Ford intends to bring the it's new little Fiesta to the U.S. But some may think there is little to celebrate, considering the hottest version Zetec S has a 1.6-liter engine that only makes 118 hp. Ford may already be working on this because although it decided not to make an ST version of the little car, it is allowing tuner Mountune to upgrade the Fiesta on the European market with the manufacturer's blessing.

Mountune brings an extra 20 hp to the party by adding a high-flow air induction system, a high performance exhaust (including high-flow catalyst and tubular manifold), and re-calibration of the engine. The 0 to 60 time goes from 9.9 seconds to a more respectable 7.9. The extra power does come at a decent price: £1,299 (about $1,800) before installation, but unlike some tuner parts, the warranty is not affected.

Press release after the jump.

2009 Ford Fiesta Zetec-S Mountune

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2009 Ford Fiesta Zetec-S Mountune
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Press release

Performance upgrades for the latest Ford Fiesta 1.6-litre petrol-engined models have been developed by Mountune Performance and are offered through selected Ford dealers.

The Mountune Performance Upgrade for 1.6-litre versions of the new-look Fiesta Zetec-S and Titanium models costs £1,299 (plus fitting), and consists of a high-flow air induction system, a high performance exhaust including high-flow catalyst and tubular manifold, and re-calibration of Ford’s 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT engine.

The result takes the target power output to 140PS at 6,750rpm and 170NM of torque at 4,250rpm, compared to 120PS and 152NM for the standard engine. As a result, 0-60mph acceleration time is reduced to 7.9 seconds from the standard engine's 9.9 seconds.

The new dealer-fit Fiesta performance kit follows similar Mountune Performance Upgrades for the popular Focus ST and Fiesta ST models which were made available from the beginning of 2008.
All kits are fully approved by Ford and have been tested and verified on a wide range of British roads as well as numerous laps of the famous Nürburgring circuit in Germany.

Developed by Mountune Performance in association with Ford Team RS, this upgrade package will only be available at selected specialist Ford dealers in Britain from March 2009. The upgrades carry a minimum of 12 months/12,000-mile dealer warranty and do not affect the original vehicle warranty.