Click above for more high-res spy shots of the Ford Fiesta five-door hatch
We can't wait to see the production three-door Ford Fiesta in person tomorrow at the Geneva Motor Show, though there are plenty of other model variants planned for this Mazda2-based B-segment car, including this five-door hatchback caught testing near the slopes of Sweden. As the photographers noted to us, adding an extra pair of doors does dampen the sleekness of the three-door model, but with the same front and rear end, as well as identical surfacing on the sides, even the five-door model impresses us with its outward attractiveness. While there are plans to sell the new Fiesta in the U.S., don't expect either hatchback to be offered. Ford hinted at what model would be sold in the States when it showed off a new version of the Verve four-door sedan concept in January at the Detroit Auto Show. Thus, we Yanks should expect a saloon version of the Fiesta and that's it, but we can always hope.
[Photos: KGP Photography]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mark @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:06PM
As long as they only offer the sedan, they'll be certain I won't be buying one. After having the utility of a hatch, I'm never going back to a trunk.
Besides, in this size category the sedans just come off looking cheap and much less exciting.
psarhjinian @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:32PM
Your point about sedans in this class is a good one. I know that there's an opinion out there that sedans look classy and hatches look cheap, but you can't tell me that the:
Chevy Aveo
Toyota Echo
Hyundai Accent
Kia Rio
...look better in sedan form then hatch. The hatches look sporty; the sedans look like clown-car versions of their larger brethren.
Anyone who thinks the Echo sedan looked "classier" then the first-gen Yaris hatchback needs their head examined.
geo.stewart @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:34PM
usually because the trunk looks like a bolt-on kit, all aft of the rear axle.
hard to make it attractive and functional. kind of like a lot fo 4-seat convertibles (Sebring, EOS,...), they just look too stretched behind the door.
rwcmick @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:44PM
I wouldn't worry. All the information that I've seen points to the three door Fiesta making it's way to the USA
lx703 @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:48PM
"Your point about sedans in this class is a good one. I know that there's an opinion out there that sedans look classy and hatches look cheap, but you can't tell me that [these] look better in sedan form then hatch. The hatches look sporty; the sedans look like clown-car versions of their larger brethren."
Positively agreed sir.
ryan @ Mar 3rd 2008 8:37PM
Now if only we could get the euro focus...
Azrael4h @ Mar 3rd 2008 8:48PM
Tell me about it. This car would be a contender when I get back on the market.
I'm worn out on having a trunk in my daily. My car is a nightmare when going to Costco.
Xcountryflyer @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:20PM
I really hope they don't just bring over the sharp 3DR hatchback and a frumpy 4DR sedan like Toyota did with the Yaris. There is a snazzy 5DR hatchback Yaris the rest of the world gets. Ford needs to send all three body styles.
Andrew Beck @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:56PM
That's why I didn't even look at a Yaris when buying a new car. I wanted a small car with 4 doors and the utility of a hatchback. If the Yaris had 4 doors, I would have considered it.
EXP Jawa @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:20PM
Wasn't there an article posted recently that said Ford had been convinced to bring the 3-door here? Or am I remembering it wrong?
Gregg @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:24PM
You remember right. Ford is going to sell the hatchback version here as well.
Jawa @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:27PM
I hope so. I'll be in the market for a small hatch by then, and I don't want a Yaris and I'm not crazy about the Fit...
Torrent @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:27PM
Maybe it won't actually look like this- have you seen Ford's design scheme latley? 3 bar grille and weird headlights are ford's new thing. I don't see it on this Fiesta, so I won't be surprised if the design changes to typical ol' Ford.
ChrisL @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:28PM
I'm with Mark on this one. In a smaller car every bit of flexible utility counts, and having a trunk just doesn't cut it. Five door hatch is my choice when I'm replacing my car this fall...but it's looking like a new Honda Fit or Yaris Hatch unless I have other options... Ford, are you listening?
psarhjinian @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:29PM
If you can only do one, bring the five-door. No one likes climbing into the back of a two- or three-door car; certainly not anyone buying an economy car and definitely no one with a family. I skipped the Mercedes C230K and VW GTI (got a Saab 9-3 instead) and Civic hatchbacks (got a Mazda Protege5, replaced with a Fit) for precisely this reason.
Two doors are ok in a sportscar or luxury coupe where the rear seats are token and no one actually sits back there. Wrestle a child (especially one in a child seat) and you'll understand really quickly why they're a dumb idea in an economy car.
Jeff @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:31PM
ummmm
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/23/fords-jim-farley-wants-the-fiesta-hatchback-in-the-us/
?? John had you missed this article? Or are we still not likely to see a hatch in the NA market?
Daniel @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:32PM
Here's the final car:
http://www.cwwcardesign.com/cars/ford_fiesta.html
DesiAuto @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:24PM
Can't be.
It looks way too cool for Ford.
First they will uglify and than it will be a final version.
John P. @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:35PM
Send the Freakin 3dr Hatch over Ford! I want one, and it'll be the best looking version of the car for enthusiasts to play with.
noreasony @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:00PM
i will be utterly pissed off if i dont see some sort of hatch sitting at the ford dealers in a year or so....Keep telling your self that hatches dont sell here ford...all i ever see on the road are versa/fit/yaris HATCHES....and the ford version here is worlds nicer inside and out!