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Fuel-Efficient Engines and a Light Right Foot Help All-New Ford Fiesta and Ranger Set Three New Eco-Driving Records

  • “Hypermiling” drivers from U.K. and Norway, using eco-friendly driving techniques, set three new fuel-efficiency records in the all-new Ford Fiesta hatchback and Ford Ranger pickup
  • Fiesta 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol and 1.5-litre TDCi diesel models each set new fuel-efficiency benchmarks at the U.K.’s annual MPG Marathon
  • Ranger travels 1616 kilometres on a single tank of fuel during drive through Norway, Sweden and Finland
  • Ford shares tips that helped drivers exceed official Fiesta fuel-efficiency figures by one-third

The all-new Ford Fiesta hatchback and Ranger pickup have set three new eco-driving records at fuel-efficiency challenges, including two new records for Fiesta at the U.K.’s annual MPG Marathon.

Powered by Ford’s 120 PS TDCi diesel engine and driven by journalist Paul Clifton and engineer Ian McKean, Fiesta won the MPG Marathon Overall Champion title by averaging 2.3 l/100 km fuel-efficiency during 570 kilometres of driving – a 12 per cent improvement on the previous record and a 34 per cent improvement on the model’s official fuel-efficiency figure.*

Powered by Ford’s multi-award-winning 125 PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine and driven by former-Ford works rally team Andy Dawson and Andrew Marriott, Fiesta averaged 2.9 l/100 km fuel-efficiency to be crowned Petrol Champion – a 14 per cent improvement on the previous record and a 33 per cent improvement on the model’s official fuel-efficiency figure.*

“Maximising fuel-efficiency not only saves money, but smooth driving can also be fun thanks to the new Fiesta’s brilliant steering and suspension,” said Andy Dawson. “Using less fuel also means reduced emissions, limiting motorists’ environmental impact.”

Using “hypermiling” driving techniques that can help any driver maximise fuel-efficiency, the Fiesta drivers improved on the models’ official fuel-efficiency figures by one-third – equivalent to gaining an extra 14 litres of free fuel when filling the Fiesta’s 42-litre fuel tank.

Ford’s six simple eco-driving tips are:

  1. Service your car and check the oil level regularly. Correctly maintained cars operate more efficiently
  2. Check tyre pressures monthly. Underinflated tyres can increase fuel consumption by up to four per cent
  3. Do not carry unnecessary weight in the boot or cabin
  4. Remove empty roof racks and keep windows shut, especially if driving at high speeds. This will reduce wind resistance, reducing fuel use by up to 10 per cent
  5. Drive smoothly, looking as far as possible ahead – and behind. Sudden acceleration and braking penalise fuel economy
  6. When accelerating, select higher gears as early as possible. Ford models have gear-shift indicators to optimise gear selection

The Norwegian duo of Knut Wilthil and Henrik Borchgrevink went even further in a Ford Ranger 2.2‑litre TDCi diesel, to set an unconfirmed world record for the furthest distance travelled in a pickup on a single tank of fuel.

By carefully planning their route and taking advanced measures such as only parking on downward slopes when taking breaks – enabling more fuel-efficient restarts – the experienced “hypermilers” covered 1616 kilometres through Norway, Sweden and Finland, at an average speed of 60 km/h.

Despite challenging weather conditions, Wilthil and Borchgrevink achieved just under 5.0 l/100 km fuel-efficiency during the 30-hour drive, a 23 per cent improvement on the model’s official figure.*

The all-new Ford Fiesta went on sale in Europe earlier this year, delivering from 3.2 l/100 km fuel-efficiency and 82 g/km CO2 emissions,* with fuel-efficient engines supported by technology that automatically stops the engine when stationary in traffic and restarts quickly when moving off again, and an Eco button for manual gearboxes that adjusts engine and throttle settings to help drivers save even more fuel when desired.

The Ford Ranger is Europe’s best-selling pickup. Ford sold 31,000 Rangers in Europe up to September year-to-date. **

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* The declared Fuel/Energy Consumptions, CO2 emissions and electric range are measured according to the technical requirements and specifications of the European Regulations (EC) 715/2007 and (EC) 692/2008 as last amended. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are specified for a vehicle variant and not for a single car. The applied standard test procedure enables comparison between different vehicle types and different manufacturers. In addition to the fuel efficiency of a car, driving behaviour as well as other non-technical factors play a role in determining a car's fuel/energy consumption, CO2 emissions and electric range. CO2 is the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.

** The Euro 20 markets are: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 203,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford
Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.​​

Ford of Europe

is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 50 individual markets and employs approximately 52,000 employees at its wholly owned facilities and approximately 66,000 people when joint ventures and unconsolidated businesses are included. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 24 manufacturing facilities (16 wholly owned or consolidated joint venture facilities and eight unconsolidated joint venture facilities). The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911.

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