Ford announces pricing and specification for the all new Fiesta Supermini.

• Next generation Fiesta, priced from £12,715, on sale this Spring
• Takes over from current model celebrating over eight consecutive years as UK’s best seller
• Core range in dealerships this Summer debuts B&O PLAY and luxury Vignale editions – with Active crossover and hot ST to follow
• Offers 15 driver-assist technologies – the same as the large Ford Edge SUV

The next generation Ford Fiesta range offers a version for every lifestyle when it goes on sale this Spring.

Priced from £12,715 for a Fiesta Style, the range continues through Zetec and Titanium to high-tech B&O PLAY series, luxury Vignale and sporty ST-Line models available this Summer.

The Fiesta will be launched with the most sophisticated range of driver assistance technologies and connectivity features ever in a volume small car in Europe, as part of the most comprehensive line-up of variants in Fiesta’s 40-year history.

It will be the first Ford to deliver an enhanced version of Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection that can detect people who are in or near the road ahead, or who may cross the vehicle’s path, using light from the Fiesta’s headlights at night.

Also offered for the first time on Fiesta is Ford’s Active Park Assist with Perpendicular Parking, which helps drivers find suitable spaces and park hands‑free nose-to-tail and side-by-side with other cars. 

Further enhanced for Fiesta, the technology can now apply the brakes if drivers do not respond to system guidance and proximity warnings while performing forward and reverse manoeuvres, and a collision with a parked car or obstacle to the front or rear is imminent.

The most popular Fiesta variant is the Zetec, with 58 per cent of customers of the current model opting for Zetec. Customers can purchase the next generation Fiesta Zetec from £14,215 with 15in alloy wheels, Quickclear heated windscreen and Ford’s SYNC 3 DAB radio with a 6.5in touchscreen with Emergency Assistance, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.  

Ford will also launch a unique B&O PLAY series range available on Zetec and Titanium models offered in two striking exterior and interior colour themes – Bohai Bay Mint and Chrome Copper. 

The new B&O PLAY systems – exclusive to Ford’s global vehicle line-up – offer an elevated audio experience with ten speakers including a boot-mounted subwoofer and a central mid-range speaker on top of the instrument panel, incorporating the B&O PLAY aluminum logo and a unique radiating hole pattern. 

The stylish series also get the upgraded 8in floating tablet-inspired touchscreen and Navigation as standard and are available from £15,165.

The next generation Fiesta will for the first time be offered as an upscale Vignale model – part of the Ford Vignale range joining the Mondeo, S-MAX, Kuga and Edge Vignale. Priced from £19,345, the Fiesta Vignale features 17in alloy wheels, unique exterior body styling and front grille and distinctive interior in Black Ruby leather, heated seats and steering wheel, panoramic roof and rear view camera as standard.

Andy Barratt, chairman and managing director, Ford of Britain, said: “Ford’s 40-year reign of the UK car market began in 1976 when the Fiesta was first launched.  

Since then Fiesta has been firmly established as part of the fabric of Britain – and remained at the top of the sales charts for the last eight years.  With so many new Fiesta faces coming this year, including B&O PLAY Editions for music lovers and the luxurious Vignale execution, it’s set to stay at number one.”

Fiesta Active crossover and the recently-announced Fiesta ST pricing will be subject to a later release.

Ford celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Transit range with a "Transit Show Live" event at dealerships.

Ford Transit Centres are the venues for a series of ‘Transit Show Live’ events that will showcase the latest technologies and features in the expanded Ford Transit commercial vehicle range.

Transit Show Live, which runs from 16-25 May, will also launch the specialist Ford Transit Centre network, dedicated to the sales and service of the full Transit range.

A fully product-trained team will be on hand to demonstrate key features of the latest technology-packed Ford commercial vehicles including the full Transit range, Fiesta van and Ranger pick-up.

Among the technologies on display is Active City Stop, featured on the Transit Connect. Designed to help reduce the likelihood of the van colliding with the vehicle in front in slow-moving traffic, Active City Stop will automatically apply the brakes if sensors detect that a collision is likely.

Terry Rayner, director, Transit Centres, Ford of Britain, said: “Ford’s commercial vehicles set the benchmark for efficiency and load space, and continue to push the boundaries of innovation. At Transit Show Live, customers will see our new showrooms and learn about the fantastic technologies such as Lane Keeping Aid and Ford SYNC, which won a Euro NCAP Advanced rewards for technology on the Transit Custom - the first for any commercial vehicle.”

Customers will also be shown the full loading capabilities of each vehicle including the load-through bulkhead on the Transit Custom and Transit Connect which allows the transport of three-metre pipes. Further technologies such as Load Adaptive Control, sense the weight being carried in the vehicle and adjusts braking inputs via the Electronic Stability Control system to help maximise driver control.

SYNC with Emergency Assistance, available on the full commercial vehicle range, will also be demonstrated. This feature enables drivers to use voice commands to operate most popular MP3 players, Bluetooth-enabled phones and USB drives. Emergency Assistance automatically places a call with the emergency services on a paired Bluetooth-enabled phone when an airbag is deployed or the fuel pump is deactivated.

Ford Telematics powered by Telogis will also be available for demonstration. This provides fleet operators with unique live Ford diagnostics to help improve efficiency, safety and productivity of their fleets.

The events will also showcase the Transit Centre network and explain the advantages of the Transit24 commercial vehicle service promise. Ford’s elevated service proposition, Transit24, available at over 191 locations nationwide, offers extended opening hours to reduce the amount of time that customers’ vehicles are off the road. Customers will also benefit from easy-to-book while-you-wait servicing and priority treatment for urgent repairs.

Transit Show Live runs during Ford’s celebrations for the Ford Transit’s 50^th anniversary. Since the first vehicle left the production line in Langley, England, on August 9, 1965, almost eight million Transit and Transit Custom models have been built. Add Transit Connect and Transit Courier to that milestone and total Transit production is scheduled to top nine million during 2015. The Ford Transit Centres have a played a vital role in boosting commercial vehicle sales, with March registering Ford’s highest sales month of CV sales ever.