Ford takes aim at Prius

There's a new war breaking out in the Australian automotive market. It's a life-or-death struggle between proponents of diesels and supporters of hybrid technology.

Ford now finds itself on the side of BMW/MINI, with the announcement its Fiesta ECOnetic will become public property from December of this year. MINI's unlikely to welcome Ford's support, however. The Fiesta betters the MINI D's combined-cycle consumption (and that of the Toyota Prius too) by 0.2 litres -- an official figure of 3.7L/100km.

Just as importantly -- in this country at least -- the Fiesta uses just 3.2L/100km in highway-cycle consumption, according to Ford. Upping the ante further, the Fiesta is priced at $24,990 (driveaway) and is broadly specified as per the Fiesta Zetec -- barring the Zetec's bigger alloy wheels and other features that don't contribute to fuel efficiency.

Compared with the Zetec grade, the Fiesta ECOnetic lacks: rear electric windows (standard for five-door Zetec), leather gear knob, 'aesthetic' lighting, sports cloth trim, driver's seat map pocket, chrome tailgate handle, sports bodykit, chrome trim for door uppers, projector-beam headlights, front foglights and an alarm.

Ford's President, Marin Burela, today introduced the new car to the media and grasped the opportunity to take a pot-shot at Toyota's Prius.

"We are confirming that Ford Australia will set a new fuel efficiency benchmark for the auto industry in this country, by formally introducing Australia's most fuel-efficient car. The Ford Fiesta ECOnetic will go on sale in December this year," he said in his opening address.

"With a combined fuel consumption rating of just 3.7L/100km, the fuel efficiency of the Fiesta ECOnetic surpasses all other vehicles currently on sale in Australia, whether they include petrol or electric-hybrid models.

"If you just drive the vehicle in the urban cycle, the vehicle itself will deliver better fuel efficiency than the combined. Our testing has shown that it will deliver 3.2L/100km on an [extra]-urban cycle.

"There's nothing out there that will meet that type of fuel efficiency...

"It will go on sale with a recommended retail price of $24,990, driveaway... making it one of the most affordable and fuel-efficient vehicles ever offered for sale in Australia.

"The driveaway [for] Prius is somewhere in the order of $43,000 -- versus this vehicle here at $24,990. So you can see there's a huge gap in terms of true cost to the consumer."

Burela cited sums worked out in-house at Ford, to demonstrate that the difference in price between the new Ford and the Toyota, based on fuel prices from September ($1.23 a litre) and the average distance travelled in a year (15,000km), to arrive at an amortisation period for the Prius of "about 115 years".

The engine powering the Fiesta ECOnetic is a 66kW 1.6-litre DOHC diesel four-cylinder producing 200Nm of torque from as low as 1750rpm. On the combined-cycle test, the new variant emits 98g/km of CO2. With a kerb weight of 1088kg for the sole ECOnetic variant five-door manual, the new model should offer adequate performance.

The five-speed manual transmission is exclusive to the Fiesta ECOnetic and, along with a higher final drive ratio (3.05:1), is one of a number of features that contribute to the car's fuel efficiency. There's a 'coated' diesel particulate filter (which ensures the engine complies with the Euro 4 emissions standard), low-rolling resistance tyres, aerodynamic enhancements, weight reduction (tyre repair kit instead of a spare) and a green shift-indicator light.

Ford engineers have lowered the ride height of the car, fitted air deflectors and equipped the Fiesta ECOnetic with steel wheels and unique wheel covers to improve the drag coefficient. According to Burela, he originally anticipated the car would sell perhaps "two and a half to three thousand" units when it went on sale in Europe. It has sold 60,000 units there since launch.

While the Fiesta ECOnetic won't accomplish that sort of feat locally, Ford has high hopes that it will add significant numbers to the Fiesta range's sales volumes. Vice President Marketing & Sales for Ford Australia, Beth Donovan isn't even deterred by the Fiesta ECOnetic's manual-only configuration, explaining that 50 per cent of all Fiesta sales in Australia are currently manuals anyway.

While supply of all variants is still limited by the numbers the factory can physically supply Australia, the local arm is placing orders in accordance with "free demand", meaning Ford could be bringing in more autos now, if there was the demand that existed at the car's launch. There's not.

In line with Ford's more "bullish" approach to marketing (to use Burela's term), the company will push the Fiesta ECOnetic hard. Before the car goes on sale, Ford will field the Fiesta ECOnetic  in the Global Green Challenge this year, up against other green machines.

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