Ford debuts electrified Fiesta

Wednesday, 10 June 2020

Ford has put its name in the 'mild hybrid' search filters with its latest Fiesta variant.

Unfortunately, for the moment, the slightly electrified Fiesta is only confirmed for Europe.

It uses the same 1.0-litre turbo triple as the Puma crossover, making either 90kW or 112kW, but replaces the conventional alternator with a belt-driven integrated starter/generator and a 48-volt electrical system.

The Fiesta has been given a small dose of electrification.

The new electrics powers auxiliary stuff like air-conditioning, recovers energy lost under braking and help improve fuel economy and performance of the combustion engine.

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Hopefully we'll be getting the mild hybrid Fiesta here as well. It's not yet confirmed, however.

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According to Ford, the 90kW version is five per cent more efficient than before and the 112kW model has up to 50 per cent more torque at low rpm.

All Fiestas now have the latest version of the engine, which can shut off one cylinder to save fuel and can be optioned with a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Other updates include improved adaptive cruise control and an app that lets owners check on their vehicle's vitals through their phone.

Stuff has reached out to Ford NZ to see if we'll get the electrified Fiesta but nothing has been confirmed just yet.