Ford Fuel Economy Strides Protect Family Budgets

BRENTWOOD, Essex, 21 March, 2012  –  Ford can offer motorists some good Budget day news with the announcement of a new Ford Fiesta capable of returning over 85mpg.

The latest Ford Fiesta ECOnetic model now on sale emits just 87g CO2/km – meaning free road tax and no London Congestion Charge for the car – while sipping diesel fuel at the rate of just 85.6mpg (combined).

The top-selling Ford Fiesta leads a car range which has reduced its average fleet CO2 to 134g/km today from 154.5g/km in 2006 according to independent analysis by Clean Green Cars (cleangreencars.co.uk).

As market leader in the UK, selling more cars and vans than any other manufacturer, Ford’s low-CO2  technology has the greatest impact in shielding household budgets from the effect of rising fuel prices.  And British expertise and brain power are behind Ford’s drive towards ever more fuel-efficient motoring – a team of more than 2,000 Essex based engineers lead on the development of the company’s latest fuel-sipping petrol and diesel engines.

Six years ago the best a Ford Fiesta could achieve was 65.1mpg, a Ford Focus could do no more than 51.4mpg and the Ford Mondeo 44.1mpg.

Today, alongside Ford Fiesta’s 85mpg, this year’s Ford Focus ECOnetic is also road tax and congestion charge-exempt at 83.1mpg (88g CO2/km) and a 65.6mpg (114g) Ford Mondeo is available as both a five-door and estate.

All these models are diesel, featuring Ford’s acclaimed 1.6-litre TDCi engine assembled at Dagenham at the site’s high-tech wind-powered plant.

For petrol fans, Ford’s new 125 and 100PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine debuting in the Ford Focus achieves up to 58.9mpg (and as low as 109g CO2), which still saves on road tax in the first year.

Mark Ovenden, Ford Britain managing director, said:  “We cannot influence how the cost of motoring changes as a result of today’s Budget, but we will continue to design, develop and market innovative vehicles that minimise the cost of motoring for today’s families.  Our cars are fun to drive, stylish and packed with technology, while returning up to 20mpg more than just a few years ago.”   

# # #

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford products in the UK, please visit www.ford.co.uk

If you have any further enquiries or require publication-quality, downloadable photographs on Ford Motor Company products or services, visit our dedicated media website www.media.ford.com or contact our press office.