FORD’S all-new Fiesta van has made its public debut at the 2008 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, bringing practicality, style and fun to the light commercial vehicle segment.
Based on the new Ford Fiesta hatchback which is about to go on sale in Britain, the Fiesta van is designed to meet the needs of professional and personal use customers and will be available in the UK in Spring 2009.
The sturdy yet lightweight three-door body shell is a solid foundation for a safe and agile driving experience, high levels of durability, low fuel consumption and emissions, and good payload capacity. These attributes make it the ideal choice for urban express delivery, service fleets and artisans thanks to its van practicality and car-like styling.
The rear side windows are replaced by body coloured solid panels, and the rear passenger seats are removed to provide space for a clean and step-less load box area.
Preliminary technical data shows that the load box volume is targeted to exceed 1,000 litres, with a maximum useable load length of round 1,300mm, as well as a maximum load box width of 1,278mm (1,004mm between the wheel arches) and a height of up to 936mm. Final measurements will be confirmed closer to launch. A half-high bulkhead and solid DIN-compliant tie-down hooks are standard.
The new Fiesta van is available with a choice of engines: 1.25-litre 82 horsepower Duratec 16V petrol unit, a frugal 1.4-litre 68 horsepower Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel, and a top-of the-range 1.6-litre 90 horsepower Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel with standard closed-loop coated DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter).
The fuel economy figures of the Fiesta van are targeted to match those of the Fiesta three-door passenger car. With a combined fuel consumption of 67.3 mpg and average CO2 emissions of just 110g/km on the diesel engines.
Using the three-door all-new Fiesta passenger car as the basis for the Fiesta van means that commercial customers can benefit from a wide range of technologies and features designed to ensure a safe and enjoyable working environment for their drivers.
The safe and agile chassis setup is complemented by standard active safety features like ABS anti-lock brakes including Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). ESP is available as an option with all engines and includes Emergency Brake Assist (EBA). The passive safety feature list includes standard front airbags.
All-new Fiesta van is equipped with the acclaimed Ford EasyFuel capless refuelling system which is clean and easy to use and also has a mis-fuel inhibitor that prevents the wrong fuel filler nozzle being inserted. This feature is a major benefit to commercial customers, particularly for mixed fleets and vehicles that are used by multiple drivers.
