2011 Red Ford Fiesta

• The newly transformed Cuautitlán Stamping and Assembly Plant (CSAP) in Mexico reopens and begins producing the all-new 2011 Ford Fiesta
• The plant will produce two versions of this new vehicle, a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback, for Ford customers in the United States, Canada and Mexico
• Ford transformed its Cuautitlán facility from a truck-producing plant, creating 2,000 direct jobs and at least 6,000 indirect jobs. As part of its ONE Ford plan, the company has been leveraging its global strengths and shifting production to more fuel-efficient small cars customers value
• On sale this summer, the Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, projected best-in-class fuel economy and a number of features and technologies not found on competitive vehicles this size

CUAUTITLAN IZCALLI, MEXICO, May 11, 2010 – Ford Motor Company today celebrates the start of production of the all-new 2011 Ford Fiesta at its Cuautitlán Stamping and Assembly Plant (CSAP), which has been transformed from a truck plant to a car plant producing the all-new Fiesta for North American customers.

The start of Fiesta production at Cuautitlán marks another milestone in the ONE Ford plan to deliver even more products people really want while better leveraging the company’s global product and manufacturing strengths.

“Our investment in Cuautitlán brings ‘ONE Ford’ global vehicles to life in North America and allows more customers to experience even more of our high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s group vice president of Canada, Mexico and South America operations and Global Marketing. “Small cars are the fastest-growing product segment around the world, and Ford is answering the call with fun-to-drive new cars such as Fiesta, Fusion and the new Focus that is coming soon.”

Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and the Governor of State of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto joined the Cuautitlan event to celebrate the start of production for the Fiesta, which starts arriving in North American dealerships this summer and is already a strong seller in Europe and Asia.

Eduardo Serrano Berry, President and CEO of Ford in Mexico, expressed his pride on the transformation of Ford’s plant in Cuautitlán, now one of the most advanced flexible manufacturing complexes in the world.

“This year, as Ford of Mexico celebrates 85 years of uninterrupted operations in our country, we feel honored for the trust the corporation has placed in our manufacturing capabilities,” he said. “Ford of Mexico has a great team and a strong track record for producing high-quality vehicles, and we are eager to deliver outstanding new cars for an entire continent of customers.”

New Fiesta: Above the rest
The all-new Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, fuel-efficient engine, high-quality materials and a number of features and technologies not found on competitive vehicles.

Fun to drive, the new Fiesta has a 1.6-liter DOHC I-4 engine that delivers 120 horsepower. This engine can be mated with either a five-speed manual transmission or Ford’s new advanced PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission, which is expected to deliver best-in-class fuel economy of 40 mpg highway.

Designed to be versatile, personal and adaptable, Fiesta is expected to deliver best-in-class safety, convenience and connectivity with segment-exclusive SYNC® voice-activated communications system, an expressive color palette and available graphics.

The new Fiesta is built off Ford’s global small car platform. By 2014, this vehicle platform will deliver up to 1.6 million global vehicles annually, including up to five separate vehicle lines and eight top hats.

Fiesta’s global track record
The Ford Fiesta was first introduced in Europe in 1976. Since then, it has become synonymous with outstanding driving performance, design and value.

In the U.S. and Canada, the Fiesta arrived as a 1978 model, equipped with a Kent OHV I-4 of 1.6 liter engine – the biggest engine offered in European markets.

The Fiesta went on sale in Mexico in 1998, selling more than 294,000 units.

Worldwide, Fiesta has sold more than 12 million units in the last 30 years.

The new Fiesta is off to a fast start, selling 750,000 units in its first 18 months on the market in Europe and Asia. The new car also has received a number of awards, including:

* A prestigious ‘red dot’ design award for international product design
o 28 leading designers and design experts from 19 countries called Fiesta one of the most stylish cars in the world, labeling its design “innovative and dynamic.”
o The award showcases the fact that Fiesta delivers style, together with outstanding quality that consumers desire.
o The red dot design awards, one of the world’s largest design recognition programs, are presented annually by Germany’s Essen-based Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen.
* 2009 Car of the Year – The Sun Motors
* 2009 Croatian Car of the Year – Croatian Car Association
* 2009 Hellenic Car of the Year – Journalists from Autobild, Drive Autocar
* Woman’s Car 2009 – Hachette Filipacchi Editorial Group
* 2008 Scottish Car of the Year – Association of Scottish Motoring Writers
* The Best of the 2008 Geneva Show – Most Significant – Autoweek
* Top Gear, Car, Car & Driver and 4 Wheels
* 2008 Croatian Car of the Year – Croatian Car Association
* 2008 Best Supermini – What Car? magazine

Cuautitlán: A tradition of manufacturing
Since 2008, Ford has invested $3 billion in its Mexican operations – including a diesel engine plant in Chihuahua, a new transmission plant in Guanajuato (a joint venture with Getrag) that will product the Fiesta’s new automatic transmission as well as the transformation and expansion at the Cuautitlán Plant.

Opened in November 1964, Ford’s Cuautitlán Plant now has become one of the world’s most advanced flexible manufacturing complexes.

Ford expanded the Cuautitlán plant by 25,800 m2, building in five new lines of high-productivity presses, 270 robots and in-line measuring systems, adjustable ergonomic platforms in the upholstery area and new paint facilities that are more efficient and environmentally friendly.

“All the major subassemblies of the body and final assembly will be completed in the plant,”said Eduardo Villegas, General Manager of CSAP. “This helps ensure a quality build and even greater productivity.”

Fiesta production at the site has created 2,000 direct jobs and at least 6,000 indirect jobs.

The Cuautitlán plant has produced more than 2.2 million vehicles during its 45-year history, including some iconic products. These include the Ford Mustang, LTD, Crown Victoria, Thunderbird, Taurus, Contour, Mercury Grand Marquis, Contour, Mystique and a variety of light- and medium-duty F-Series trucks.

For more information about the Ford Fiesta, please visit: http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Fiesta_Timeline.pdf |

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 176,000 employees and about 80 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and, until its sale, Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

About Ford Mexico
Ford of Mexico began operations in 1925 and currently employs more than 5,800 people in manufacturing facilities that include the Stamping and Assembly Plant of Hermosillo; Engines I and Engines II of Chihuahua; the Cuautitlán Stamping and Assembly Plant as well as in its headquarters located in Mexico City. In Mexico, Ford produces the Ford Fusion, the Mercury Milan, the Lincoln MKZ as well as the hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan. Its strategy of manufacturing also integrates the assembly and production of the Duratec I-4 (2.0- and 2.5-liter) engine as well as the PowerStroke Diesel 6.7-liter V-8 engine. The brands that integrate into Mexico’s group include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and, until completing its process of selling, Volvo.

Photos from the Ford Fiesta Club Mexico

2011 Ford Fiesta appears on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

* Ford and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” are teaming up tonight to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the all-new 2011 Ford Fiesta
* Tune in to watch Guillermo, the show’s parking lot security guard, follow a message from a dream sequence to take to the streets of Los Angeles to start a dance troupe and lead a fiesta
* The 2011 Ford Fiesta goes on sale this summer offering projected best-in-class fuel economy, 15 class-

exclusive features and technologies and personalization – all in a small car package

DEARBORN, Mich., May 5, 2010 – The 2011 Ford Fiesta is taking to late-night TV to mark Cinco de Mayo, joining the cast of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and a dance troupe to show off just how much fun Ford’s newest small car can be.

“We are excited to once again team up with the ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ show for Fiesta,” says Connie Fontaine, Ford brand content and alliances manager. “The show was instrumental in helping us reveal the Ford Fiesta last December and now they are throwing a huge party for the Fiesta on Cinco de Mayo.”

In the segment, Guillermo is about to have some major fun with the Fiesta after getting a very important message from Erik Estrada during a dream earlier in the week. Guillermo’s plans include starting up a dance troupe and shutting down Hollywood Boulevard to show off his moves in a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Tune in to ABC tonight at 12:05 a.m. EDT to find out what happens and where Fiesta takes Guillermo. To get a sneak peak at tonight’s segment, visit: http://www.youtube.com/v/z2wVQ-5G44o

Fiesta has it all – and more
Going on sale this summer, the all-new Ford Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, sharp reflexes, and a global track record that will redefine U.S. small car customers’ expectations. With 15 class-exclusive features and technologies and projected best-in-class highway fuel economy, Fiesta brings efficiency and convenience together in one package.

Fiesta is designed to be versatile, personal and adaptable. In fact, it is expected to deliver best-in-class convenience and connectivity with the available segment-exclusive SYNC® voice-activated communications system. Fiesta also features an expressive color palette and available graphics.

Already nearly 1,500 consumers have placed orders for the Ford Fiesta and more than 125,000 hand-raisers are showing an interest in the new fuel-efficient car. Customers can place their order for the new Fiesta today through their local Ford dealer.

• The 2011 Ford Fiesta adheres to the same noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) control principles as larger Ford car lines, delivers class-leading quietness
• Fiesta highway wind noise at 80 mph is 10 percent quieter than a Honda Fit and still quieter than the Toyota Corolla
• The Fiesta body structure was designed with ultra-high-strength steels for rigidity, resulting in a quiet, rattle-free ride
• Using the global Fiesta as a platform, the North American Fiesta team enhanced NVH control for the market-specific PowerShift transmission and all-season tires

SAN FRANCISCO, April 19, 2010 – The 2011 Ford Fiesta delivers big car quiet in a small car package through the application of principles that until now have typically only gone into the development of bigger, more expensive cars.

“The global Ford Fiesta platform really raised the bar for small car quiet,” said Vehicle NVH Supervisor David Snyder. “For the North American market, we started with an inherently quiet package, enhancing it specifically to accommodate the all-new PowerShift transmission, all-season tires and discriminating customer expectations.”

Fiesta quiet begins with a rigid body structure, half of which is created from ultra-high-strength steels such as boron. These lightweight yet strong alloys give the Fiesta body rigidity, helping to keep the finished vehicle tight and rattle-free.

The stiff Fiesta body structure, NVH control actions taken and a slippery aerodynamic design combine to deliver ten percent less highway wind noise at 80 mph than a Honda Fit. In the same measure, Fiesta is quieter than both Toyota Yaris and Corolla.

Transformational transmission tuned
The PowerShift automatic is a North American Fiesta-exclusive offering. This unique transmission – based on hyper-efficient manual transmission technology – provides the convenience of a traditional automatic while offering the mechanical efficiency of a manually shifted gearbox.

The PowerShift automatic is a key factor in helping the Fiesta deliver up to an estimated 40 mpg highway.

PowerShift-specific Fiesta engine and transmission mounts were specially tuned to virtually eliminate driveline noise. This advanced transmission also features micro-slip, a technology that actually induces minimal clutch slip for smooth gear changes and isolation of engine vibration as an NVH control action.

Quiet in all seasons
To preserve the dynamic driving characteristics of the global Fiesta package while accommodating all-season tires, the North American development team added specially tuned shock absorber valving, increased front spring rates and damping.

These actions result in the North American Fiesta sharing the same engaging driving dynamics with its global counterpart, with reduced noise from the suspension and tires.

Uncompromisingly quiet
Multiple enhancements were made to Fiesta’s interior NVH control package to meet the unique expectations of North American drivers. These include:

• Acoustic-laminated windshield, reducing wind noise
• Wind tunnel-optimized side-view mirrors, reducing wind noise
• Stiffened door modules, reducing the potential for rattles
• Roof-mounted antenna for less wind noise and improved aerodynamics
• Wind noise-optimized grille for reduced wind noise
• Enhanced hood seal for reduced engine noise
• Additional sound-absorbent material for a quieter interior environment
• Revised seals for reduced wind noise

“The Fiesta delivers the refinement and quietness of a larger, more expensive car” said Snyder. “This combined with the expected class-leading fuel economy of up to 40 highway miles per gallon make the Fiesta a compelling alternative for small car buyers.”

• 2011 Ford Fiesta meets the same noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) standards as larger Ford cars, resulting in class-leading small car quiet
• Fiesta is measurably quieter than leading compact and subcompact cars, including the Toyota Yaris and Carolla, and the Honda Fit
• Fiesta body structure was designed with ultra-high-strength steels for rigidity, resulting in a quiet, rattle-free ride

• Acoustic-laminated windshield, reducing wind noise
• Wind tunnel-optimized side-view mirrors, reducing wind noise
• Stiffened door modules, reducing the potential for rattles
• Rear-mounted roof antenna for less wind noise and improved aerodynamics
• Wind noise-optimized grille
• Additional sound-absorbent material throughout the cabin for a quiet interior
• Revised door seals for reduced wind noise

Autoblog has uncovered some spy shots of what they believe is a Fiesta with an EcoBoost engine! I was hoping this would happen.

• Ford is adding an exciting new element to its sponsorship of “American Idol” by giving each of the top 12 contestants a unique opportunity to work with Ford designers and create their own customized 2011 Ford Fiesta graphics
• This new element will be featured in a video segment in tonight’s episode of “American Idol,” which airs at 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET live/PT tape-delayed on FOX; fans will be able to see the Idols’ customized Fiesta designs at www.americanidol.com
• With the help of four up-and-coming Ford designers, the Top 12 Idols created their own personalized Fiesta theme, using color, custom body graphics, wheel treatments and other accessories to make the vehicle an expression of each contestant’s personality
• More than 100,000 people have already expressed an interest in the all-new 2011 Ford Fiesta due to the success of the Fiesta Movement social media initiative

DEARBORN, Mich., March 17, 2010 – Ford Motor Company is adding an exciting new element to its sponsorship of the hit television series “American Idol,” giving the top 12 Idols a unique opportunity to work with Ford designers and create their own personalized 2011 Ford Fiesta.

Tonight’s episode of “American Idol,” which airs at 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET live/PT tape-delayed on FOX, will feature this new element in a video segment.

“Ford has been a sponsor of ‘American Idol’ since the show premiered in 2002, and each season we try to take our relationship with the show to the next level in a fun and meaningful way,” said Connie Fontaine, manager, Ford Brand Content and Alliances. “This year, the Idols will get a closer experience with our vehicles as they interact with our designers and customize a Fiesta design that reflects their own personality.”

All of the Idols’ Fiestas will be on display at www.americanidol.com. From March 17 through May 21, 2010 fans 18 and older can enter the Ford Music Video Challenge weekly for a chance to win one of the vehicles and a trip to the set of a Ford Music Video shoot or the grand prize, which includes a Fiesta with their choice of one of the Top 12 designs and tickets to the finale. Official rules and entry details are available at www.americanidol.com/ford/challenge.

“Ford has great young designers who are bringing fresh thinking to our product lineup,” said Fontaine. “We hope the design integration with ‘American Idol’ will shine a light on the remarkable talent that is working tirelessly to deliver great products to market.”

“Idolizing” the Ford Fiesta
Ford began the design process by giving each of the top 12 contestants a palette of nine Fiesta colors to choose from, including vibrant shades like Lime Squeeze, Blue Flame and Bright Magenta. So the design team could get to know each contestant on a more personal level, the Idols also were given a personality survey to fill out with questions like, “What are the three things you are most passionate about?” and “What do you want your car to say about you?”

Four up-and-coming Ford designers – Dillon Blanski, Gustavo Bizyk, Lesli Ann Agcaoili and Dean Carbis – reviewed the questionnaires, traveled to Hollywood to meet with the Idols, and then helped each contestant develop the concept for his or her personalized Fiesta, using color, custom body graphics, wheel treatments and other accessories to transform the vehicle into an expression of each contestant’s individuality.

“We explained to the Idols that the graphics they design will actually be a symbol of them and their life experiences,” said Carbis, who most recently served as lead exterior designer for the 2010 Ford Taurus. “They were really excited to work with us.”

According to Carbis, Tuxedo Black was a popular color choice among the male contestants while the girls seemed to favor more vivid shades like Bright Magenta and Lime Squeeze. Some of the contestants even opted to accessorize their Fiesta with a four-piece 3dCarbon body kit.

“Some of the Idols are familiar with graphic tuning so they wanted to get the body kit and create more of a sports tuner package,” he said.

Not surprisingly, music was a common theme among the contestants.

“Many of the Idols are obviously very music-oriented, so we talked about taking an instrument they play or the lyrics to their favorite song and somehow incorporating that into the graphics,” said Blanski, 26, the youngest member of the Ford design team.

Both Carbis and Blanski say they are thrilled to participate in the “American Idol” project.

“Typically I’m expressing myself through the vehicles I design. Trying to interpret somebody else’s passion and ideas and then help them put that into graphic form is totally different from anything I’ve done before,” said Blanski. “It’s a challenge, but it’s also fun.”

2011 Ford Fiesta: A hit before leaving the gate
Thanks to the success of the Fiesta Movement social media initiative – which has generated more than 6.2 million YouTube views, more than 750,000 Flickr views and nearly 4 million Twitter impressions – more than 100,000 people have already expressed an interest in the 2011 Ford Fiesta.

Going on sale this summer, the all-new Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, sharp reflexes, and a global track record that will redefine U.S. small car customers’ expectations. With 15 class-exclusive technologies and a projected best-in-class highway fuel economy of
40 mpg, Fiesta brings efficiency and convenience together in one package.

It’s also designed to be versatile, personal and adaptable. In fact, Fiesta is expected to deliver best-in-class convenience and connectivity with the segment-exclusive SYNC® voice-activated communications system, as well as an expressive color palette and available graphics.

Ford is planning many appearance and functional accessories for the Fiesta, including a lower body kit by 3dCarbon, a large, sporty rear hatchback spoiler brought over from Europe, several different shift knobs, and innovative body-side graphics by Original Wraps. A preview of these offerings and more is available at www.fordvehicles.com/fiesta while the graphics can be explored at www.fordfiestagraphics.com. The full Fiesta accessories offering will be available to review and purchase at www.fordaccessories.com when the Fiesta launches this summer.

Already, more than 7,000 consumers have made reservations for the Ford Fiesta – half of them from non-Ford customers. Customers can begin placing their order for the new Fiesta today through their local Ford dealer.

If I Can Dream advertisement

“Episodes” can be viewed on Hulu. At the official site, you can view the action real-time, including 2 “Ford Fiesta Cams”

There are also a series of short Fiesta Ads on Hulu:

The Chicago Tribune has an interesting article on Fords sales increase in February. What caught my eye was this quote:

He noted that more than 50 percent of the reservations to purchase the Ford Fiesta, a small car that goes on sale later this year, came from customers who didn’t own a Ford vehicle.

I have to wonder if at least part of that is due to Toyota’s recent troubles

Full article can be read here:
http://www.chicagotribune.com