Ford reveals Europe's most efficient non-hybrid family car

Ford Motor Company today announced plans to bring ultra-fuel efficient versions of the Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta to Europe in mid-2012 as part of a broader strategy to roll out more green technologies across its line-up under the ECOnetic Technology badge.

At the Frankfurt Motor Show beginning next week, Ford will show two new ultra-efficient models packed with advanced fuel saving technology. The new Focus ECOnetic Technology – featuring first lean NO_x adsorbing technology in a Ford diesel – achieves 89 g/km, and the new Fiesta ECOnetic Technology – the first Fiesta with Auto-Start-Stop technology – which delivers 87g/km.

The Focus will be able to travel 100 kilometres on 3.4 litres of fuel (83.1 mpg), making it the most fuel efficient non-hybrid family car in Europe.  The Fiesta also achieves top-notch fuel economy, travelling 100 kilometres on 3.3 litres of fuel (85.6 mpg).

Ford also plans to show at Frankfurt a Ford Focus powered by the new 3-cylinder, 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, which delivers both impressive fuel efficiency and surprising performance due to direct fuel injection and turbocharging.

The three vehicles are part of an aggressive strategy to make leading fuel efficiency and green technologies available to more customers under the Ford ECOnetic Technology badge.  

The expansion of ECOnetic Technology is also part of Ford's overall sustainability strategy, including the target of reducing CO₂ emissions of its cars by 30 per cent between 2006 and 2020.  Since 2006, Ford has achieved an 11 per cent reduction in CO₂ and said it’s on track to meet the commitment. A further 10 g/km overall fleet improvement will be achieved within the next two years.

Ford's innovative range of low-CO₂ features will be available in an increasing number of Ford vehicles in Europe qualifying them to wear the ECOnetic Technology badge, which will be applied from October to all Ford cars that are the leaders or among the very best in terms of fuel economy in their segments. The badge will appear on more than 30 models by the end of next year.

ECOnetic Technology features like Auto-Start-Stop, Smart Regenerative Charging, Active Grille Shutter, ECO Mode and other fuel-saving features are already or will be available on Fiesta, C‑MAX, Grand C-MAX, Focus, Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy by the end of this year. Ford is the only non-premium manufacturer currently offering Active Grille Shutter.

In terms of sales, about half of Ford cars sold in the second half of 2012 in Europe will carry the ECOnetic Technology badge – increasing to an expected two-thirds by mid-2013.

The ECOnetic Technology badged petrol and diesel passenger cars will be powered by the 1.0-litre or 1.6-litre EcoBoost engines or the 1.6-litre TDCi diesel engine – all commercial vehicles will be powered by lean Stage V TDCi diesel engines.

The ECOnetic Technology range also will include all the electrified Ford models, the Ford Focus Electric, an all-electric vehicle that debuts next year, and the C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid coming to market in 2013. 

"The Ford ECOnetic Technology initiative will include more and more Ford vehicles in the near future and we're confident that our customers will appreciate the substantial improvements in fuel economy and cost-of-ownership,” said Graham Hoare, executive director, Powertrain, Ford of Europe.