Ford Fiesta Econetic coming - 64 mpg US

They were selling diesel Fiestas in the rest of the world just like they are now. Diesel is less than Petrol in most EU countries. (Note: OP is from Scotland)

 

To listen to NPR, you'd think that they had rolled over and given up, anyway. Not too long ago, I was listening to a interview with someone from a car research website. The general tone of the interview was in the context of Japanese economy car sales going up, and domestic makers mentioned only in reference to SUV and truck sales. It completely ignored the increase, at the time, in Ford Focus sales, as well as those of the Chevrolet Cobalt. NPR is hardly alone in this, so I'm not surprised that GM's publicists scream about this every chance they get. Also, the Volt is expected to reach production in 2010, meaning that it will get from concept to showroom faster than the Camaro, which, if I recall correctly, was shown earlier. That's no small trick, really, as the Volt is a much more complex car, technologically, than the Camaro.

 

You can just use Google to convert from kilowatts to horsepower. Try just typing "200 kilowatts in horsepower". Too bad they don't have PS unit as part of their calculator.

I've seen both PS and watts outside the US.

 

Whaaa?? The German horses are stronger than the American/English horses??

 

The PS-hp conversion isn't really necessary; all you have to do is add a couple. 276 PS is 280 hp, etc.

 

Actually it is the other way around. 276 PS is 272.224 HP.

 

...And over here, in the U.S., Ford is still waiting for permission from Exxon to market such a fuel stingy car. Maybe they'll allow it in California.