Ford Fiesta now offered with mild-hybrid option

The UK’s best selling car will now be offered with 48-volt mild-hybrid engine, to give a five percent fuel increase.

Available in 125 PS and 155 PS power outputs, Ford Fiesta EcoBoost Hybrid models feature a belt-driven integrated starter/generator in place of the standard alternator. This enables recovery and storage of energy usually lost during braking and coasting to charge a 48-volt lithium-ion air-cooled battery pack.

The intelligent, self-regulating mild-hybrid system continuously monitors how the vehicle is being used to determine when and how intensively to charge the battery for optimal benefit, and when to use the charge for either torque substitution or torque supplementation.

Using torque substitution, the 125 PS EcoBoost Hybrid delivers a fuel efficiency improvement of almost 5 per cent compared to the traditional petrol 125 PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine.

Torque supplementation, which increases the peak torque available from the powertrain by up to 20 Nm above the level available from the petrol engine alone, delivers 240 Nm for the 155 PS powertrain and up to 50 per cent more torque at lower rpm.

The 48-volt mild hybrid technology is being introduced alongside a variety of new driver assistance technologies including Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Speed Sign Recognition, designed to deliver less stressful driving experiences.

Ford’s SYNC 3 communications and entertainment system is also updated to be more intuitive and easier to use, with a new user interface on the 8-inch colour touchscreen. A new wireless charging pad also is offered.

The announcement of the MHEV Fiesta comes amid Ford’s commitment to offering an electrified version of every passenger vehicle it brings to market in Europe, with the blue oval looking to grow its range of electrified vehicles in Europe to 18 before the end of 2021.