The Blue Oval has taken the wraps off the most peppy iteration of its three-cylinder turbo mill marketed under the EcoBoost moniker. In terms of horsepower-per-liter of displacement, the hottest 1.0-liter EcoBoost trumps full-on supercars and even the iconic Bugatti Veyron with its 8.0-liter W16 quad-turbo tower-of-power.
If you couple those 140 horsepower to new gear ratios on the five-speed manual gearbox, stiffer suspension setup and retuned steering, you get a Ford Fiesta that can do 62 mph (100 km/h) in 9 seconds dead before topping out at 125 mph (201 km/h). Considering it returns 4.5 liters per 100 km (62.8 U.K. mpg), that's impressive performance for a practical subcompact gifted with only 3 cylinders.
At the present moment you can only enjoy the punchy 1.0-liter EcoBoost motor only if you buy the Ford Fiesta Red or Black Edition. However, prices aren't available yet and the first units will hit European dealerships this September. As the names imply, both limited editions are gifted with head-turning looks thanks to their strong visual identities. One has its body painted in Race Red and its roof finished in gloss black, while the other sports a Panther Black hue and a gloss red roof.
Only available in three-door guise, these pocket rockets are adorned with front upper and lower grille surrounds, front bumper aerofoil and mirror caps in contrasting colors, with Panther Black 16-inch or optional 17-inch alloys wheels. Inside you'll be greeted by a sporty black leather steering wheel and gear lever gaiter with red stitching, black floor mats with red stitching and charcoal black sport seats wrapped in something called "Ultimate material."
“Both cars have an execution that’s bold, distinctive and contemporary, but the Red and Black present subtly different personalities that will appeal to different customers,” explains John Mcleod, Vehicle Personalisation chief designer for Ford Europe. “For me, the more provocative car is the Black Edition; the red detailing and especially the grille surround deliver a high contrast for drivers that want to be noticed. The Red Edition car is highly expressive yet a little bit more subtle for the less exuberant owner.”
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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