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" The new Ford Fiesta will soon be joining the ranks populated by the likes of the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris. And as the B-car segment heats up, an unofficial foot race between the Fiesta and its corporate cousin, the Mazda2, should offer an interesting experiment in shared-platform competition.  The Fiesta has moved over 500,000 units globally using the same underpinnings as the Mazda. But it hasn&amp;#039;t been offered in the U.S. since 1980--a span of almost three decades. To reinvigorate interest in the new model, Ford launched a marketing drive of epic proportions 11 months in advance of the car&amp;#039;s release. Putting 100 test cars in the hands of &amp;quot;socially vibrant&amp;quot; drivers, Ford encouraged the experimentees to Tweet, blog and make YouTube videos about their four-wheeled experiences, resulting in a veritable onslaught of viral buzz. So what&amp;#039;s all that creative marketing attempting to sell? Actually, some pretty advanced mechanics. Available in four-door sedan or five-door hatchback layouts, the Fiesta is powered by a 1.6-liter inline 4 that produces 119 hp and 109 lb-ft of torque. The variable timing on each of the powerplant&amp;#039;s dual overhead camshafts works independently, and cast aluminum engine components aid weight savings. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard equipment, though performance enthusiasts might be tempted by the dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed automatic, which works more efficiently than a traditional torque converter-equipped box. In fact, when coupled with the SFE package, the automatic offers projected fuel economy numbers of 30 mpg city, 40 highway (3 and 2.5 gallons per 100 miles)--the latter of which matches the figure produced by the Mazda2&amp;#039;s smaller, 1.5 liter engine. More than 50 percent of the Fiesta&amp;#039;s chassis uses high-strength or ultra high-strength steel. In adapting the structure to meet U.S. safety requirements, the Fiesta benefited from 10 percent quieter interior sound levels and tighter door fits. A few oddly named features serve to enhance efficiency. For instance, Ford says its new Front End Accessory Drive belt has &amp;quot;stretchy dynamics&amp;quot;--no joke--which eliminates the need for a tensioner and increases fuel economy while decreasing service intervals. Ford also refers to another feature as &amp;quot;Active Nibble Cancellation,&amp;quot; which senses wheel shimmies and compensates for rotational oscillations caused by uneven brake rotor wear or imbalanced wheels. Equally clever but not quite as oddly named, the Fiesta&amp;#039;s electric power assist steering takes into account speed, steering wheel angle, cornering forces and acceleration or deceleration, and uses &amp;quot;Drift-Pull Compensation&amp;quot; to keep irregular road surfaces or crosswinds from affecting how the vehicle tracks. Other features on the Fiesta include the most airbags in the segment--seven, to be exact--and options including push-button start, remote starting, heated seats, an 80-watt six-speaker sound system, and SYNC with turn-by-turn directions. If the Fiesta delivers on the promise of its innovative B-car attributes, Ford should be able to take a bite out of the competition, including its close relative, the Mazda2. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a5121/2011-ford-fiesta-preview-2009-la-auto-show-4338501/>