65 mpg Ford Fiesta to Debut in November*
* you have to move to Europe to get one
At Ford, quality may have been job one, but common sense is further down the list.
Here in the US, consumers are clamoring for a high-MPG commuter car to get to-and-fro. And what do the folks at Ford do? Introduce the new Ford Fiesta ECOnetic to Europe.
2009 Ford Fiesta ECOnetic
Fair enough, but when will it come to our shores? Don’t hold your breath.
Ford’s powers that be say that the cost of the vehicle is cost-prohibitive to introduce the here. Ford also cites that because the car is diesel-powered, it will not catch on with the American consumer.
I have a couple of problems with Ford’s thinking.
- The cost of a ECOnetic is around the same as a Toyota Prius and since Ford is a domestic company, more dollars stay at home.
- Even though the car runs on diesel, it is a new ‘clean diesel’ design. This will do much to disassociate the new clean diesel vehicles from their predecessors or diesel-powered trucks.
- At today’s prices, diesel fuel is more expensive than regular gasoline, but the higher mileage engine still translates to an effective 55 MPG to a gas model.
- Tax credits for ultra-high MPG vehicles may be offered as new technologies hit the market.
Innovation and ingenuity that help our citizens and those around the world should have no borders. I would urge Ford to rethink their marketing and keep some fertile ideas here in the US.
The 65 mpg Ford the U.S. Can’t Have – Business Week
TAE FLASHBACK: Is Diesel Nouveau Chic?
