Ford is organising 100,000 test drives of the New Ford Fiesta in the USA
Ford are pulling out all the stops to get the States to fall in love with the Ford Fiesta. Already they have 100 Euro spec cars out with the winners of the Fiesta Movement Competition, who are getting six months free use of the new Fiesta, including fuel costs. But this isn’t enough feedback for the Blue Oval, so they are going all out to log 100,000 test drives before the new Ford Fiesta launches in the US.
Ford will be turning up at 100 US cities offering free test drives in the Fiesta, and are also planning on turning up unannounced at theme parks, college campuses and anywhere else they can find a bunch of people who might be up for a play with the Fiesta. They’re even throwing in free wi-fi at the Fiesta Test events so people can Twitter/Blog/Email (take your pick – one or all) their reactions to the world.
It does look like Ford are convinced America is ready to embrace the idea of a great handling, economic and fun smaller car. But it’s still going to be a big task to convince the Yanks to forsake their gas-guzzlers for some smaller Euro-chic. Especially as petrol prices in the US have now dropped back to low levels (around £1.75 a gallon!), which has sparked a big drop in interest in economical cars and hybrids. Nothing like wearing blinkers. They surely can’t expect the current low oil price to last? As soon as the economy returns to normal oil prices are bound to rise. Blimey, if the Americans had to live with Euro petrol prices they’d all be driving round in a G-Whiz!
But if Ford can pull this off – which they are doing all the can to manage it – then the next small Ford we”ll see in the US could well be the Ford KA. The current Fiat Chrysler partnership will probably mean the Fiat 500 going to the US, which opens the possibility that the Ford KA (which is essentially the same car) could also be introduced.
Now that begs the question: How many Americans can you get in a Ford KA? Or should that be: How many Ford KAs can you get in an American?!
Unless of course the Americans are from California, in which case they could well take the world record for people in a Ford KA – they’re all skin and bone (certainly the girls), especially in SoCal!.
New Ford Fiesta ECOnetic Photo Image Gallery
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mannes says
I wonder how would they react if they knew that us europeans get a 4.5 l/100km (50mpg) fuel consumption in diesel powered cars. even the worst mileage in petrol powered cars is better then theirs… mines does 4.5 with the AC turned on 😀
PeterHeater says
Time the Yankees got the hang of proper cars. If anything is going to make them jump in I reckon it will be th Ford Fiesta or the Alfa Romeo Mito. But what do I know??