Ford has introduced running changes to frugal Fiesta ECOnetic to save an additional 100millilitres of petrol for every 100km.
The fuel consumption (in combined-cycle testing) has come down from 3.7L/100km to 3.6 and CO2 emissions in the same test cycle are now 95g/km — an improvement of three grams from the previous figure. According to Ford, the fuel consumption figure is a 2.7 per cent reduction and the new CO2 emissions figure represents an improvement of 3.1 per cent.
And the company is claiming that the Fiesta ECOnetic remains the leanest-running car in Australia, beating even petrol/electric hybrids, although the Toyota Prius in the same ADR-approved combined-cycle test emits fewer grams of CO2 than the Fiesta.
"Ford ECOnetic technology is a customer focused initiative bringing together a range of vehicle features and technologies specifically targeting better fuel economy, reduced emissions and overall lower cost-of-ownership – without compromise to great design or driving dynamics," Ford Australia President Bob Graziano was quoted as saying in a press release.
"Fiesta ECOnetic is another example of how Ford is looking at a portfolio of technology solutions to meet the sustainability challenge and how we are intent on delivering affordable and accessible vehicles to our customers."
The changes to the vehicle's specification include improved aerodynamics, lower-rolling resistance tyres, a modified calibration for the engine management and revised gear ratios for 3rd, 4th and 5th gears. Among the other changes are a new, variable-flow oil pump only pumps the quantity of oil required by the engine and is not mechanically driven by the engine. Ford has also developed an asymmetric crank sprocket that reduces the load on the timing belt, a bi-directional crank sensor providing closer synchronisation of camshaft and crankshaft and a more accurate fuel temperature sensor. The previous IB5/B transmission is upgraded to IB5/E spec with longer ratios for third, fourth and fifth gears (third is now 1.21:1, versus 1.28:1; fourth is now 0.88:1, versus 0.95:1; and fifth is 0.69:1 versus 0.76:1). First, second, reverse and final drive ratios are unchanged.
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