Ford Vehicle

The Mazda 2 made a point of weight reduction’”220 pounds less than its larger predecessor. Ford claims a savings of only 88 pounds, but that’s because the previous Fiesta is more or less the same size. The essential elements are the same as with the Mazda: greater use of high-strength steel (55 percent of the shell, in five different grades) and fractional reductions in the size and weight of components.

At a claimed 2200 pounds, a Fiesta five-door is significantly lighter than any comparable car on the U.S. market.