The first new Fiesta has arrived at Dover for it's first customer based in Birmingham.

• First new Fiesta destined for a UK customer docks at Dover
• Titanium model in Chrome Copper to be delivered to Fiesta hotspot of Birmingham, where sales of the top seller are highest   

After eight years as Britain’s favourite car, Ford Fiesta is passing its sales crown to an all-new model arriving this month.

The first new Fiesta to be unloaded was a five-door Titanium with premium B&O PLAY audio, 1.0-litre EcoBoost 100PS engine and eight-inch touch screen connectivity.

It was transported to a dealership in Birmingham, where most Fiestas are sold.  Across the country, 1,000,000 Brits have ordered new Fiestas since 2008 and over 4,500,000 since the car first arrived in 1976.

Of the 120,000 Fiestas registered in the last 12 months, 70 per cent were five-door models, 90 per cent petrol and 60 per cent Zetec, while 20 per cent chose the Titanium series.

Red, white and blue are three of the four favourite Fiesta colours among patriotic UK customers.  Around 22 per cent of new Fiestas are sold in blue, 18 per cent in black, 16 per cent in white, 15 per cent in red and 10 per cent in silver.  For the new Fiesta line-up on display in dealerships from this month, the Chrome Copper colour pictured plus new Blue Wave and Bohai Mint green shades are among the choices.

The new Ford Fiesta is billed as the most technologically advanced small car on sale thanks to 15 high-tech features ensuring a safe and smooth journey such as Pre-Collision Assist featuring pedestrian detection, meaning that the driver is warned of people who are in or near the road ahead, automatic perpendicular parking, blind spot alert and auto high beam.

Andy Barratt, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said:  “This year the eyes of the car world in our market are on new Fiesta as it takes over the reign as top seller.  Having seen all Fiesta models coming over the next nine months, I’m confident it will remain on top.”

Joining the Ford Fiesta’s core range of Zetec and Titanium in dealerships this month will be sporty ST-Line and luxurious Vignale models in early autumn, both offering the acclaimed 1.0 EcoBoost 140PS engine, followed by an all-new Active crossover and hot ST in spring next year.

FIVE NEW FIESTA FACTS

1. Special screening

The all-new Fiesta’s heated leather steering wheel has been tested by Ford engineers to ensure it is resistant to damage or staining from sunscreen on the driver’s hands. Sunscreen is just one of the everyday substances that were used to test the Fiesta interior. Leather seats are also designed to resist coffee spills, soil from dirty sports kit and even the dye from denim jeans.  

2. Is this seat taken?

How does Ford know the Fiesta’s seats will remain comfortable for the lifetime of the car? Robot buttocks “sat” in the seats 25,000 times to prove their durability. The seat bolsters undergo 60,000 test cycles to ensure wear-resistance, and the seat material is checked for flexibility and comfort even after 24 hours at minus 30 deg C.

3. Pressing engagement

Some of the all-new Fiesta’s body panels are made using a new manufacturing technology that analyses the noise frequencies produced during the stamping process, and can identify a component that will not meet Ford’s quality standards –  before it even leaves the stamping machine. The Fiesta factory in Cologne, Germany, produces a new Fiesta every 68 seconds, and can build about 20,000 different variations of Fiesta in total.

4. Grand slam

The all-new Fiesta’s doors now require 20 per cent less effort to close, because of improvements to the air extractors inside the car. Innovative, concealed door edge protectors spring quickly in to place when the doors are opened to protect both the Fiesta’s doors, and those of cars parked alongside from dings and scrapes. Inside the doors are pressure sensors that enable restraint systems to be activated several milliseconds sooner in the event of a side impact.

5. Playlist perfection

To develop the all-new Fiesta’s B&O PLAY sound system, engineers spent a year listening to more than 5,000 tracks to ensure the premium 675-watt audio system sounds great whether enjoying Adele, Foo Fighters or Jay-Z – or chilling out to classical music – no matter how quietly or loudly it is played. Tested in city centres, on motorways and in the countryside, the 10-speaker B&O PLAY system features a nine-channel amplifier for precise sound control, a dashboard centre speaker and  200mm subwoofer in the boot – while optional surround sound delivers a 360-degree sound stage experience.

USA - The Million Mile Toyota Tundra, no issues, no breakdowns and still going strong.

• Learning from a Toyota Truck after Eight Safe Years on the Road

Toyota customer Victor Sheppard was so satisfied with his Toyota Tundra, even after he had safely driven 1 million miles, he continued driving it. When Toyota saw the well-kept truck, they asked: What is a Toyota Tundra with more than a million miles worth?

For Toyota’s production engineers and team members, the truck’s longevity offers invaluable insight for future products. For Sheppard, it was worth a new truck.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. swapped trucks today with Sheppard at Greg Leblanc Toyota in Mr. Sheppard’s hometown, Houma, La., in a brief ceremony.

The million-mile Tundra, a 2007 model year, was one of the first of its kind assembled exclusively at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, in San Antonio. Since purchasing the truck, Sheppard has been the sole owner and has put an average of 125,000 miles a year on the odometer, regularly driving long-haul trips from his home to North Dakota, Wyoming, and Virginia for his job. The truck still has its original engine, transmission and paint job.

“Most people can’t believe how much on his truck is original,” said Ron Weimer, general manager of Greg Leblanc Toyota. “Victor has been loyal to his maintenance and kept it up.”

Sheppard’s truck has drawn attention in the past, leading to it being showcased in Toyota’s outdoor truck display in September 2012 at the Texas State Fair in Dallas. The truck has also been regularly featured on the Facebook page for LeBlanc Toyota. 

The dealership even posted his odometer reading when it hit 999,999 miles. In maintaining his truck to the extraordinary million-mile mark, Sheppard has logged 117 dealership service visits over nine years, ranging from timing belt replacements, oil changes, and the manufacturer’s regularly scheduled check-ups.

“My truck looks great, and, except for a few little dents, it’s almost like new,” said Sheppard. “Even the seats look just as they were when I bought it. They’re not as clean, of course, but they’re not busted or worn out.”

While high-mileage vehicles help validate the quality of the manufacturing processes the company employs, Toyota engineers are interested in how the engine and transmission as well as other components and parts, such as the seats, have held up. And as one of the first Tundra trucks from the San Antonio plant, Toyota’s chief truck engineer from Toyota Technical Center, Mike Sweers, and his team want a chance to get a better look under the hood and everywhere else to learn how the vehicle holds up after so many miles and rigorous use.

“Having a million-mile truck in as pristine condition as this one with original parts is a truly rare find,” said Sweers. “Our team plans to tear down the entire truck, bumper-to-bumper, top-to-bottom to evaluate how the quality and safety we designed, engineered and built into the Tundra has held up to over one-million miles of real-world driving and help us continue providing ever-better vehicles for our customers.”

The disassembly process is expected to take months as engineers examine each part of the engine, chassis, body, and other components. With the knowledge gained, the engineers will apply their findings to future trucks.

As for Sheppard, his million-mile truck has been replaced by a new 2016 Tundra. Ironically, the 2016 Tundra is also his 16^th Tundra.

“Mr. Sheppard says he is a believer in Toyota quality and safety,” said Weimer. “He believes in the brand.”

“I believed [reaching a million miles] wouldn’t be a problem,” said Sheppard. “These trucks are safe and dependable. I think, if you see a Toyota on the side of the road, it might be a scam because they just don’t break down very often.”