The Fiesta Automatic is does not change much in mechanicals except the 5 speed manual is now replaced by a 6 speed dual clutch transmission.

Ford claims that this gearbox is the most cost effective dual clutch transmission the world has ever seen. Being a dual clutch, the lag between changes is absolutely minimal and the driver is rewarded with a class leading 16.97 km/l.

The new gearbox also comes with Hill/Grade Assist and Creep Function that will help you with your day-to-day driving. Ford claims that the new gearbox will be hassle free to maintain for nearly 10 years. The Fiesta Automatic will be powered by the 110 Bhp/140 Nm 1.5 Liter Ti-VCT petrol engine. There are no plans for a Fiesta diesel automatic as there is very less demand for the car around the world and Ford seldom makes such kind of products after it began following the One Ford global strategy.

What price should Ford Fiesta AT be launched?

Source: India.ford.com

We’d love to know your thoughts on the two topics we’ve discussed in this under-four minute audio clip. Put them down in the comment box below (after clicking through) as we’d love to collectively discuss on this further.

If you are reading this on our daily email, you will have to click on the title and land on the website to listen to the audio clip.

If you can’t see the embedded audio file on top, head over to the audio file page to listen to it.

Shanghai-VW has cloned the latest generation Passat, made it smaller and is introducing it as the Volkswagen Lavida in the Chinese market. Everything from the car’s daylight opening, tail light, kink on the C-Pillar to the car’s headlights are similar to the Passat (NMS).  Volkswagen has many tie-ups with local Chinese auto makers but the latest Lavida’s development used very few inputs from Wolfsburg.

Ford has presented the B-Max five-seat MPV on the internet. The public will see it in flesh for the first time at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. The B-Max is the MPV counterpart of the EcoSport SUV. It will make it to India by mid-decade with a longer wheelbase. The bodywork, front-end and rear are likely to stay similar on the extended wheelbase version.

Renault is finalizing last minute details on the fourth generation B-Segment Clio as it gets ready to present the vehicle in October’s Paris Motor Show. The new Clio will be the most stylish of generations as Renault is trying to connect emotionally with its would-be buyers. A 900cc, turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine is said to be the driving force on the Clio 4. Isn’t that engine ideal for the Indian market as Nissan could also benefit from it?

The “Ford Driving Skills for Life” is a globally conducted program that has trained over 3,000 participants so far. It was launched to promote safe driving habits and impart driving skills we’ve either forgotten or not known.

Before you scroll down passing this off for some classroom presentation on zebra crossings and signage identification, let me tell you that we will not waste your valuable time.

A Ford Driving Skills For Life trainer addresses participants at the program conducted in Romeo, Michigan last August

Let me lay down the details by answering five questions

Why should I attend this program?

It will teach you to maximize fuel economy, and drive safely and economically in a fun and interactive way. You and I know that the lessons imparted at our driving school before we earned our driving license don’t feature in our memories any longer. Many of us have never been coached by professional drivers and I’ve read testimonials of this program that have genuinely helped drivers feel a lot more safer and react to situations better. You can head over to the official website to read everything about it.

Participants have lots of fun taking part in challenges that teach them safe and economical motoring

Who will conduct this program?

Trainers running the show on the 25th have been a part of an intensive training conducted by global experts who have pioneered this program for Ford Motor Company in many countries.

Will it just be a classroom experience?

The program is being conducted to provide drivers an interactive experience. It will combine classroom learning with hands-on experience. Having said that you don’t have to own a car or bring one to the venue.

The program is completely free of cost and is being conducted by Ford Motor Company around the globe

What are the contents of the program?

11:30 am – 1:30 pm – Theory Session

1:30 – 2:00 pm – Refreshments Break

2:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Practical Session

When and where is it conducted?

Date : 25th Feb, 2012 | Saturday

City: Chennai

Time: 11:30 am – 2:30 pm

Venue: MPL Ford-Taramani, No. L-25, Vikram Sarabai Estate, Near SRP Tools, Thiruvanmiyur, Tharamani Road, Perungudi Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600041

When was the last time you sat next to a driving instructor?

Is it open for all?

It is open for all but you’ll have to register to attend the event [Look for registration link below]. As we have seating area constraints,  we’ll only be able to accommodate limited number of participants. If you are bringing friends along, ask them to register too.

Is there a bonus for attending this program?

There are three actually.

1) Participants get to mingle with like-minded folks.

2) They learn to feel safe behind the wheel and make the roads a safer place – Importantly they have fun while at it.

3) Each participant is rewarded with a certificate for taking up the program.

I can’t wait! Where’s the registration link?

There can’t be a better way to spend a Saturday! Fill out this form right now. See you at MPL Ford, Taramani!

- Shrawan Raja

[Images sourced from the Ford Driving Skills For Life Flickr page]

On closely inspecting the spyshots and reading accounts of spy photographers, we’re convinced that Ford is turning to the Fiesta ST concept for inspiration rather than the brand new Evos concept that previewed the Mondeo. With our findings, we rang in Shoeb R Kalania to show us and the readers the how things will pan out.

Shoeb left us a message that he used the EcoSport’s front grille as another design feature while making this renderings. Ford’s latest cars EcoSport and Mondeo, hint that future models will have gaping radiator grilles etched using chrome.

We’re certain that the sedan and hatchback will end up using the same front. During this cosmetic operation, Ford is likely to add the 1L EcoBoost engine to powertrain choices and replace the aging 1.4- and 1.6-liter engines with the 1.5-liter petrol that was first sold to Indian customers last year.

If Ford is very particular of the facelift arriving in time for its fourth birthday, there’s no better place to premiere it than at Geneva in March and taking it to the marketplace in August. Otherwise, Ford can look either at Paris or Frankfurt as possible options to pull the dust sheets of the new Fiesta.

The new Fiesta will don a design language influenced by the Fiesta ST Concept showcased last year’s Frankfurt Motorshow. The broad grill on the test mule, slimmer headlamps garnished with a string of LEDs are design cues lifted from the Fiesta ST Concept.

So unlike the new Mondeo, the new Fiesta will not be based on the Concept Evos as the speculative rendering suggests.

One thing is for sure – the Ford Fiesta will certainly be packing the super-downsized 1 liter Ecoboost engine. This engine can produce  anywhere between 100 PS to 125 PS of power. Ford is betting big on Ecoboost engine and plans to triple the production by 2012.

Expect to see the world debut of the facelifted Ford Fiesta either at the Geneva Motor Show in March or at the Frankfurt Motorshow in the latter half of 2012.

[Source: Worldcarfans.com]

The mind boggling part is a 1 liter Ecoboost engine that will power the petrol version of the Ford Ecosport. Can a 1 liter engine really provide a fire power need to propel a SUV?

In today’s world of turbo-charging and supercharging, the ‘cc’ or displacement of the engine is less relevant. Where a Dodge Viper uses an 8 liter engine to produce 600 HP, a Nissan GT-R uses twin turbos on a 3.8L engine to generate 550 bhp. Adding to that, the fuel efficiency is generally greater in downsized engines that are turbocharged/supercharged.

But how many ponies can you extract from 1 liter engine? More importantly, will it have enough torque to provide adequate acceleration?

Car Magazine has provided some insights on this topic. So let’s try to understand them in a lay man’s terms:

• The first advantage is the weight of the engine itself. The engine is one of the heaviest component of a car. So a heavy engine adds to the overall weight of the car thus affecting its own power to weight ratio. The 1-liter Ecoboost engine is small, in fact it can fit on an A4 sheet.

• Ford has reduced the weight of the engine by not fitting the balancer shaft. The balancer shaft is responsible for balancing the vibrations from the engines. To offset the missing balancer shaft, Ford engineers have designed the flywheel slightly out of balance.

• To further reduce the weight of the engine, the engineers have also combined the exhaust manifold with the cylinder head casting.

• The 1 liter engine uses an advanced design of turbocharger, has twin variable camshaft timing, uses low friction coatings on some internal components to save more energy and the crank is offset slightly to align more efficiently with the pistons’ connecting rods. This ensures that none of the engine’s firepower is wasted when it is being delivered to the wheels.

The result of all of this technologies is that the 1 liter engine actually produces up to 118 hp and a healthy 170Nm of torque which is more than what you get from let’s say a 1.6L Petrol DOHC engine in the Renault Duster.

However, this THEORETICAL explanation only provides a close estimation of the drivability of the Ford Ecosport. The actual drivability can only be commented on when we get hold of one.

We can’t wait to drive the Ford Ecosport, Can you?

[Source: CARMagazine.co.uk]

IAB was told last year that designers have completed the mock-up of the Fiesta facelift in one of the global design studios last year. Very soon it will begin testing for a market launch.

The Fiesta facelift will also mark the entry of the 1L “Fox” Ecoboost engine on a Ford hatchback. This engine debuts on the new EcoSport. We were told by sources that minor tweaks to the background lighting, layout and options on the instrument cluster and infotainment system were being considered.

We have a sneaking suspicion that Ford is also working on an electric powertrain for the Fiesta.

The Fiesta platform will also give rise to a lengthened B-Max that can accommodate 7-8 passengers. We don’t know if Ford is thinking about a 7 seat EcoSport as it can open doors for Ford leading to the Scorpio and Safari’s marketshare.

[Source - Autossegredos.com.br]