Small car lovers of the world, rejoice! Small car lovers of America, break out the freaking Dom. Pictures released yesterday (sorry, I was out trying to get a "real" job) indicate that FoMoCo's gone from zero to hero with their next gen Fiesta. Although Ford's European offerings (and the Focus in America when it was first released) were among the best steers in their respective classes, they were about as visually appealing as fish sticks. The new production pics indicate something more along the lines of pan-seared Chilean sea bass. Unlike the Chevy Volt, the new Ford Fiesta has a high probability of hitting the North America market in 2010. Chances are we'll see an hecho en Mexico sedan. And in a rare break with tradition, the production Fiesta will maintain the "alien's face" style dash from the Verve concept. Although the Fiesta faces formidable competition– Fit, Yaris, Versa, Accent, Aveo and Spectra– the sooner Ford's gets into the game, the sooner they can claw back some cred in the vital value arena.
[View a Pixamo slide show of the new Fiesta here.]
cool lookin little car.
However, I want Fiat to figure out how to get the new Abarth 500 here. I think that little screamer would look just fine in the current Ferrari/Alfa dealers window. THATS the little car I want!
So…
is it a Mazda 2?
Nice. I’ll bet ya 20 bucks Ford screws it up somehow for the US market.
JJ:
Same platform, but lots of differences that you can check out here: http://www.mazda.co.uk/Showroom/New-Mazda2/
Justin Berkowitz: Although Ford’s European offerings (and the Focus in America when it was first released) were among the best steers in their respective classes, they were about as visually appealing as fish sticks.
They were as attractive as anything else on the European market at the time, and the American Focus was better than the domestic competition (Cavalier, Sunfire, Ion and Neon) and equal to most of the major Japanese makes.
Three little letters can make it even more appealing.
SVT
There are also four more letters that could make it more appealing.
TDCi
I’ve got a 2003 Focus SVT and while it is a blast to drive the gas milage is dreadful for a four cylinder car of its size.
How about SVT TDCi?
@Phil Roast Beef:
The Fiesta will be built with at least one TDCi engine, perhaps more. Whether those are coming to the U.S., I don’t know. I’d guess not.
Diesel engines will add a price premium in the U.S. I think you’ll see oil burners in larger, more expensive cars first (i.e. VW Passat, BMW 3 and 5 series).
so make it a SVT-TDCi, haul it over to the US for a decent price (well under $20k) and I’d sign up for one…only problem is having to wait until 2010 to see the little bugger over here. Could this be the next wave of getting interesting, visually appealing (and fun) small cars back on the roads here in the US?
Sharp looking car! Please – don’t let the beancounters “Focus-ize” the interior!
I still long for a Mark I Fiesta, oddly enough…especially once I saw some loon drop a V8 in the rear of one.
Throw another bulbous clone on the pile. Why does every hatch have to look exactly the same?
a sedan for NA? ick… Ford, please bring a 4-dr hatch to Canada, otherwise you still have nothing to compete with the Fit/Yaris/Versa/SX4… good luck…
That side view gave me a fright, as it reminded me of the much maligned Mercedes C230 “sport coupe” (sic). (Note that that particuarly MB was neither sporty nor was it a coupe.)
Why is it we all beg for Ford and GM’s foreign products and when they actually deliver them we suddenly don’t like them?
When this car gets here it will be picked over to death by sites like this and may not fare well in sales despite being a good car.
Pretty much every time a Ford or GM Euro-car gets here it fails. The Saturn Astra (as great a car as it is) looks like it will repeat history.
Why would this be any different?
Can someone in the back seat see anything out the side window other than sky?
Justin Berkowitz: Although the Fiesta faces formidable competition– Fit, Yaris, Versa, Accent, Aveo and Spectra– the sooner Ford’s gets into the game, the sooner they can claw back some cred in the vital value arena.
Unless Ford screws it up, the competition isn’t all that formidable. Of the cars mentioned, only the Fit (and possibly the Versa) provide strong competition. But yes, it is a much-needed and much-welcome addition to Ford’s lineup.
Why is it we all beg for Ford and GM’s foreign products and when they actually deliver them we suddenly don’t like them?
It’s not that enthusiasts didn’t like those Euro offerings. It’s just that the average person saw them as expensive.