The Ford Fiesta Presented With A Red Dot Award

"The all-new Fiesta is one of the most stylish cars in the world." That is the verdict of 28 leading designers and design experts from 19 countries who have awarded the eye-catching Ford model a prestigious 'red dot' award for international product design.

The design professionals, who make up the award jury, said the Ford Fiesta's design was "innovative and dynamic".

The red dot design awards are presented annually by Germany's Essen-based Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, and it's one of the world's largest design recognition programmes.

The independent jury assesses each entry against a series of criteria which includes innovation, design, functionality and quality. For the 2009 award, 3,231 submissions were received from 49 countries. The Ford Fiesta was one of the products to be awarded a red dot for their outstanding design.

The awards, claimed by the organisers to be "an internationally recognised quality label for design excellence" are presented in three categories: product design, communication design and design concept. Within each category there are 17 product areas covering a broad diversity of goods, from sofas to caravans, watches to computers.

Previous automotive winners have included the Maserati Quattroporte, the Mercedes R Class and the Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster.

"We are delighted not only to receive this important award but also by the growing list of accolades given to the new Fiesta," said Martin Smith, Executive Design Director, Ford of Europe. "It is particularly encouraging to see that our new small car was singled out for its innovative, expressive design by some of the world's leading designers."

"Research shows that whether they are in Milan, Beijing or New York, customers put style at the top of their list. The new Ford Fiesta delivers that style, together with outstanding quality."

The red dot design award is the latest in a long line of accolades received by the new Ford Fiesta. Among recent awards, the model was named as Car of the Year 2009 by Britain's What Car Magazine, while in Germany, readers of Guter Rat and SUPERillu presented the new Ford Fiesta ECOnetic with the Auto der Vernunft 2009 trophy, for value for money, economy and sustainability. Earlier this month, the Ford Fiesta was named one of the three finalists in the 2009 World Car Awards - the winner will be announced in New York next month.

The Ford Fiesta has long been synonymous with outstanding design, quality and value. Today's Ford Fiesta takes the model's three-decade heritage to a new level with its eye-catching kinetic design and widely acclaimed driving dynamics.

"Kinetic design's new and successful form language defines the new Fiesta and brings it into the new Ford product family," explains Martin Smith. "It is a language that visualises the leading driving dynamics of Ford cars by delivering bold, confident and individual design."