Loder1899 Gives Fiesta ST 232HP and 335Nm, Shortens 0-100 KM/H Time to 6.5 Sec

Aftermarket specialist Loder1899 has developed a new performance package for the Fiesta ST that lifts power by 51 hp (52PS) and torque by 95 Nm (70 lb-ft).

In order to squeeze extra juice from the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine, the tuning firm used a combination consisting of a new intercooler, exhaust system, chip tuning and a sport catalytic converter.

The Fiesta RS fitted with the Loder1899 upgrades thus produces 232hp (235PS) and 335 Nm (247 lb-ft) of torque, and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.5 seconds – 0.4 seconds quicker than the standard car. Top speed also increases by 15 km/h (9 mph) to 235 km/h (146 mph), while average fuel consumption is slightly worse at 6 l/100 km (39.2 mpg US), compared with 5.9 l/100 km (39.8 mpg US) on the standard Fiesta ST.

The tuner offers an improved braking system with 318mm (12.5in) discs, a 25mm (0.98in) lowered suspension thanks to new springs and a Bilstein suspension kit, plus two new alloy wheel models.

While Loder1899 didn’t touch the Fiesta ST’s styling, it offers a body kit for regular Fiesta models including new bumpers, sills, wheels and an integrated exhaust system.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

New Ford Fiesta ST Hot Hatch Confirmed for North America, Debuts in Los Angeles

At last year's LA Auto Show, Ford displayed a concept version of the Fiesta ST, stating at the time, that it "remained open" to selling the hot hatch on this side of the Atlantic.
Well, the decision has been made and at this week's 2012 LA Auto Show, the Blue Oval will premiere the production Fiesta ST for the U.S. and Canada.
Unlike the European model that was introduced in Geneva with a three-door body style earlier this year, the North American version will be offered exclusively as five-door hatch, but don't fret, as Ford has a surprise in store for US.

Only for Europe: New Ford Fiesta Sport Special Edition

Building on the success of the European market Fiesta Sport + (called the 1600S in the UK and Sport S in Germany) that was launched this past February, Ford has unleashed a new Sport Special Edition that includes further enhancements inside and out.
The latest sporty Fiesta is available with two engine options, the most potent of which is the 1.6-liter Duratec Ti-VCT petrol unit delivering 134-horses and 160Nm torque at 4,250rpm.

SCOOP: New Hot Ford Fiesta ST Caught Testing in Five-Door Trim

The last time we had news about the upcoming Fiesta ST was back in September 2010 when our spies snagged a three-door prototype in Germany. Now, we have some fresh pictures of the five-door version of the hottest Fiesta undergoing tests at the Nurburgring racetrack without much camouflage.

Ford Calls Rally Fans to Vote on Their Favorite Roof Livery for the Fiesta WRC

The Blue Oval’s rally team is reaching out to its fans through Facebook and asking them to choose a unique roof artwork the Fiesta RS WRCs driven by Jari-Matti Latvala, Mikko Hirvonen and Khalid Al Qassimi at next month’s Rally Finland, which runs from July 28-30, 2011.
“Up until now the Ford Abu Dhabi Team Fiesta RS WRCs have simply featured the Ford logo,” said Will May, Motorsport Marketing Manager for Ford of Europe. “So we’re inviting our Facebook followers to vote for one of several designs we’ve developed under one theme – which is ‘the food that fuels you’."

Ford’s Smallest Production Engine Ever

It took the Ford Motor Company a very long time to jump aboard the turbocharged engine bandwagon for mainstream, non-sport models, but now the Detroit automaker is going full speed ahead with the presentation of a full range of force-fed gasoline powerplants. Ford latest offering is a new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine, the company’s first three-cylinder unit and its smallest production engine ever.
Designed by the engineering team at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre in the U.K., the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine promises to deliver performance of a larger four-cylinder unit with even higher fuel economy. It employs all EcoBoost technologies, such as turbocharging, direct injection and twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT).

Ford’s Cologne Plant Celebrates Production of One Million New Fiestas in 33 Months

The festivities over the new Fiesta continue at Ford with the production of the one-millionth current generation model at the company’s central European plant in Cologne, Germany. The production milestone comes less than two months after Ford announced that European sales of the new Fiesta reached the 1 million mark in the beginning of March, 2011. Current global sales of the new Fiesta stand at 1,350,000 unit since its introduction in October 2008.

After Tsunami, American Automakers Looking for Home Turf Sales Boost

According to CNN’s Fortune and simple, cold-hearted business logic, now is the prime time for American manufacturers to take advantage of recent catastrophic events and pounce on their home market's consumers. A lack of Japanese parts (or entire vehicles), in conjunction with a strong yen and ever-improving American small cars, has given Ford, GM, and Chrysler a potential sales pick-me-up as we stroll into the summer months.
Two of the three factors which will help American manufacturers' sales stem directly from the tsunami in Japan a month ago: factory shutdowns have limited parts/vehicle availability, while the yen gained value as the Japanese are expected to repurchase some currency for disaster mitigation.

VIDEO: Ken Block Flips His Fiesta ahead of Rally of Portugal

Ken Block got off to a bad start before his third WRC event of 2011, crashing violently during the shakedown of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal yesterday. Even though the Ford Fiesta RS WRC was destroyed, lucky the American race driver and his copilot Alex Gelsomino managed to walk away from the incident without any injuries.
It's the first major crash for Ken Block in a World Rally Car and this means the Californian will have to watch this weekend's rally from the sidelines. The next WRC event for Block will be Rally Argentina (May 26-29). Check Block's unintentional stunt after the jump.

U.S. Market 2012 Ford Fiesta Gets Three New Custom Packages

Ford's Fiesta sub-compact has gained three new packages, two for the interior and one for the exterior, for the 2012 model year. The two interior packages are the Race Red and Oxford White and offer a personalized appearance with two-tone colored components.
Said to be inspired from the world of fashion and available on the Fiesta SEL and SES models, the interior packages feature contrasting interior accent colors on the center console, door panels and rings that surrounding the air vents.

The two-tone leather seats and steering wheel feature contrast stitching, while the shift knob is covered in black leather. Finally, the seats are also decorated with a debossed “Fiesta” logo.

Ford Releases Videos of the Ranger Wildtrak and B-MAX Concept in their Natural Environments

Ford's booth at the Geneva Motor Show hosted the world premieres of the Ranger Wildtrack series and the B-MAX, a pre-production concept version of the firm’s upcoming Fiesta-based small MPV. Now we have videos of both models that you can check out after the break.

New Ford Fiesta Sales Reach 1 Million Units in Europe after 28 Months on the Market

The latest generation of the Fiesta, which is also sold in the States, is proving to be quite a hit for Ford in Europe as sales have reached one million units. The milestone was achieved 28 months after the supermini first went on sale in the continent in October 2008. The European market versions of the three- and five-door Fiesta models are produced in Ford’s plants in Cologne, Germany and Valencia, Spain. Ford said that the Fiesta’s cumulative sales in Europe since the introduction of the first generation model in 1976 have so far totaled 14 million units.

Geneva Preshow: Ford Reveals B-MAX Small MPV Study Based on the Fiesta

Scheduled to make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show this week is Ford's brand-new B-MAX concept that previews the firm's upcoming small MPV, designed to replace the current European Fusion and rival the Opel Meriva. Based on the Fiesta platform, the almost production-ready minivan has some striking features, the most obvious being the new door concept. It has no B-pillar and the twin doors have a conventional opening system in the front and a sliding system in the back.
By eliminating the traditional B-pillar, Ford promises best-in-class access to the cabin without compromising safety. With both front and rear doors open, the aperture measures 1.5 metres, around twice the width offered by competitors, according to Ford.
“With its unique door format and dynamic design, the B-MAX sends a strong message that customers looking for a compact, stylish and versatile vehicle will soon have an exciting new choice,” said Stephen Odell, CEO of Ford Europe. Another highlight is the lack of door handles, with the opening system being remote-controlled.

Ford Launches Limited Edition Fiesta Sport+ with 134 Ponies in Europe

Ford is expanding the Fiesta’s European lineup with the Sport+ limited edition based on the three-door variant, and boasting several exterior and interior appointments, plus a tweaked 1.6-liter gasoline engine in order to attract more performance-oriented customers. 

Monster World Rally Team Unveils Ken Block’s New Fiesta RS WRC [with New Videos]

Despite stating that 2010 was his best year ever, Ken Block had a disappointing FIA World Rally Championship campaign and was often plagued with mechanical issues in Rally America as well. However, with the support of the Monster World Rally Team (MWRT), the American driver is hoping for a much better 2011 season, as he’s going to participate in more races and events at the wheel of his all-new Monster Energy Ford Fiesta RS WRC rally car.

New Ford RS World Rally Car Shows its 2011 Colors

Ford Team driver Mikko Hirvonen lifted the covers of its 2011-specification Fiesta RS World Rally Car at the Autosport International Racing Car Show in Birmingham today, revealing the color scheme that will adorn the vehicle in the FIA World Rally Championship. In addition, the company also confirmed that the racing team's new name and logo by announcing that it will compete as the Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team.

Ford Planning Fiesta Minivan Concept for Geneva Show, Production Model with Sliding Doors to Follow in 2012

Ford is getting ready to premiere a concept version of a Fiesta-based small minivan at the upcoming Geneva Salon next March. The design study will act as a pilot for the production vehicle that will follow in early 2012 and will replace the current generation of the European market Fusion, which is based on the previous Fiesta.
The news comes from a Ford source in Europe who told Automotive News that production of the Fiesta MPV will begin by the end of next year at Ford's factory in Craiova, Romania. A Ford of Europe spokesman essentially confirmed the news by telling the publication that “It is a B-segment vehicle and will go into full production early in 2012.”

Ford USA Announces Fiesta R2 Rally Kit with 168HP for New Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship

Aspiring rally fans buckle up, as this is your chance to follow in the footsteps of Mikko Hirvonen, Jari-Matti Latvala or Ken Block. Already offered throughout Europe, the Ford Fiesta R2 rally package has now become available in the U.S. Those that buy the rally-prepped Fiestas will be able to compete in a new championship, called Fiesta Sport Trophy, in the Rally America Series 2WD class, starting from 2011.

New Fiesta to Take Center Stage at Ford's SEMA Show Booth with 350HP Turbo Concept and Tuner Project Cars

Hot on the heels of the Euro-designed subcompact's U.S. market launch, Ford is planning to bring a gaggle of tuner Fiestas to this year's edition of the SEMA Show, which takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the first week of November.

"SEMA represents a special opportunity, because we can show off unique designs that other companies have created," said Sam De La Garza, Fiesta brand manager. "It's not just Ford coming to the table. It's other companies interpreting what Fiesta is, and bringing their own style to the Fiesta launch."

Aside from the independent tuner project vehicles that you can read more about below, Ford's in-house Racing Performance Parts division will display a concept Fiesta fitted with a production-based 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged engine, enlarged to 2.3 liters to pump out 350 horsepower.

Paris Show: Ford Previews New Fiesta RS WRC Prior to 2011 Race Debut

Not one to let Mini's announcement of the new Countryman WRC to go unanswered, Ford has revealed its new soon-to-be-airborne Fiesta RS rally car. Co-developed by Ford of Europe and M-Sport (with a little help from the French Pipo Moteur), the Fiesta RS gets a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine which, like the Mini, has direct injection.