[azulejost]

As far as I know, none of us are completely sure what the final transmission options are going to be. The Euro cars currently here are 5-spd manuals or 4-spd autos. I remember reading several articles when news of a US Fiesta was just beginning saying that the 6-spd PowerShift transmission would be the automatic option for the US car. That makes sense as it would give much better mileage numbers than the 4-spd and better performance as well provided it doesn't hunt for the right gear for too long.

I also seem to recall some pieces stating the US would get a 6-spd manual instead of the 5-spd. I cannot seem to find where I read this, but I believe that would also be a great decision (considering I want only the manual, 6>5). One article mentioned that the engine w/ 5-spd turns about 4500 rpm at 85-90 mph. Is that what those of you agents are experiencing? How about rpm at 70 mph?

Adding an extra cog even if just for >60 mph would do great things for mileage and decrease the interior noise level for long highway trips. Has anyone heard about such possibilities? What are the agents' thoughts about the rpm/noise level and benefits of a 6-spd manual? Thanks.

 

[Mark Kleis]

There is very little information available about the manual, but the only speculation I read said it might be a different 5 speed than the Euro model, but still a 5 speed.

As for RPM/noise, the RPMs are fairly high, but the noise isn't an issue, really.

Around 70 it is around 3,500~ RPM. I do think a 6th gear would be great to aid in highway MPG.

The auto should be the PowerShift 6 speed.

 

[golf strom]

From a cost standpoint it would be simpler and cheaper to simply change the ratio on 5th gear on the existing 5sp MT currently used for US crusing=lower revs+better mpg too.

 

[BRGT350]

I have not heard of the US cars getting a 6-speed, but I think it would greatly help with fuel economy on the highway. The twin-layshaft Getreg out of the SVT Focus would be a perfect match. You get very high final gear ratio's for 2-4 gear, and a lower ratio for 5-6. Around town, autocrossing, and track use would all benefit from using that gearbox since the majority of time is spent in 2-4. On a road trip for Mission #1, my SVT Focus got 35mpg, brother Focus ZTS 5-speed got 32 mpg, and the Fiesta got only 30 mpg. Having an extra gear would have put the Fiesta much higher in fuel range.

The other advantage of the 6 speed is it gives you more gears to shift, and that is fun.

 

[azulejost]

Fuel Economy in the B-segment cars just should be greater than that of C-segment options, especially the performance oriented and wonderful SVT Focus. The 40 mpg rating gets thrown around a lot, but data such as yours and other agents suggests real world that's just not happening.

There's not a lot of information out about the next Focus right now, but even the 4-cyl Fusion has a sticker rating of 34 hwy in it's most frugal non-hybrid form. It's hard to entice people to downsize into smaller cars, even cars as nicely equipped (depending on how the US version shakes out), when a substantially larger car will return similar numbers at an MSRP of $2k or so (if we assume a well equipped Fiesta is around $18k).

Sure, the Fiesta likely appeals to a different set of people but the separation will likely be even less with the new Focus which seems to share a similar kinetic design and a "world car" outlook. Also, if people looking at a Fiesta even remotely care about made in the USA, the Focus may pull them away since it's rolling out of MI and KY plants.

Just some concerns because I plan to consider both the Fiesta and Focus in the spring of 2011. Don't want to be a downer, but when there are new Fusions on dealer lots under $20k, it gets me thinking about how much differentiation there's going to be for the Fiesta and Focus to battle over. As a result, that could be why the US version may not as "premium" a subcompact as the Euro version. I hope I'm wrong since from all I've seen I prefer the looks of the Fiesta to the Focus and would willingly pay $18k for a Fiesta equipped the way I want.

 

[BRGT350]

If you have driven a Fusion, you will find they are not fun to drive. The Fusion is a vastly larger car, and doesn't compare to the Fiesta. You are correct that there are some 2009 Fusion's for some good deals, but the car really doesn't compare to the Fiesta. If you buy a car based on price, room, and mileage, you may not buy the Fiesta. If you want a smaller car, fun to drive, and awesome to look at, then the Fiesta appeals to you. The mid-size sedan market is full of vanilla cars that I would never buy, but I am not the regular car buyer. The Fiesta, Cooper S, WRX, M Coupe, and C30's are the type of cars that I like. Accord's, Camery's, Fusion's, and other mid-size cars don't interest me at all. They are automotive equivalents of shopping carts.

 

[Mark Kleis]

I ran into someone at an event yesterday that does testing of all kinds of insane products at the "proving grounds," and let me just say for those of you wishing the Fiesta could break into the 40 MPG mark, eh... things are looking good on multiple fronts. I'll just leave it at that

 

[FlashBastd]

I think it is unlikely that the Fiesta will get a 6sp box. This Mk7 Fiesta is closely related to the Mk6, and as with all previous Fiesta's, the chassis rails are too close together to make the fitment of a 6 speed box a production possibility without major rework. It would be great if this was done, but don't hold your breath.

I know people have fitted the Getrag 6sp from the ST170 / SVT to Fiesta's, but it is very tight. Also, I don't think the MTX-75 5 speed transmission will fit either, which is why all manual Fiestas are fitted with the IB5 transmission.

Regarding the PowerShift, if you mean the twin clutch transmission, it would be great, but again, I don't think it would fit. Hope to be wrong though!

 

[TimBrown]

The powershift, or twin cluth tranny has been rumoured for quite some time, has it not? Additionally, the powershift is listed on Ford's website as the transmission that will be shipped with the car.

 

[Mark Kleis]

I think it is unlikely that the Fiesta will get a 6sp box. This Mk7 Fiesta is closely related to the Mk6, and as with all previous Fiesta's, the chassis rails are too close together to make the fitment of a 6 speed box a production possibility without major rework. It would be great if this was done, but don't hold your breath.

I know people have fitted the Getrag 6sp from the ST170 / SVT to Fiesta's, but it is very tight. Also, I don't think the MTX-75 5 speed transmission will fit either, which is why all manual Fiestas are fitted with the IB5 transmission.

Regarding the PowerShift, if you mean the twin clutch transmission, it would be great, but again, I don't think it would fit. Hope to be wrong though!

The powershift, or twin cluth tranny has been rumoured for quite some time, has it not? Additionally, the powershift is listed on Ford's website as the transmission that will be shipped with the car.

The US car WILL get the 6-speed dual-clutch, dry transmission for the automatic.

The only speculation is for the manual, which will likely be a 5-speed, but which 5-speed is still uncertain.

 

[TimBrown]

Do we know if the powershift will have paddles or will be a knob shfited manual function?

 

[Mark Kleis]

Do we know if the powershift will have paddles or will be a knob shfited manual function?

Most likely paddles. If they are like the ones on the Taurus SHO, I actually liked those. I know it obviously has a different transmission, but for what it is worth, the paddles on the SHO snap gears incredibly fast.

 

[TimBrown]

Most likely paddles. If they are like the ones on the Taurus SHO, I actually liked those. I know it obviously has a different transmission, but for what it is worth, the paddles on the SHO snap gears incredibly fast.

Sweet.. I think the only way I would really use the manual shift function on an auto is with paddles. And there is that nice psychological bonus of having a vague connection to a racecar. And in a city of a billion ill-timed lights, there really isn't a way I'm going to pick up another commuting manual transmission equipped car, anyway.

 

[FlashBastd]

The only speculation is for the manual, which will likely be a 5-speed, but which 5-speed is still uncertain.

Ratios might be uncertain, but the transmission will be the IB5.