Fiesta provides plenty of reasons to celebrate. The front wheel drive car has best-in-class fuel economy. It’s packed with 15 class-exclusive technologies, including keyless entry and push button start as well as a cap-less fuel filling system. Sold in 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback versions, Fiesta is deceptively roomy. And the acceleration power is impressive for a car powered by a 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder. Fiesta has sold more than 500,000 units in select European and Asian countries, but the car wasn’t significantly overhauled or re-designed for its 2011 model year North American debut. Base curb weight of the 5-door with automatic transmission is 2,575 pounds. Fifty percent of the body structure is comprised of high strength steels.

The 1.6-liter engine with twin independent variable camshaft timing produces an estimated 120 horsepower at 6350 rpm and 112 lbs-ft of torque at 5000 rpm. Standard transmission is a 5-speed manual while the optional, all-new PowerShift 6-speed automatic transmission is a North American market-exclusive. Speed-sensitive electric power assist steering (EPAS) is standard. (Ford Motor Company plans to have 90% of its product line-up with EPAS by 2013.) Estimated per gallon fuel economy for the 98-inch wheelbase hatchback with a standard spoiler on the liftgate and the automatic transmission is 30 city/40 highway. MSRP of the 5-door Fiesta SE with standard 15-inch, 8-spoke aluminum alloy wheels is $15,120.