Autoblog

Click above for gallery of high-res Ford Fiesta spy shots

The question of whether or not Ford will offer the upcoming Fiesta in the U.S. as a three- or five-door hatchback is still unanswered, but we do know that a four-door sedan version is on the way. And here it is, recently snapped by spy photographers in Dearborn, MI. Though this prototype is wearing heavy cladding, its clear that the design will stick closely to what was previewed with the Verve sedan concept. Also note the sharp forward rake of the beltline, which gives the car a very high rear trunk lid and might lead to a sense of claustrophobia for rear seat passengers who can barely see out. Nevertheless, we're ready for Ford to reenter the small car market with a bang when the production Fiesta sedan arrives sometime later next year.



[Source: KGP Photography]

Click above to view the Ford Fiesta S in hi-res

China will undoubtedly be an important market for the new Ford Fiesta. Originally unveiled in European spec at the Geneva Motor Show last month, the Chinese version has just made its debut this week at the Auto China show in Beijing. The Chinese Fiesta is scheduled begin production before the end of the year at Ford's $510 million Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA) plant in Nanjing, China.

Styling is by and large the same as its European counterpart, only the Beijing show car, displayed in S trim, features a sportier, more aggressive trim package that could preview what a future hot-hatch Fiesta ST or RS could look like. Did Ford hit the sweet spot in Geneva or in Beijing? Take a look at the Chinese and European versions in the galleries below and share your thoughts in the comments.

[Source: Ford]

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]

Towards the end of 2003, Ford unveiled the Freestar. It was a lousy minivan, and its name wasn't much better. From there the f-bombs started pouring in with the Freestyle, Five Hundred, and Fusion. Ford had a Shakespearean stranglehold on alliteration, but outside of the decent success of the Fusion, Ford's effed-up naming convention brought little name recognition to the Blue Oval's car lineup. When Allan Mulally came to town, he scrubbed the Freestyle and Five Hundred names for the much more recognizable and respected Taurus and Taurus X, but unfortunately the basic shape of the family haulers didn't change enough for customers to want them.

Detroit News Columnist Daniel Howes accurately points out that Ford is back to effing up the names of its vehicles. The Flex arrives this summer, and the Fiesta arrives in 2010. The News says Ford marketing head Jim Farley questioned why the Flex name would adorn Ford's full-size crossover, but even the ex-Toyota wunderkind is unable or unwilling to lose the F. We don't understand the fixation Ford has with the sixth letter of the alphabet. The Dearborn automaker's two most successful cars of the past 40 years are the Taurus and Mustang, both of which are decidedly sans F. As a matter of fact, the Camry, Civic, Accord, Impala, and Malibu are all alliteration-free. Sure, if the Flex and Fiesta are great products they'll sell no matter what they're called, but we'd like for Ford to give us an effing break.

[Source: Detroit News]

It seems like America is the only place where American cars aren't popular. Buick has huge numbers in China, and Ford's having a lot of success in Brazil. Sales of the Fusion sedan took off to the point that it now leads the midsize segment there. Riding high on the Fusion's success, Ford's sending the Edge below the equator. The Edge will join a lineup that includes the new Ka compact, the EcoSport small 'Ute, and the Fiesta.

Ford's also pumping $1 billion into it's Brazilian operations to keep the stampede going. Ford do Brasil has had 15 quarters of profit and earnings are up 72-percent over last year. The infusion of cash will go into Ford's local products, which will help the rest of their lineup come closer to the Edge's excellence.

Press release after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Ford's fully redesigned Fiesta won't be making its official unveiling until the Geneva Motor Show in March, but it's already working on the hotted-up ST variant and AutoExpress has some exclusive information and a rendering of Ford's performance-bred super-mini.

Aside from the highly-stylized exterior that will carry over from the production model, the ST will come equipped with a new front fascia sporting larger air intakes, a spoiler perched over the rear window and a set of upgraded wheels. Power is expected to come from one of the new range of turbocharged, direct-injected EcoBoost engines set to be revealed in Detroit, although the Fiesta ST will have to make do with a 1.6-liter four producing between 180 and 190 hp. A seven-second 0-60 time should square the ST up with it's competitors, the Corsa VXR and Abarth Grande Punto.

The chassis will be retrofitted to make things stick as well as the outgoing model and Ford plans to offer plenty of upgrades through its partnership with Mountune racing.

The new Fiesta will hit dealers abroad in the Fall, with the ST following sometime in 2009. Whether or not Ford will bring the ST to the States when the Fiesta makes the trek across the Atlantic remains to be seen.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Click the image above for a gallery of high-res pics of the Ford Fiesta Mountune.

While most enthusiasts look to the Focus RS as the definitive forbidden fruit from Ford, the Fiesta stands as another product in the compact arena that will do wonders for Ford in the U.S. when it arrives here, possibly as the Verve, in the near future. Ford is upping the ante abroad, however, with help from Roush, owners of the Mountune Racing brand over there, by offering staged performance packages for the Fiesta ST that boost output while carrying a warranty of up to three years or 36,000 miles.

The Stage 1 setup is comprised of a whole new breathing and expelling system that includes an air intake, tubular exhaust manifold, high-flow cat and cat-back exhaust, and retails for £1,435 (not including installation). All those mods bring output up to 165 PS (163 hp), but if you choose to go for the Stage 2 system, you'll get new camshafts, valve springs and over 180 hp, all for £1,838.

[Source: Ford]

While Ford keeps on cranking out newer, faster versions of the Mustang for American customers, Ford of Europe is preparing new packages for the Fiesta ST and Focus ST hot-hatches to do the same thing.

The £950 package for the diminutive Fiesta ST pushes power up to 185 hp from its 2-liter four, which is expected to come from upgraded engine management, cylinder heads, a new camshaft and exhaust. All that adds an extra 37 hp to the standard Fiesta ST's 148, dropping a sprint to 60 down half a second to eight flat.

Meanwhile, the larger, more powerful Focus ST gets treated to a similar upgrade, worth about £1,500. This package is tipped to include a new air filter, ECU and exhaust, amounting to a similar 38-horsepower increase in power for a total of 260 that drops the 0-60 blitz down to 5.5 seconds. Thank heavens Ford sells a version of the Focus here that's just as fast. Oh, wait...

Get this: current ST owners in Europe can also get this package retrofitted to currently-owned cars, along with a full-factory warranty on the parts. Europeans, then, will just have to make do with these hot hatch packages a while longer before the 300+ horsepower Focus RS arrives in 2009, at which point Blue Oval fanboys from the U.S. will invade your countries with the intent to drive.

[Source: Auto Express]

click above image for more spy shots

Brenda Priddy & Co. caught a Euro Fiesta mule filling up its gas tank in North Sweden, and the car can already be seen wearing a few cues inspired by the Verve Concept that debuted in Frankfurt. First and foremost is the large front grille that punctuates the cladding this mule is wearing. This car's beltline also sweeps up dramatically from front to back, and the rear taillights are mounted on the C/D-pillar just like the Verve's. Of course, we're interested in the European Fiesta because after it debuts over there next summer as a 2009 model, it will arrive in the U.S. virtually unchanged the following year as a 2010 model. Expect both three- and five-door hatchback models to be offered, which makes the loss of those model types in the larger Focus lineup a bit easier for us to swallow.

[Photos: Brenda Priddy & Co.]

Click image for photo gallery

Ford keeps throwing fiestas in honor of the Fiesta. It started back in March with the release of the yellow, checkered-flag-roofed Fiesta Zetec S Anniversary edition. That 400-car limited run apparently went over well, so Ford's doing it again with the Fiesta Zetec S Celebration edition. Again, it's limited to 400 cars, and yes, it receives the flag roof, leather seats, black mirrors and accents, sport appearance, 16" wheels, and 100 PS (98.6 HP) 1.6L four good for 43.5 mpg (Imperial) in the combined cycle (that's 36 mpg US, if you were wondering). The only difference this time around is that the new car's painted Celebration Green. Sorry, folks: as before, only UK customers get invited to the party. So, is it redundant to have a car called the Fiesta Celebration, or is it just us?

[Source: Ford]