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VIDEO: rightpedal episode 3: 2009 Ford Fiesta Part 1/2

Posted by Hootan Mahallati | May 18, 2009 | In ford videos rightpedal videos

We present to you the hottest Ford you cannot yet buy: the 2009 Ford Fiesta. If you read car blogs, you will know that Ford is preparing to import this heretofore European model to the US in 2010 as a 2011 car.

In what has justifiably been called a great exercise in social marketing, Ford is preparing our market through the Fiesta Movement program. The idea is simple: lend a Fiesta to 100 leading influential bloggers around the US for six months and ask them to share their experiences with the car.

Our friend Jill Hanner was kind enough to let us drive the purple, flowery Fiesta she has been entrusted with for a day. We drove around Brooklyn, asked random people what they thought of the car, and tried to get a feel for how well this car might do when it comes here. We can tell you that even young men standing around the streets were literally staring with their mouths open as we drove by. They were obviously car guys noticing a rare object, but they liked what they saw despite the slightly - ahem - girly color motif.

In part 1, we talk to Jill about her time with the Ford so far and get some random reactions. We had to take refuge from the gale-force winds in the trunk, but Jill was a great sport as expected! In part 2, I will give you my impressions from a brief but telling test drive. The car we drove features a 1.6L four-cylinder engine that produces 120 hp, 112 lb-ft of torque, hits 0-60 in 9.9 seconds, and can return a gas mileage of 40 - 45 mpg (awaiting US cycle test results).

Check out Jill Hanner's site here, and stay tuned for part 2 next week! In the meantime, you can watch a higher-quality version here.

Jill Hanner, this Fiesta's babysitter for the next 6 months!

1 Comment(s)

Degs | posted 1 year, 2 months ago

Great design for a small car.