The Fiesta is dead, Kia’s recalling older Sportages, Mercedes quits Russia, and Sauber teams up with Audi (Saubi?). All this and more on today’s issue of The Morning Dump.
Welcome to The Morning Dump, bite-sized stories corralled into a single article for your morning perusal. If your morning coffee’s working a little too well, pull up a throne and have a gander at the best of the rest of yesterday.
RIP Fiesta
For nearly half a century, Ford has had a Fiesta in its European lineup (and sometimes in its American one, too). They’ve sold 22 million of the little subcompacts, from the very first Ghia-designed model to the bigger and more modern car. And now it’s dead.
Given how global Ford has become with its products, it makes a sort of sense after Ford ditched the Fiesta from its lineup and announced the end of sedans. As a Ford spokesperson noted on Twitter:
Puma and Kuga remain very much part of the family for years to come. We also have our Tourneo range of affordable people carriers.
— Jay Ward (@Jward35) October 26, 2022
It also seems like the Focus, in some form, will be around a little longer (it has a crossover variant).
There’s clearly a tease at the end of the video for something small that plugs into the wall. Assuming that Ford still owns the Festiva branding it could easily be the Ford FestEVa right? Or maybe the Ford E-esta? It could also just be an all-EV Kuga. Open to any guesses.
This is a right bummer. The Fiesta, as our own Adrian Clarke pointed out, is every British kid’s first car. They’re great, small, affordable transportation. Or, they were.
Kias Are So Hot Right Now
If you have a 2008-2009 Kia Sportage you should park it outside and away from buildings according to this Reuters report, for no other reason than the Sportage might burst into flames.
Kia said the recall fix is currently under development that will address the risk of a fire originating from around the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) that could occur while parked or driving. Kia has identified eight vehicle fires and 15 localized melting/damage incidents since 2017 in the Sportage sport utility vehicles that had previously had the 2016 recall repairs completed.
They key phrase there is “had the 2016 recall repairs completed.”
It’s a re-recall. For the same problem. Ace work, team!
Mercedes Is Loud-Quitting Russia
I have never been to Russia, but if every movie about post-Soviet Russia is to be believed then rich Russians love themselves some Mercedes-Benz products. Specifically, S-Classes and G-Wagens are often driven by people Jason Bourne needs to kill or arrest.
So it’s a bummer for Russians that Mercedes is joining Renault (and just about everyone else) in deciding to GTFO of Russia. Automotive News reports in its article “Mercedes quitting Russian market, selling shares to local investor” that it’s not entirely clear if the sale to a local dealer network will include a six-year buyback clause like most of the other deals have:
What would cause Mercedes and other automakers to jump? If you’ve not been paying attention, Russia invaded Ukraine for no real reason, likely committed war crimes, and illegally annexed a bunch of that country.
In addition to not being able to get parts to build cars because of sanctions, Russia has mobilized possibly half a million men, so it’s not even clear who is around to run the factories.
Sauber Becomes Audi Sauber
While we wait to see what happens with Porsche and F1 and, of course, giddily await all the ways that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff will get tortured by Ginger Spice’s husband on the next season of “Drive to Survive” on Netflix, we can at least fill in some details on what Audi is going to do.
Entering as an engine-supplier, Audi announced today that it’ll replace Ferrari/Alfa Romeo as the powerplant for the Swiss team Sauber’s cars. Here’s what Audi said:
Development of the power unit, which consists of an electric motor, battery, control systems and a combustion engine, is already in full swing at the facility of the specially founded Audi Formula Racing GmbH in Neuburg an der Donau.
More than 120 employees are already working on the project. “Sauber is a first-class partner for the use of the Audi Power Unit,” says Adam Baker, managing director of the company. “We are looking forward to working with an experienced team that has helped shape many eras of Formula 1 history. Together, we want to write the next chapter starting in 2026.”
Cool.
The Flush
I’m curious about our audience here, so a little bit of a survey:
- Do you watch Formula 1?
- Did you watch Formula 1 more after “Drive to Survive”?
- Do you know who Toto Wolff is?
Image credits: Ford, Kia, The Bourne Supremacy, Audi
So sad to hear about the Fiesta. I’m 4 1/2 years into a love affair with my 2018 Fiesta ST, a car which has been completely trouble-free and a source of great joy.
1) Only when I can live during daylight hours (North America races, basically)
2) No
3) Yes.
I watched the race in Austin last week. I would like to watch more Formula 1, I just always forget to. I’ve watched a couple episodes of Drive, but not much.
What made me want to watch more F1 was the movie Rush a few years back. I still find the 70’s era more interesting.
I owned a ’79 when I got out of college. Great car. Too bad
Survey: no, no, no, but I’d enjoy articles on this site about why I should care.
Pet peeve I have with Fiestas and many similar vehicles:
Decorative back seats. Quit being a coward and either redesign the vehicle so average-sized people can fit semi-comfortably; or actually admit that your vehicle should not be used to carry more than one other person and remove the back seats altogether, creating more usable storage space while reducing weight.
No, no, and no.
1. no
2. no
3. no
1. Less so recently, but all through the late 80s, 90s, 2000s, and some of the 2010s
2. Before and after, but never watched it
3. Of course
Also, my very first car was a Fiesta. I have fond memories of all the adventures we’ve had with it.
1. Yes. Since the mid-1980s
2. N/A – I have never watched DTS
3. Yes
Disclaimer- I’m in the U.K.
Survey:
1. Yes, I’ll watch a few laps, but it’s terribly boring. However, if I had control over which racers I was watching, and if the commentary were a bit more technical rather than crowd pleasing, I may watch all the races, honestly.
2. No, I watched a couple episodes of the first season, but it overdramatized things I didn’t find dramatic in the first place. But I think it’s great what it’s done to bring in new fans.
3. Yes, it’s that character from the CW’s teen-audience “update” of The Wizard of Oz, if I’m not mistaken.
Do you watch Formula 1? YES
Did you watch Formula 1 more after “Drive to Survive”? YES
Do you know who Toto Wolff is? The toilet guy?
Highlights once in a while,
no,
the big guy at Mercedes.
Russia had good reason to liberate its citizens in Donetsk and Luhansk from the despotic and illegitimate Ukrainian govt that was installed by a US led violent overthrow of an elected leader.
Blink twice if your family is in danger, comrade.
How’s things there in Olgino? Working hard so you don’t get sent to the front? Can’t scrape up the euro to get to Tallinn?
Fuck off, asshole.
found the khazarian mafia supporter
GTFO
HA.
This is good deadpan comedy. People actually think you are serious.
Which is odd, because its so outlandishly false and easily proven to be untrue.
This is an astonishing lie. I just don’t know whether you know it or not.
Yes, no, yes. Cheers!
BTW, please hire Stef Schrader to do motorsports coverage and revive the Build of the Week series. She’s a gem that should not put out to pasture.
Stef and Elizabeth would be an insanely great addition here.
If there’s no more Fiesta, then the party’s over 😀
Survey says:
1.Yes, been watching F1 since the late 80s. I wanted to be a race engineer, but life and family got in the way.
2. No, I already watched everything F1 so DTS couldn’t possibly increase my viewing.
3. You mean the unintentionally funny and intentionally unfunny leader of Team Mercedes?
I like to try and watch Formula 1. I am often not successful in my attempts, too many irons in the fire to be able to sit down and watch a race. Only time I can reliably watch a whole race is when I go to one.
Yet to watch Drive to Survive, unfortunately. Please see above for my scheduling issues.
Yes, I know who Toto is.
1. Not really anymore (I don’t have cable)
2. Less since it came out (I don’t have cable)
3. The head of Mercedes F1
I’ve lost the desire to spend a whole (or part of) day watching sports of any kind. But if I did, it would be racing. Just too much in life to do (aka I’m married and my honey-do list is wicked long).
No, no, and no.
Sad to see the Fiesta get the axe, but honestly not too surprised given that it seems like European consumers are starting to more widely adopt crossovers. Audi teaming up with Sauber definitely has the potential to be a top level team, Sauber was very competitive during the late 2000’s when they were owned by BMW, until BMW pulled out after 2009 due to the recession, and have had varying success since then depending on drivers and budget. I’ve been watching F1 since the 2016 season and watch every race, although I do prefer to watch Indycar for more competitive racing. Drive to Survive didn’t do much for me, the first two seasons were pretty solid overall, but it has became more like a reality show since then with misplaced radio messages and trying to create nonexistent storylines, but considering that it has bought so many new fans in it’s alright with me. Some articles on the less successful teams and drivers throughout F1’s history would fit right in with the other content here IMHO.
I do watch Formula 1.
I dropped cable years ago, but have a basic tier F1TV account and I watch the replay of the race on Wednesday. I work Sundays, so this is fine for me.
I don’t think I watch F1 more after Drive to Survive, but I work with a guy who loves Drive to Survive and has no interest in the racing season while it happens. I like the show because it spends time with drivers and teams further down the grid that don’t always get screen time during the races.
I do know who Toto Wolff is. He’s the one not married to a Spice Girl.
Yes, no, no.
I’ve owned a 78, 79, and 1980 Fiesta in the U.S. The 1980 I bought new, and drove 100K miles in three years replacing only the water pump and the brake pads. The ’80 car had no options. Zero. There was no radio, a non-dimmable rear view mirror, and no glove box door. These cars only had about 12 moving parts, so there was nothing to break. They were noisy, crude, and uncomfortable, with sheet metal as thick as a can of beer and tires that belonged on a cheap Harbor Freight trailer. On the plus side, they were dead reliable, offered 30+ mpg overall, were terrific in snow, and just plain fun to drive. I miss them dearly and would love to find another from that era.
I miss my Dad’s. We even did a somewhat uncomfortable road trip in it. There’s a couple of non-runners on Craigslist around here for $500 and I hear the mk3 engine is an easy swap.
Sorry to see the fiesta go. I liked Fords when they were, you know, cars, but have absolutely zero need for a “crossover” or SUV. So, no Fords. Yes, the company probably wasn’t making a ton of profit on them — or Foci or Tauruses or Fusions — but they were what I wanted, especially in ST (or SVT) form. Hope this move to make us all drive all-wheel-drive bloatmobiles bites all the manufacturers in the posterior.
I WAS an F-1 fan. Went to the U.S. GP in 1960, and all of the F-1 races when held at Long Beach. Lost interest when they started in with all the zoomy video-game features (e.g. push-to-pass) and the fiddly rules. Still can’t quite suss out what a “virtual safety car” is and why it’s better than an actual safety car. I like primitive racing, and would again be a fan if somehow it was possible (which it isn’t) to get back to the days of cars not kitted out with excess electronics and “management” devices. In spite of all that, I know who Toto Wulff is, and watch “Drive to Survive” just as often as I watch the NASCAR equivalent. Which is never.