With all the talk about Ford’s new EcoBoost engines, the question always arises about the Fiesta. Over and over again I get asked “Will the Fiesta get an EcoBoost engine?” I even ask myself the question, and try to read into the press releases for clues. Over the past few months I have fallen in love with the Fiesta, and I find the 1.6L fun to drive around town. However, a little bit more power and the sound of a turbo under the hood sounds like even more fun. I have even thought about settling on the Dual-Stage Clutch transmission if it means getting the EcoBoost engine. Over the past 14 years, I have never owned a forced induction car, and I think it is time to change. I really don’t want a supercharged engine since they add more weight and take power to run. A turbo uses exhaust gases, and doesn’t take power to turn the impeller. Watching the Fiesta Rally cars take on Pikes Peak gets me even more excited for a turbo engine.
This turbo question leaves me in a state of confusion about what to do when the Fiesta is released next spring. Do I be the first one in town to order a new Fiesta, or do I wait a year or more to see if a performance model comes out? Back in 1999, I was the first one in town to get a Focus ZX3. I loved the car until I went to SVT and was told that there was a special Focus coming out. Hmmm, I should have waited because I really wanted a Sonic Blue SVT Focus instead. No sense in trading in the ZX3 since its value dropped to nothing after a few years. My dad ran into the same issue in 1993 when he ordered his 1994 Mustang GT. After he took delivery of the car, he found out a Cobra model was in the pipe line. Again, he wanted the car that came out later. He considered selling the GT for the Cobra, but waited as rumors about a removable hard-top Cobra surfaced. In the end, he kept the GT since its value dropped to a point where it wasn’t worth selling it for a Cobra and the removable hardtop really never materialized. Should I buy a Fiesta right away and just be happy with the normally aspirated 1.6L, or wait for the performance model with the EcoBoost engine? Sadly, there are no confirmed plans for either a performance model or a forced induction model.
If I wait until 2011 for a turbo Fiesta, I probably should just wait to see what the new Focus will looks like. The Iosis concept seems to show the new Focus looking like a slightly larger Fiesta, and will have the EcoBoost engine at model launch. The design of the Fiesta is outstanding, and I am still terrified that the US version won’t be nearly as good looking as the European model. If Ford applies the same Kinetic Design to the Focus, it will return to the good looking compact that it was in 2000-2004. The bad thing about the Focus is that it is getting bigger, and I don’t want a bigger car. The Fiesta is almost exactly what I want, just needing a performance version that looks and acts differently than the normal person’s Fiesta. The NA 1.6L is great for daily commuting, and it is a really fun engine to live with. Where is suffers is on track or autocrossing, which is where the EcoBoost engine would add the extra oomph the car needs.
My dilemma to either wait for the possible performance model or to buy a Fiesta right away is same issue I hear from other enthusiasts. They drive my Fiesta and love the car, but really want something like a SVT version. Many of us want a Fiesta that has more performance inspired components such as the aero package, turbocharged engine, and larger brakes. Those types of functional pieces match the lifestyle of someone who competes with their car on weekends. We want a Fiesta that stands out from the rest of the Fiesta’s, but has parts that really work and are not just a lame attempt as a sport model. With no confirmed information concerning the EcoBoost engines or a possible performance model, I am left scratching my head on what to do. I had a chance to sell my SVT Focus for a very nice price, but decided not to since I have no idea what is actually coming for the US Fiesta. Who knows, the US car may be changed so far from the European model that not even a turbo could save it. Fat chrome bars running across the grille, cheap plastic interior, and fake fender vents could all make their way onto the US version. Don’t believe me? Google 2007 Ford Focus North America and 2007 Ford Focus Europe and see for yourself. Yeah, if the Fiesta gets botched the same way the Focus did, no EcoBoost engine could fix it.
My advice, wait. The worst that could happen is that they don’t do the performance model and you just end up getting the regular Fiesta or Focus later. I could have had the first Focus in 1999, but couldn’t wait and got an Escort instead. I saw the sketch of the Fusion in 2003 and thought “that’s perfect”. I couldn’t wait and got a Stratus instead. Last year, when I decided I needed a small car I saw the Verve concept and said “that’s perfect”. This time I’m waiting, and I’m totally confident I’m doing the right thing.
Tough one to call. I would wait until the next global Focus appears, which should be at least 6 months after the Fiesta launches in North America.
Then it would be possible that Ford adds some new items for the Fiesta Job 2 production run, such as the ecoboost 4 cylinder.
With the global Focus launch in North America I assume one of the ecoboost engines will be offered.
All that said, I am a BIG fan of the 1.6 Ti-VCT matched with the manual tranny, whether it be in the Focus or the Fiesta. For me this powerplant has been one of my favourite.
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The 1.6L with 5-speed is a great engine, and I could be very happy with it if there was no talk about a possible EcoBoost powerplant. Ford traditionally offers a performance model after 1-2 years, which is longer than I want to wait for a new car. The only exception is the SHO, which is launching with the regular Taurus.
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Even the worst case, which is a non-performance model, is not that bad! I go back and forth on what to do. Some days I want a turbo, other days I think the car is fine without one. Everything will really depend on what changes the car will receive for the US. The changes could be so bad that I won’t want one regardless of a performance model.
Bryan,
Thanks for the detailed thoughts on your loaner Fiesta. They are very worthwhile.
I went to the Fiesta Movement Ride & Drive at Venice Beach this morning, and test drove the automatic Fiesta with ~98 hp (the manual ones had the 1.6Ti-VCT. Here are my thoughts.
Power: I was very surprised at how quickly a car with so little power and a 4 speed autobox could get up to speed. It’s slow, sure, but not as slow as I was prepared for it to be. The autobox is decidedly mediocre, but Ford has already announced that 6 speed Powershift is coming, so that isn’t a worry. I think the ~118 hp 1.6 engine ought to be adequate, but who wouldn’t want more power (see below)?
Ride/Handling: What I was impressed with was the steering and handling. The directness and transparency of the steering was a surprise. It is step or two better than the Fit, and I thought the Fit was really good. If the steering has a demerit, it’s that it feels a bit artificial, but I guess that is unavoidable with electric steering. Nonetheless, most hydraulic steering cars that I’ve driven do not have this amount of precision, so this is a minor complaint. The car cornered quite flatly (the only lean clearly came from the 15″ tires’ sidewalls, which is an easy fix: get 16’s), and the car changed direction rapidly with zero drama. The ride was surprisingly comfortable without being floaty, which was really nice. I didn’t have a chance to take it on the freeway, but it was plenty stable at 50 mph and from my conversation with the FM representative, it’s pretty stable at freeway speeds, which is good, since I found the Fit a little skittish at freeway speeds.
One of my friends has a Mini Cooper S that I had the opportunity to drive a good bit, and while the Fiesta obviously doesn’t handle as good as the Cooper S, I prefer the way it drives and handles. While the Mini is stellar, is a very nervous car, and its nervousness, combined with the flintiness of the ride, was off-putting to me. I doubt that I could live with the Mini every day, while even in just a 20 minute spin around the streets of Venice, I became confident that I could live with the Fiesta every day from a ride/handling perspective.
Interior: I like the Fiesta’s interior. It seems plenty intuitive to me. The controls had a good feel to them, the instruments were intuitive and legible, and both and are logically located. Exterior visibility is also excellent. The front seat was very easy to get into position and quite comfortable. It could do with a longer thigh cushion, though, and a bit more bolstering. Otherwise, I really liked the front seats, and am pretty sure that I could settle in for a long haul in them. The only two demerits I have for the front seats are that the material along the window sill, which is where I like put my elbow when cruising, is plasticky and rough and that the car does not have an armrest between the seats. The former is unlikely to get fixed, but the aftermarket can fix the latter is Ford won’t.
From the driver’s seat perspective, the Fiesta outclasses the Fit and Cooper in my opinion. The Fit has good seats and instruments, and stellar visibility. The stereo is fiddly, however, and the steering wheel doesn’t telescope, making it a bit harder to get a seating position that is completely comfortable. The Mini has awesome seats (especially the sports seats), but visibility isn’t as good, and the controls are awkwardly placed and the instrument placement is terrible.
Moving to the back, the rear bench is comfortable enough, but it isn’t as good as the Fit in comfort: the Fit’s higher roof and slight increase in leg room makes a big difference in such small cars (I’m not going to even bother discussing the Mini here). The cargo space is also excellent (it can fit as much with the seats up as my e46 323i), but again the Fit outclasses it in this respect. The Fit has ungodly amounts of cargo space for such a small car, and the trick fold flat seats and foldable rear bench are really nice.
Here was the interesting bit: I went on my drive with the site manager, and he said that the Fiesta WILL be available with an Ecoboost engine, possibly at launch. I’m hoping he has good information, because ~150 hp in the Fiesta would be incredible. If not, then aftermarket companies are going to have a field day with this car: it has plenty of under hood space, so Saleen, Roush, Mountune, etc. have plenty of space to play with.
My preliminary assessment comparing the Fiesta and Fit is that the Fiesta has (for the price and class) an excellent driving experience combined with adequate passenger accommodations and cargo space, while the Fit has a solid driving experience combined with very good passenger accommodations and cargo space.