The 2012 Monte Carlo Rally is just a fortnight away, and this year it will see the return of WRC cars after a three year long absence. One of the cars that will race at the event for the first time is the 2012 Ford Fiesta RS WRC, which recently spent three days testing on the roads of the famous rally with Finnish official driver Jari-Matti Latvala behind the steering wheel.

Here’s a professionally filmed two minute long video report of that session, giving us a insight on what is going on at the Ford WRC team as well as a demonstration of what the new car is capable of. We will see whether it will turn out to be a serious contender for the reigning champion, Citroen DS3 WRC.

via | MotorAuthority

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In the video above Ken Block shows us the potential of Ford Fiesta HFHV (Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle), a special version of the Fiesta that has been designed for road use as well as for racing in rally, rallycross and gymkhana competitions.

The famous American driver introduces several functions of the car, such as the infotainment system with vocal control, its connectivity with mobile phones (i.e. how to read text messages), and the sat-nav, which helps Mr.Block to move around LA and make it on time to all of his appointments. Plus, there are a few tricks thrown in as well, as you would always expect from Ken.

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Following the unveiling of a 3-door Fiesta ST Concept at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, Ford will showcase a 5 door variation of the same concept car at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show (November 18-27). The new body type is actually the only difference between the two cars as everything else under the fairings will be exactly the same.

The front end is clearly reminiscent of Ford Focus ST, while the engine will be a supercharged 1.6 4-cylinder EcoBoost unit (producing 180 hp and 240 Nm of maximum torque) coupled with a 6 speed manual transmission. The model seems more and more closer to the definitive version of the new Fiesta, which will be officially introduced at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

View the full Ford Fiesta ST 5 door Concept photo gallery

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The Ford Fiesta gets a new Sport Special Edition in Europe, available only on the three-door model with the 1.6 Durarec Ti-VCT petrol engine with 134 hp, or the 1.6 Duratorq TDCi with 95 hp. The petrol engine is up 14 hp, and a closer shift and sports exhaust are included for a new top speed of 195 km/hr. In this set-up, the Fiesta gets to 100 km/hr in 8.7 seconds, and on the diesel front Ford is focusing on reduced fuel consumption of 4.1 l/100 km.

The Sport special edition version takes the Sport+ kit and adds new front spoiler and side skirts with silver trim and a shiny exhaust outlet. 17-inch wheels come in black which can also be matched to seven different exterior colours. Heated sports seats can be found on the interior, and come in Ebony Black upholstery with contrasting silver stitching. Aluminium sports pedals and personalised floor mats also make an appearance. No pricing is available at the moment.

Ford Fiesta Sport special edition

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This cute little commerical from Australian Ford dealer Titan shows a hard core biker who decides to switch his customized chopper for a Ford Fiesta.

We don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but a real biker would never switch his beloved bike for a car. He’ll have the best from two worlds, car and motorcycle.

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As you may well imagine, Volkswagen did very nicely in the European market for 2009, as did Opel and Ford (and there’s no prizes for guessing for which models). There are a couple of surprises though, with Fiat doing very well, but not with the Fiat 500, which makes a nice change, and Peugeot and Renault put in appearances as well. Check out Europe’s top ten cars for 2009 after the jump.

Continue reading: Europe's top ten cars for 2009

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Ford has celebrated a record of 250,000 units of the new Fiesta built in just nine months, making the Fiesta the most sold car on the European market for March. The figures prove that on the old continent, the small hatchback segment is healthy, with overall Fiesta figures from its birth in 1976 reaching 12 million sales.

After starting production in Cologne, the 2009 Fiesta is now also assembled in Valencia and Beijing. In 2010, that production will expand to Rayong in Thailand and Cuautitlan in Mexico. Sales with start in North America next year, with a large advertising campaign planned for the US market.

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Our colleagues at Autoblog.it had a little test run of the Ford Fiesta recently, and here we can show you all the official shots from the company. They were particularly impressed with just how much the Fiesta changed, from a practical, economic, rational car with a slightly boring image, to something more dynamic and innovative.

The test took place on the streets of Rome, which I suspect, is probably the best city in the world if you really want to check out how adapted a city car is to being in a city (if you’ve ever been driving in Rome, you’ll know what I’m talking about).

The Fiesta performed very well, with its city car dimensions, driving position and general modern style. Some problems with visibility and city manoeuvres are likely to be overcome by parking sensors, but our colleagues suggest such equipment should be considered excessive in what is a city car.

Continue reading: Ford Fiesta: test drive and official gallery

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At the Beijing 2008 show, Ford has taken the opportunity of the “first” new Chinese Fiesta to present a world preview of a concept car very similar to the series. The Ford Fiesta S is in fact a clear example of the coming ST.

In addition to some modifications to front details, the side “miniskirts”, the rear spoiler and newly designed wheels, what really strikes is the choice of the five door body. The decision can be explained by the fact that Ford still hasn’t revealed anything of the Fiesta ST and prefers to play and hide behind an apparently “insignificant” concept, which includes an interior the same as the new Fiesta.

In reality the message is loud and clear: the Fiesta ST will be made, and will likely be very similar to the sporty look - but not extreme, such as that of the RS - to this prototype, apart from three doors instead of five. The 2009 debut should show off the strong points of the ST, including the 1.6 turbo engine at 175 hp, and the lowered and reinforced base.

Beijing 2008: Ford Fiesta S Concept

Continue reading: Beijing 2008: Ford Fiesta S Concept

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Ford Fiesta 2009

Ford has released the first official images of the new Ford Fiesta. The small hatchback, derived from the Ford Verve concept, will be shown next month in Geneva for the first time.

The platform of the new Ford Fiesta will be shared with the Mazda 2. The engine range will comprise 5 different 4-cylinder engines, both petrol and diesel fueled, starting with the 1.4 68 PS Duratorq TDCi diesel up to the new Duratec 1.6-litre Ti-VCT petrol engine (115 PS). The Fiesta will also be available as an ECOnetic model with low CO2 emissions (less than 100g/km).

The Fiesta will be built starting from the autumn of 2008 in Germany (Cologne) and later in Spain and China. Below the fold you can find more photos and the Ford press release.

Continue reading: Geneva 2008 - the Ford Fiesta 2009

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