Ford Doesn't Want Americans to Buy 2009 Ford Fiesta ECOnetic, the Rumored Ford 65 MPG Car

Even if the ECOnetic is a ways off, i personally know the euro Fiesta gets 30/40 mpg. basically me and my friend have been chosen by Ford to help launch the American Fiesta so we were briefed on the features in Detroit ad many features like mpg are improved from the European version BIG time as well. We have a microsite on the Fiesta Movement site (www.fiestamovement2.com/chicago) and you will find out bout our launch, when we're doing events yadda yadda. do the 'follow us' and we'll make sure you stay informed. it's our job ;) - J

At this time, Detroit has as a real opportunity for change. They could pull together, share some of their technology, and a build a real world class car superior to the offerings of any other country, be it performance or energy usage. The problem? I don't think they are capable of "real change", just some superficial arm flapping to get the governments financial support. I honestly feel the "pick-up truck mentality" still prevails (i.e. this thread) and because of this they should be allowed to fail

"In addition, the company holds that consumers have been conditioned to see diesel as the fuel of the past, stereotyped forever by smelly, black cloud belching trucks and buses." Consumers in the information age are more educated about the products they buy. It seems to me that the Ford executives making the decisions are the only thing "of the past". Losing market share to competitors is a glaring truth for Ford and without some bold moves they may find the decisions they make today will shape the future or demise of this auto maker. The only new cars I have bought in my life were Fords. My last in 99' which I still drive to this day. If they produce and make available a competitive product I would buy it. However if they want my next purchase they better bank on the competitiveness of their product. With all the information available on the internet I doubt there are many brand loyalists who would buy an inferior product with their hard earned money.

Looks like a Diesel Jetta TDI for me (although it is a bit too large for my tastes, but so be it). Wish I could buy this Ford instead.

i was raised on fords with several members of my family working for them over the years, most notably my father and grandfather, each with 25 years of service. i own 2 fords right now. one gets ok fuel mileage, ford ranger, the other gets awful fuel mileage, mercury mountaineer. i have to say that i am very disappointed to hear the car will not be offered here in the states. i also heard that the biggest reason for this was again our great epa. emission standards have gotten down right rediculous on diesel engines. i have been in the diesel engine repair field for 11 years, and i have to say that i have seen regulations go from bad to worse. i have also heard that the epa is starting to regulate lawn mower exhaust for the upcoming year models. all this and we can still go to the local nascar track and drag races where there is hardly and exhaust system on the cars much less any regulations on emissions. i am a little biased on my decision, but i say take it elsewhere. as long as our go

Interesting article. Since Ford continues to hemmorage money, one would think no PROFIT would be too low. Thanks.

I am sure Ford's business model (for the US existing models) also assumes a high profit on future repairs. A car like this, with a very reliable engine that can probably go 250K or more without major service, will not generate much post sale revenue, a hard sell with the idiots that have gotten Ford into the position they are in.

Ford won't sell it here because it will have to cost a certain amount, say 25k, and not enough Americans will buy it. Americans are the most uninformed car buyers in the world and the US auto industry loves to perpetuate our ignorance. We're so stupid that we'd buy 6000 lb trucks with leather seats (called SUVs) for $50,000 and think we got a good deal with the crappy fuel economy and 1750s technology leaf spring suspensions (think stage coach suspensions). And US Auto benefited with the largest profit margin in their history for these large SUV models - because they were just cheap trucks with leather seats for 50k. US Auto soaked in their cash for the last 15 years with these SUVs and now they're losing money because they don't have infrastructure to make anything new for the US market.

This is not an informative article. Research the subject completely first. This article nit-picks the facts to form it's anti-establishment bend. There are many more facts to this story than what's presented here. Ford is a problem in itself but so are many many more things.

Diesel in the US costs more than gasoline because it is taxed higher for the commercial trucking industry. You could argue that diesel is taxed too high or gasoline is taxed too little. Also, in Europe, diesel is made more cleanly. Other than California I'm not sure if any other state produces "clean" diesel fuel.