ford UK
Ford USA


It's plain sad. This Econetic Fiesta isn't the only fuel efficient vehicle their withholding from us. Also note on the detail page for each vehicle is a large button to find out more about this vehicle's CO2 emissions.
Screw 'm all, ride a bike.

I see no need to bring it to the US. Ford seems to be doing just fine lately. Eeeesh

Why do they only release it in Europe when we could really use that kinda stuff in north america?

I believe they are going to bring this to the US, hopefully with the ecoboost engine (dual injected turbocharged gasoline engine, 20% efficency boost). They should probably stick with the gasoline engine in the US, seeing that diesel's at $5 a gallon.

Selling this in the US seems like a huge marketing opportunity. Ford could push this as a preferable alternative to the Prius for nominally-green people who do a lot of highway driving, and as a way to screw foreign oil producers for the politically conservative buyer. Unfortunately, the US automotive industry seems more intent on telling consumers what they're supposed to want, than on selling what people are actually buying. How long will Toyota dealers be keeping waiting lists for Prius buyers, before US manufacturers begin to exploit that unmet demand? And, rather than trying to trick buyers into thinking a product is better for the environment (where can people fill up on E85?), shouldn't manufacturers be making products that actually are better?

Ask and you shall receive...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jul/24/ford.automotive1

For those of you who say :

"I want one now!"

Just get a Yaris, for gosh sake's. At least you know Toyota will still be around in five years, and a 2008 Yaris will have nearly 50% of it's buy-back value in 2013
(depending on your mileage and maintenance)

So many people don't consider buy-back value at the end of their lease or contract when they buy the cheap craptastic cars.

Same thing goes for Honda btw...

Weak! Ford, get with the program already!? I'm sticking by my trusty Honda....

I think a big issue when it comes to US automakers deciding what to offer is that, when it comes to automotive tastes, there is not "one USA". Travel around the country and you'll see vastly differing fleets on the road in different areas. This is partly due to differences in geography and climate, and partly due to education and tradition.

I think smaller, more European-flavored cars have always had an easier time of it on the coasts, while middle America has tended to favor larger, more American-styled cars (yes, these are gross generalizations, and I extend my apologies to those who I offend with them). Guess where our automakers are located? So, even when they bring something over from their European arms, they feel a need to "Americanize" it so it'll play in Peoria. The result: middle America still finds it too European, and the coasts find it too watered-down. So it sells poorly in both areas and gets dropped. See Merkur, Ford Escort & Focus, Cadillac Catera, etc.

The aesthetics look great. This is usually the first thing that people complain about with high mileage cars. I would certainly buy this if I were in the market for a new car.

One thing I would like to ask: Is part of the reason the mileage doesn't make it across the pond because of EPA regulations? I often hear that cited as the reason cars get worse mileage in the US than in Europe.

Also, I do think the issue of different parts of America liking different cars is a big issue. I live and work in NJ. I am a college student who works as a system admin over the summer and I live with my mom in the suburbs. Traffic rarely goes over 50 MPH thanks to congestion, so acceleration is no big deal. I can see how a guy living out in the south with miles and miles of empty highway would want a car that can go to 75 MPH and stay there in under 8 seconds, but for me, I never need to go fast, nor am I able. We need a real suburban vehicle so long as sprawl is a reality. It seems that the big car companies think that sprawl is a market that only wants SUVs and minivans, and it seems that the eco-car companies trying to come out with electrics assume we don't want to drive over 35 MPH.

"Just get a Yaris"

Yaris gets no where near 66 MPG.

All these car posts are starting to sound the same...

0.33 Coeff for drag: same as the new impreza, I'm not impressed
Diesel has a lot of nasty by products, even at 60+mpg

I worry that this car thing my be one of "better is the enemy of good" things. We'll keep telling ourselves a great new car that will save the world is just a few years, everyone wait, and we won't make any of the easy changes that we can today.

I love this diesel-electric combination in a hybrid.

What's this nonsense about not being allowed on U.S. highways? Is the conventional Fiesta not now being driven on those same roads?

I've a theory that oil and auto have long been in collusion to counter and thwart the demand for diesel-powered, autos. The fear is probably that, with a vehicle such as the Fiesta hybrid, too many will discover that they can fuel their commutes on renderings from bacon, beef fat and the Christmas goose.

skeptikool said:

What's this nonsense about not being allowed on U.S. highways? Is the conventional Fiesta not now being driven on those same roads?

No, the conventional Fiesta is not being driven on those roads. Ford doesn't currently sell it in the US. Ford is supposed to start making a US version of the Fiesta for the 2010 model year.

The US has very different automotive safety standards than Europe. Even when a vehicle is available in both North America and Europe, it's not really the same. The North American version of a vehicle is typically heavier than the European version, in order to meet US (and Canadian) safety rules.

Until a vehicle has met the relevant safety standards, it can not be sold legally in the United States. Current Fiesta models have not been submitted to US testing, and thus cannot be sold here.

I imagine the 2010 release of the Fiesta in the US will use a gasoline engine, rather than diesel. Diesel is still unpopular in the US, and is typically used only for trucks and the occasional high-end German car.

Until recently US diesel fuels were high in sulfur and European diesel engines typically had to be redesigned to operate on it, which was another barrier to its use in US automobiles (aside from its unpopularity with the general public, who associate it with loud, smelly trucks). A few years ago new diesel standards went into effect in the US, which make our diesel more similar to European diesel. Some auto makers are starting to introduce more diesel models in the US market as a result.

I don't feel sorry for any of the american car makers. They have the technology but just won't bring it to the masses.
I don't give a care about their record losses. What about the loss our planet has suffered at the hands of their huge inefficient SUVs?
I hope they all go down.
We deserve better!

This could sell for a premium here in the U.S....people would be willing to shell out several thousand $ more to own a 70 mpg car.

Don't get too jealous, fuel prices and taxes over here are crazy, I pay £1.32 a litre (most of which is tax) for diesel and petrol isn't much cheaper. Also we pay tax to keep the car on the road, the system is based on CO2/km output which penalises 4x4s while rewarding efficient cars. an example is my brother-in-law pays over £300 a year for his 1.8 petrol Freelander while I pay £35 a year for my 1.5 dci 2002 Renault Clio which does 65mpg and outputs under 121g CO2/km.
Plus if you want to drive in London you'll have to pay £8 a day for the pleasure, thankfully the efficient cars like mine are exempt.

Rumor has it that Ford is converting a large amount of its truck and SUV plants in the American Midwest to start manufacturing smaller vehicles for 2009, including the new Fiesta, to be ready for a 2010 launch into the US.

This will be in America with FORDS announcement from yesterday, I am desparately waiting for these diesels to become available to america, I will drive my 2001 small ford ranger truck till the wheels fall off, until they sell these in the states

Stop whining! remember that fuel prices are MUCH higher in Europe, in the UK diesel is just under $11 a UK gallon. Ford obviously see a bigger market in Europe, where the car is built. The world does not revolve around the USA!

12 seconds to get to 60 isn't safe due to speed differential. People failing to merge and accelerate here causes traffic backups everyday and causes more emissions. They have actually talked about posting signs that say "accelerate" on the bridge. I want to see the American companies succeed, but I hope they don't bring this over without increasing performance. Anyways, 9.0 seconds to 60 and 50mpg sounds like a good tradeoff, but I'm personally not replacing my 2 door until I can buy electric.

"12 seconds to get to 60 isn't safe due to speed differential."

I call BS.

Almost no car does 0 to 60 at their max theoretical capability in the real world. You'll just push the fiesta a big more when you need fast acceleration, and most times you accelerate from 30 to 60 or whatever.

I want one now!! 60+ MPG is the way to go and what we should have been doing for years now.

“I've a theory that oil and auto have long been in collusion to counter and thwart the demand for diesel-powered, autos.”

Aside from being just plain paranoid, this doesn’t make sense. If anything, the opposite is true. Look at the money. Auto manufacturers have made their highest profits when oil prices and oil profits were at their lowest and vice-versa.

December of 1998 oil was less than $10 per barrel. Oil companies were crying and begging for hand-outs. But profitable SUV and large truck sales soared. Auto makers were raking in billions. That year Ford made $22 billion. Now the oil companies are making the money and the US auto makers are losing money. If they're in collusion, they're doing an awful job of it.

Readers here are optimistic about the success of European vehicles in the US. Just because you like it doesn't mean that average US car buyers will. TH readers are by no means typical Americans. If European cars, particularly diesels were well accepted in the US, the VW TDI's would have taken over the market long ago.

Ford is gun-shy about bringing European vehicle here. They've done it many times before, but were not particularly successful. The first Fiesta was sold in the US in the late 70's but it only lasted about three years. Sales were mediocre. It was replaced by the US only Escort, which became the best selling car in the US for some time. Most recently the Mondeo, which was also hugely popular in Europe, was brought here as the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique to replace the popular but aging Tempo/Topaz. It was criticized for being smaller than other vehicles in its class, particularly in the back seat. Sales were mediocre, and it was eventually discontinued for the US.

The Focus has probably been the most successful European transplant for Ford, but it has enjoyed its best sales after being redesigned just for the US market.

“I don't understand, why is this car not MADE in the U.S. of A. For the U.S. market. I'm sure there are people reading Treehugger who can explain. And wasn't there a small Ford model on the market some 15-18 years ago? Didn't make enough profit?”

It is nearly impossible for a domestic manufacturer to build a small car for profit in the US. Their labor is unionized, so their labor cost is higher. Lately they have been slashing costs to try to become profitable again, but laying