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Ford Fiesta to Tackle Premium Small Car Market

Although Ford will debut the Fiesta in the United States as its smallest vehicle in the country, the company is willing to use the same model in order to enter the premium small car sector as well. Basically, the US-based manufacturer thinks that some new car buyers would opt for the advantages of such a small vehicle while benefiting from premium options such as Bluetooth and Sync technology.

Pricing of such a premium Fiesta would go around $23,000, leftlanenews.com reported.

“There are people who live in downtown Boston who want to trade in their Audi A4 and still have Bluetooth and Sync technology, yet get a smaller car,” Jim Farley, Ford’s head of marketing, was quoted as saying in a statement. “They can do that.”

The regular Fiesta will go on sale in the US in 2010 and will be powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC I-4 engine that develops a maximum output of 119 horsepower and 109 lb-ft of torque. It features Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) and is mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission. Ford's PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission will be available as an option.

As for safety, the car comes with dual-stage first-row airbags, driver's knee airbag, side airbags and side curtain airbags, plus AdvanceTrac with ESC as standard. Seatbelt pretensioners, rear door child safety locks and a Safety Canopy system is available as well.

“Customers are savvy. They want expressive cars that deliver not just great fuel economy but also high quality, new technologies and a fun driving experience,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “We plan to answer the call with Fiesta; an all-new vehicle in North America we hope will set a new standard for small cars.”
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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