2011 Ford Fiesta sedan

2011 Ford Fiesta sedan

The 2011 Ford Fiesta is officially the most fuel efficient model in its class, with the EPA announcing today that the ultra-funky hatchback and sedan rates in at 29 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway when equipped with the smooth shifting six-speed PowerShift dual clutch transmission.

To put that into perspective, the Fiesta’s highway fuel economy figure is 5 mpg better than the Honda Fit and 4 mpg better than the Toyota Yaris.

It’s not just the advanced transmission that gives the Fiesta its stellar fuel economy. The car’s 1.6-liter Duratec engine, rated at 120 horsepower, also features Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT), an aggressive deceleration fuel shutoff and an engine accessory drive system that improves efficiency by reducing the energy it takes to power the air-conditioner and alternator. The story doesn’t end there as there’s also electric power steering and enhanced aerodynamics to help make the Fiesta as fuel efficient as possible.

The 2011 Fiesta with standard five-speed manual transmission is EPA rated at 28 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. The new range is set to go on sale this summer with a starting pricing of $13,320.

[Ford]