The Fiesta achievement brings Ford to a tie with Japanese manufacturer Toyota, both having eight vehicles awarded with the coveted Safety Pick (in Ford's case, the other models are the Ford Fusion/Lincoln MKZ/Mercury Milan, Ford Taurus/Lincoln MKS, and Ford Flex/Lincoln MKT).
It is at the same time the first minicar to earn the distinction since the introduction of the roof strength requirement for rollover protection.
“Fiesta is proof that a small car can deliver big safety, and earning a Top Safety Pick further demonstrates Ford’s commitment to providing all of our customers with world-class crash protection,” Sue Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering said in a statement.
“Fiesta combines rigidity and more airbags – smartly deployed – than its competition, as well as standard stability control.”
The IIHS warns however that the award applies only to the cars manufactured after July 2010 because from that month onwards the carmaker implemented design changes to strengthen the outside door handles which may have caused the doors to open in side impacts.
Otherwise, the Fiesta comes equipped with dual-stage first-row airbags, side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags, as well as knee airbag. ESC and ABS are also standard on the model.
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