WT Fiesta, Australian market details

[Paulie]

G'day guys, as you may know I work at a Ford Australia dealership in spare parts and when we got our latest parts catalogue this month, a new model, the WT Fiesta, was added in. I don't know if the catalogue is final or if they plan on changing stuff, but from the options we had and what I could tell, here's the low-down:
- 1.4L and 4spd auto are GONE, engine options now are 1.6L petrol or 1.6L diesel with 5spd manual or 6spd (dual clutch) auto.
- The 1.6L petrol is listed as a TI-VCT motor, which if I understand is the twin variable cam timing used in the new 5.0L? The diesel remains unchanged.
- The 3-door hatch is gone replaced by 4 door sedan
- New colour palette (all new names for colours anyway, so must be different)
- There are no Econetic badges on the catalogue, only TDCi
- Seems to be built in India along side the Ranger, the indicator stalk is now on the right side.
- Listed as 2010-on which means it should be out this year, normally we don't get new models added to the catalogue until right before release

I can't say with 100% certainty this catalogue is final, but I would think drivetrain changes are. Obviously this applies primarily to the Australian market.
All I can say is, YES, that horrible pathetic 1.4L is gone, along with its equally useless 4spd auto. We actually had a customer come in complaining their Fiesta loses power and slows down going up hills one time with the 1.4L/4spd auto, only to find that was the car's max power, it just wasn't good enough for the hill!

 

[homeforsummer]

Small engine and auto combos are never good. Sign of the times too, fifteen years ago the Fiesta pedalled along quite nicely with a 1.4.

Other info is interesting. Dropping the 3dr? I suppose if nobody buys them it's fair enough, in the UK something like that'd never happen as the 3dr versions tend to be popular with younger buyers, and the 5dr or sedans being more popular with the older customers.

When you say the indicator stalk is on the right side, do you mean right as in correct or right as in "on the right"? If it's the latter then that's quite odd, I thought most manufacturers had moved away from putting them on that side. I quite like them on that side, but many people aren't keen.

 

[Philly]

Here in the States that 6 speed auto is a dual clutch setup iirc. Is that the case down there as well?

 

[eSZee]

I'm guessing the 4spd auto that got canned over there is the same one they stuffed in the mazda2 over here?

 

[Paulie]

Small engine and auto combos are never good. Sign of the times too, fifteen years ago the Fiesta pedalled along quite nicely with a 1.4.

Other info is interesting. Dropping the 3dr? I suppose if nobody buys them it's fair enough, in the UK something like that'd never happen as the 3dr versions tend to be popular with younger buyers, and the 5dr or sedans being more popular with the older customers.

When you say the indicator stalk is on the right side, do you mean right as in correct or right as in "on the right"? If it's the latter then that's quite odd, I thought most manufacturers had moved away from putting them on that side. I quite like them on that side, but many people aren't keen.

Yes I mean it's on the right-hand side of the steering wheel, which in Australia has always been the correct side for an indicator stalk. Only European models have had it on the left in Australia, and maybe American models I don't know.

Here in the States that 6 speed auto is a dual clutch setup iirc. Is that the case down there as well?

Actually now you mention it it is, I remember we found the clutch setup and all in the catalogue for the 6spd auto as we were scrolling through. Thanks for reminding me, I'll put it in the first post.👍 (I actually found this all out a couple weeks ago and only thought to post it now.)

 

[Casio]

Yes I mean it's on the right-hand side of the steering wheel, which in Australia has always been the correct side for an indicator stalk. Only European models have had it on the left in Australia, and maybe American models I don't know.

It's nither a correct or incorrect side. It generally all depends for what hand drive the car is originally designed for, and if they can bebothered changing it over for Australia. Most cars from LHD makers will have the stalk on the left, and vice versa.

I've only owned cars (RHD) with left hand stalks and it's so natural to me the other way is now stupid.

 

[Famine]

We have six cars. The Japanese ones have left-hand indicator stalks. The French and German ones have right-hand stalks. Hopping between them means we put the wipers on the first time we want to indicate every journey...

 

[Paulie]

Your Japanese cars have them on the left and your European ones on the right? That's completely opposite to the Australian market vehicles.

 

[Sniffs]

I've never seen right hand stalks for any vehicle I've ever owned, except having driven one jeep that has the wiper lever on the right (and it goes UP instead of down to turn them on). of course, most American vehicles (even Japanese) have an "all in one" stalk on the left, and the auto shifter on the right. hell, with that Jeep, I was auto reaching to shift, and spraying the windscreen

what puzzles me more is why drop the hatch anywhere but the US, where we don't like them?

 

[homeforsummer]

Japanese cars used to have it on the right (my MX5 does) but they're started sticking it on the other side more recently, and most European cars have always had it on the left.

I think Famine just confused himself...

 

[TheCracker]

Yeah, my Japanese car has indicators on the left. My mother-in-laws Korean car, that i have the pleasure of driving on occasion, has them on the right. I too wipe the windscreen every damn time i indicate to pull out.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

what puzzles me more is why drop the hatch anywhere but the US, where we don't like them?

They dropped the 3-door. Doesn't mean there isn't a 5-door.

And considering the only real difference is the doors (wheelbase between 3 and 5 door hatches is normally identical), no great loss.

 

[Paulie]

Yeah we still have a 5 door hatch. I noticed today checking the current model Ford Fiesta (WS) that the petrol 1.6L also may be unchanged. The auto gearbox is the big news for the drivetrain then.
I've never driven a Japanese car with indicator stalks on the left, I'm just trying to remember what new model Japanese cars I've driven. Hyundais from Korea still have them all on the right. Maybe it's just a completely random thing?

 

[Eric.]

For what its worth, my indicator stalk is on the left, but its a LHD vehicle...In fact I'm sure most, if not all, cars here do have it on the left.

 

[Famine]

Nope - MX-3s both have left-hand indicators, same as the Xedos 9, whereas our Mk1 MX-5 had a right-hand one.

Edit: Just checked the Accord. Lefty.

 

[Jim Prower]

I totally feel left out of this conversation. I can't say I've had that experience....

Though I've nearly put the fork truck at work in reverse. Forward/Reverse selectors should not look like turn signal stalks.