It’s pouring rain and you’re running late for a meeting. Caught in the deluge, you use one hand to frantically root through your bag and pockets for your key, taking care not to spill the scalding hot coffee you’re holding with the other. Within seconds, you’re drenched. As you scramble to unlock the door before collapsing inside in a dripping mess, you think to yourself: It’s 2013. There must be a better way.

The simple key has been a remarkably durable invention. While your daily life may be filled with technologies that would have been the stuff of science fiction just 50 years ago, your car key likely remains a recognizable descendant of the carved wooden stick used to open doors in Egypt 4,000 years ago. And there it sits in your pocket or handbag, scratching the screen of a handheld supercomputer that’s wirelessly connected to a mind-bogglingly complex global network (which you mainly use for watching cat videos).

Four thousand years is a good run, but with the all-new Fiesta, Ford is betting that consumers are ready to leave the Bronze Age behind. With a keyless entry and ignition system among its many smart technologies, the all-new Fiesta is a proud product of the 21st century.

The system is designed with simplicity in mind. There is no need to manually unlock the car or put a key into the ignition. Just walk up to your Fiesta with a special transponder key in your pocket or bag, and the car will unlock its doors for you. Sit in the driver’s seat and press the Ford Power Start button, and the engine will come to life at your touch.

A 21st-century consumer will find the concept comfortingly familiar.Think of it as the automotive equivalent of an app or browser that remembers your passwords, letting you access your email or favorite websites immediately. Just walk up to your car, get in and go. As an emergency backup, the transponder fob contains a conventional key inside it, and there are keyholes in the driver’s door and steering wheel mount. When you arrive at your destination, you don’t have to worry about locking your keys inside by mistake. Smart sensors can tell that there’s still a key inside the car and will prevent the doors from locking.

“We’re seeing more and more applications in which keys are giving way to more advanced technologies, like key cards, passcodes and even biometric scanners,” says Prudz Castillo, AVP for Marketing – Cars.

 “A lot of these technologies are driven by a desire for improved security, but consumers have also been enthusiastically adopting them for the convenience they offer. We think the car is the next logical step,” Castillo added.

The advantages of keyless entry and ignition don’t end with added convenience. The all-new Fiesta won’t be locking itself to your DNA signature or fingerprints, but you may nevertheless find yourself developing a unique bond. After all, there’s a psychological difference between a locked vehicle that you have to struggle to gain access to, and one that quite literally opens itself up to you.The connection is even stronger with the use of Ford’s MyKey technology, which allows owners to program a separate key to restrict the vehicle’s top speed and lock in other safety settings for younger drivers. A different driver, a different key, a different car.

“A lot of consumers aren’t just buying a vehicle as a tool for transportation,” says Castillo. “For many people, it’s important to feel a personal connection, a real sense of ownership.

All this may sound like a lot to ask from a key, but in reality it’s no more than consumers reasonably expect from any of the places or devices they interact with on a daily basis. Your home, your office, your phone and your computer are living in the modern world. Why not your car, and why not your keys?

The new Fiesta in the Philippines

The new Fiesta took center stage on Press Day of the Manila International Auto Show in April, featuring a redesigned exterior boasting a sporty new grille and all-new smart features technologies, including Ford SYNC.

Ford began its product-led transformation in the Philippines with the launch of the Ford Fiesta subcompact in 2010, which has been one of the key drivers of the company’s continued success.

Thanks to its sporty design, class-leading fuel efficiency, excellent safety, and smart technologies, the Fiesta continues to be one of Ford’s best-selling nameplates and the best-selling five-door hatchback in its class for a second consecutive year.

The new Fiesta will be launched later this year in the Philippines.