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Budget Hatchbacks: Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris
 
We have always been a bit confused with Ford. The Detroit born automaker has become a huge sensation in Europe. One example of this old world takeover was the Mondeo. This sedan was so intensely popular that it spawned a new nickname, ’Mondeo Man’. Have you ever seen a Ford here in the United States that was that popular? We think not. There are more examples of this as well. The Fiesta, Focus, Ka, and the ever famous Transit van have been dominating the European market for ages. Finally, with some persuasion, Ford is going to bring a few of those wonderful models to the United States. The Fiesta has been in the shadows for most if its pre-release life. Ford has decided to attack the young audience with Facebook pages and all of that other nonsense. In our opinion, Ford needs to stop all this and get out in the mainstream, and we want to help. So, here we have a lime-green Ford Fiesta with a five-speed manual transmission just waiting to be taken out on the roads, and we were more than happy to oblige. Yet, who wants a normal review, those are so dull. Awaiting the Fiesta was the gang of small hatchbacks that have already established there turf; the Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, and the Honda Fit. Now we have a proper test on our hands. Hit the jump to keep reading. Full story Ford Custom Accessories for 2011 Fiesta
If you want to make your Fiesta look even cooler, Ford is offering you a chance at doing so. The company has just unveiled a new range of custom accessories, body kits, a Fiesta tattoo, and graphics for their "big deal" car. The list of new accessories includes an illuminated gear indicator shift knob, illuminated door sill plates, an LED Fiesta logo, an interior light kit that includes one LED-generated light in the cup holder area, and a light bar in the footwells. For the exterior Ford is also offering a rear roof spoiler, a sculpted front air dam, side skirts, and a sleek rear valance. And if you like being out and about exploring nature then you can also get a kayak carrier, a bike carrier, and a roof rack to help transport gear. There is also a unique body-side tattoo graphic available in black or silver that spells out Fiesta on the side panel. Original Wraps is also offering body-side graphics, available in several different colors, and including a cityscape, bubbles, flames, and even ninja blades. Press release after the jump. Full story Ford to cut prices across the UK
Good news for car shoppers in the United Kingdom; Ford is planning to reduce the list prices for all medium and small cars across the range. At the same time, the company will also cut dealer discounts. Nigel Sharp, managing director of Ford in the UK, said that the combination of inflated prices and large dealer discounts was causing confusion for customers. He claimed that Ford wanted to make the whole process of buying car just a bit easier. The Ford Fiesta is going to be around £9995 in Studio spec. That low price will help Ford’s bestseller compete with the Volkswagen Polo and the Vauxhall Corsa. At one time the Fiesta was around £11,645, but dealers were usually able to cut that price by £1,500 with some haggling. The Focus, Ka, and Kuga will also get the same kind of reductions, with average price cuts of around 11 percent. Ford had already done these types of reductions earlier this year to the Mondeo, Galaxy, and the S-Max. Sharp also said that the next generation Focus and C-Max will be more about value, stating that the two vehicles will “represent better value than the old list price". Ford targets America’s urban market for the 2011 Ford Fiesta
Long regarded simply as Ford’s ’little car that could’, the Fiesta - or at least, the 2011 Fiesta - is getting ready to invade America’s urban market after Ford announced that it will be launching an aggressive urban marketing campaign centered around the Fiesta. Among the initiatives being lined up for the Fiesta’s introduction into the fast-paced world of urban America includes being included in a custom fashion e-zine, a TV commercial that will air on BET, a number of radio, print, and digital executions that will highlight the Fiesta’s new "Inspired by Color" e-zine. According to Shawn Lollie, Ford’s Multicultural Marketing manager, "Our goal was to create a unique program that truly embodied the spirit of the Fiesta. "The Fiesta has an expressive, vibrant design and we wanted to tap into those style attributes in a way that was relevant to our target audience while engaging them using platforms that are very much a part of their everyday lives." A possible reason behind Ford’s decision to aggressively push the Fiesta into a market that it’s not all too familiar with could stem from research that shows that one of the biggest markets for small cars like the Fiesta are young African Americans and to further drum up interest and raise awareness for the car, Ford launched the aforementioned "Inspired by Color" campaign, which is pretty much intended to empower prospective customers to connect their own lives with the "colors and distinct features of the new Fiesta." Press Release after the jump Full story Ken Block wants your help on what he and the new Gymkhana 3 should do next
You want to be more than just a fanster driving up hits on Ken Block’s YouTube page? Here’ your chance to help out the man himself as he begins preparation for the third version of his ever popular Gymkhana 3. In this video, Block is looking for ideas from all of his fans on what they’d like to see him do on his new Gymkhana 3. Just tell him where he should shoot and what trick he should do. That’s it. Those whose ideas are chosen will receive a plethora of attractive prizes including hats, posters, and, of course, DC Shoes. That’s not the end of it, though. One lucky fan, who we presume will have the best idea on what Block and the Gymkhana 3 should do, will get a chance to visit the shoot for a day and an opportunity to ride shotgun on-board the Gymkhana 3 with Ken Block in the driver seat. Not a bad prize for throwing some ideas around, huh? Video after the jump Review: 2011 Ford Fiesta
Welcome back to the era of the small car. With gas prices surely to be on the rise and a wave of environmentalism taking over the known world, the large SUV and sedan might be a thing of the past. So, welcome to the future and the 2011 Ford Fiesta. Don’t let the name fool you; this Fiesta isn’t the old hatchback that everybody loved to hate. Instead, this Fiesta is a European designed two-door, four-door, or five-door vehicle that will be headed to showrooms this summer. Ford offers three trim levels, the SE, SES and the SEL, making the new Fiesta perfect for everyone. Thanks to Ford for the chance to drive this car months before it hits the showrooms. Like Kia is doing with the Soul and Mazda is doing with the upcoming Mazda2, Ford is hoping to capitalize on the higher gas prices and young adults that don’t find the Scion cool anymore. Designed to compete with the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Scion xA, and the Nissan Versa, the little Ford manages to hold its own against its rivals. Hit the jump for the full review of the 2011 Ford Fiesta. Full story Videos: Ford’s new marketing campaign for the Fiesta is "a pretty big deal"
Ford’s marketing campaign for the 2011 Fiesta is gaining steam with the Fiesta Movement, a social media effort by the Blue Oval to drum up interest for their new hatchback. What started well over a year ago with social media advertising is now moving into a new and more traditional print and broadcast phase with the first installment set to air tonight during American Idol. If you’re suffering from short-term memory loss, we’ll remind you that the ’movement’ already began with last week’s rather unusual and hilarious Fiesta vs Lamborghini throwdown where the Fiesta displayed what makes it a "pretty big deal" when lined up against a Lambo. The whole "pretty big deal" angle takes its cue from the Fiesta’s all-around capability and a pupu platter of new features including the seven airbags, push-button start, heated leather seats, SYNC, and the 40 mpg highway fuel economy. It goes without saying that the new Fiesta is more than just Ford’s little hatchback. The company is being ultra aggressive in promoting the car as a premium hatch instead of the base model unit for those looking for affordability and fuel-efficiency in a car which may be what some people think. Despite the ’premium-ness’ of the Fiesta, the car is still pretty pedestrian - that’s a great thing - in terms of the price tag: $15,700. There’s a boatload of videos for you to watch with all of them pointing out one thing. The new Ford Fiesta may be small in stature, but, in the words of Ford, "it’s a pretty big deal". Video-fest after the jump Full story Lamborghini Gallardo takes on...a Ford Fiesta?
No, we haven’t completely lost our minds, although, at this point, we’ve come to grips with the fact that people will put just about any two cars together in an effort to determine which car is more, shall we say, ’fun to drive’. Ford seems to think that their new Fiesta is so much more fun to drive that they’ve decided to compare it against a Lamborghini Gallardo. Okay, we’ll allow the time to type this one sentence so you can laugh.... Now, before you begin questioning the whole point of comparing a Fiesta to a Gallardo - trust us, we did it ourselves - you need to understand the circumstances surrounding how something so egregious could actually make some sense - little as it may be. And to do the whole convincing, we’ll let Brittani Taylor - she’s an actress, by the way - take the floor and tell you why a Fiesta trumps a Gallardo in just about everything, except for straight-line speed, that is. The 2011 Ford Fiesta celebrates Cinco de Mayo on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
 It would be simply moronic if Ford did not take advantage of Cinco de Mayo to market the 2011 Ford Fiesta. The word “fiesta” itself stands for “party” and Cinco de Mayo is the perfect opportunity to throw a Mexican fiesta and show off the Ford Fiesta’s fun-filled style. The 2011 Ford Fiesta will be joining the cast of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” as Guillermo, the show’s parking lot security guard, starts up his own dance troupe, shuts down Hollywood Boulevard, and dances his butt off. This extravagant display of party-making madness is the result of a dream where Eric Estrada tells Guillermo to pull off this unique performance. The Fiesta is ready to get to get its groove on with its 15 class-exclusive features and technologies and projected best-in-class highway fuel economy. We just can’t wait to see what Jimmy Kimmel has in store for the “versatile, personal, and adaptable” small car. The bit will air tonight at 12:05a.m. on ABC, but there’s always a way to get a sneak peek at what is going to happen, so hit the jump for a video that prepares the viewer for the hilarity that’s to come. Full story Ford and the University of Michigan team up for in-car cloud-computing
It’s apparent that we are fighting a war in regards to distracted driving. Lately, it seems that many people are concerned with texting while driving, using the phone while driving, and any other technological distraction that may come across our vehicles. As this portion of the world battles the use of devices in vehicles, the other portion is funding research, developing devices, and utilizing these devices in their vehicles. Take Ford, for example. The Ford Research and Advanced Engineering team has initiated a 12 week course called Cloud Computing in the Commute at the University of Michigan as a part of their “American Journey 2.0” which is “a joint open innovation research project involving Microsoft and Intel, offering students the chance to innovate the future of the in-car experience”. Translation: Fund courses to have kids think up our next technological breakthrough for us and if they come up with something cool not only will we utilize it and make money, but the kids will be so excited about the concept they will soak up all of the technology we throw at them leading us to make more money. We understand the need for technology and we think all of these devices and programs are really cool, but we need to get to a happy medium with this whole “distracted driving” thing. It’s exhausting trying to keep up. Hit the jump for the full story including the design ideas thought up by the amazing students at the University of Michigan. Full story | featured reviews:Ford Fiesta latest reviews:
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