Mountune (ROUSH) Ford Fiesta!

[FTribe]

The car looks awesome. The car sounds awesome. And you can bet it drives awesome. The Mountune Ford Fiesta is a “tuner” version that adds an extra bit of performance and some high style right on the Ford dealer floor. The Mountune Fiesta is now available in the UK through selected dealerships and the upgrades are even covered under a 12 month, 12,000 mile warranty,



Before we go any further one might ask why is this important to us in the US of A? Well for one, the Fiesta is coming next summer to our shores. We all know this. But what many might not know is that Mountune Performance is a European subsidiary of Roush here in the States. You might know Roush, they are the builders of the track pounding Roush Mustangs and other high performance tuner cars here.

So the logical conclusion is that a version of what you see here could very well be offered by Roush Performance here at home. Roush has a history of building high-performance pocket rockets including the Roush Focus. While there are no publicly announced plans, it would be very easy for Roush Performance to source existing parts and engineering work from its Mountune division to roll some of these out of their Livonia, MI plant.

So lets look at the Mountune Fiesta as it is configured in the UK. Engine upgrades net a 20% increase in power from the 1.6 liter DOHC engine to about 140hp. Known as the “Stage 1” package, the mods include a high-flow air intake, high-performance exhaust with tubular manifold and an opened up catalyst. A recalibration ties it all together for a raspier and more eager to please engine.

It is reported that the modifications lower the 0-60 time an astonishing 2 seconds, to 7.9 in this UK version with the 1.6 liter engine. If the 2.0 liter engine is offered the power can be as high as 185hp in naturally aspirated trim.



Also shown in the photos are some visual mods like body color door handles, rubbing strips, exterior mirror caps, a very Roush-like body kit and mean looking set of 17-inch alloy wheels. A suspension package that is said to have been tested and tuned at the Nurburgring is available as well as some interior bits. All of the above are the call of the day for Roush Performance, the closest thing to OEM engineering and development in the “tuner” realm.

In addition to the potential of Roush Performance, Ford Racing is also on the ball with the new Fiesta. In a recent interview I did with Jamie Allison of the Ford Performance group he stated that they were looking strongly at offering products for the Fiesta.

“ Yes, for Ford Racing we are very fortunate to have this car and the Focus that are both coming from Europe. There are already parts out there for enthusiasts in Europe so there is a bit of a cottage industry out there of servicing the needs of enthusiasts with performance modifications. ”, said Allison. “ We have a little bit of a head start on actually bringing some of that spirit in the European modifications and making them available through Ford Racing and the Ford Racing catalog. Short answer is, we believe there is [a market].” He went on to share that Ford sees a rich enthusiast interest in the new Fiesta and is strongly looking at developing Ford Racing performance parts and performance packs that could be available when the car arrives next year.

All I can say is the future looks bright. And we can all use that right now.

Mountune Fiesta Photo Gallery

More information: www.mountuneperformance.com

[PeterG]

I was reading on ConsumerGuide.com that the fiesta is going to assembled at a Ford Mexico plant...Have you heard this? What are your thoughts?

[FTribe]

I was reading on ConsumerGuide.com that the fiesta is going to assembled at a Ford Mexico plant...Have you heard this? What are your thoughts?

I do believe that is the plan, for the car to be manufactured in Mexico. There is a pretty good history of Ford building cars in Mexico. The current Fusion, Milan and Lincoln MKZ are built there.

It would be nice to have them built here or see them import them from Europe, but that does not pencil economically. Small cars, particularly entry level cars have a very small profit margin. So it is very hard with entrenched UAW contract standards, labor laws, environmental laws, taxes, and other regulations to build a small entry level car in the United States without spending more to build it than the retail price should be. If the price is to be what people expect for a small entry level car, the unfortunate reality is that it is too expensive to build it here. It is why most car companies don't, but build their larger more expensive cars in the US.

As far as quality goes, Ford and other manufacturers have shown that building them south of the border is no different than anywhere else. Volkswagen builds much of its US product line in Mexico, as GM and Chrysler also build many of theirs. Ford's Mexico built Fusion, Milan and MKZ have ranked right up there with Honda and Toyota for quality in JD Power surveys.

I think it would be nice to see our American auto factories be competitive to build these cars again. But we need to look within. We need look at our level of regulation and taxation at the state and federal levels. If we want to compete again we need to be willing to give up some of what we once took for granted and make it happen.

[PeterG]

Wow, great response! Great points. I just looked into the reviews of those cars, and although they failed in an epic way when it comes to the "cool" rating, they all ranked very high in reliability and dependability!

Have you heard what the mileage is on the turbo fiesta?

[SMOKE]

Me likey a lot!

As a daily driver with the current suite of options ... SYNC etc .... I could see zipping to and from work in one ..... with a smile.
For me, mileage would be a factor in buying an entry level car. I'm not a huge hybrid fan, as the tech, is not that far and away from some gasoline vehicles. But I see any small car that makes 30+mpg as a good buy, especially with city driving.

[Iorek]

Excellent write-up. This is an absolute must for USA. Less than 7 seconds to 60mph and averaging over 30mpg is a winner in my book.