ford hatchback -fiesta ???

Was driving home from Viejas Casino and I caught up to this red ford. It had Mexican plates and was called a fiesta. It was a hatchback. I was wondering it was just the mexican version of the focus hatchback? It looked smaller though, but it coulda been.

The Fiesta isn´t a version of the Focus, the Fiesta is much older than the Focus and mainly sold in Europe.

IIRC in Europe (and Mexico? no idea) the Fiesta hung on much longer than US distribution (1978-81?). A cute little car sized about halfway -- at the time -- between the Honda Civic and the VW Rabbit. A couple of guys in our club bought them for SCCA Showroom Stock racing, then unloaded them when a bunch of Fiestas had the steel (required in class) wheels start breaking off under hard cornering. Other than that I heard little about them that was negative. I don't recall being able to get a 5-speed in one, however.

If it looked like a smaller Focus then it must have been the latest one


http://www.whatcar.com/car/Ford/NewFiesta/FordNewFiesta11158200111414.jpg


am I right?

Go to Ford Mexico's website and you will see that Ford sells a lot of European-type Fords down there. Cars like the Mondeo, Ka, and Fiesta are not exclusive to the European and Australian markets, but available in North America too.

Those Ford cars are mostly base and mid models with decent options and motors, no crazy high-performance European trims, though.

Fiestas have been built the whole time here in Europe, but they haven't been imported to the US.

Go to Google and enter the words "FORD FIESTA" and click on "images", and you'll see a lot of Fiestas from throughout the years...

http://www.autonews.com/images/random/2002parisshow/fiesta3door350.jpg

http://www.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2001/frankfurt/highlights/images/ford-fiesta034s.jpg

http://www.outrefranc.com/pleinsphares/ford/fiesta/fiesta3.jpg

http://www.outrefranc.com/pleinsphares/ford/fiesta/fiesta2.jpg

HERE'S THE OLD MODEL...
http://www.technospeed.com/immaginiauto/ford.jpg

http://www.bezobmana.kz/images/news/fordfiestanew.jpg

I think US Ford should bring the Fiesta over here to compete with the so-to-be new Chevy Aveo. Maybe Ford didn't need a car smaller than the Escort or the Focus a few years ago, but I think they do now. The Aveo wouldn't stand a chance against the Fiesta. :biggrin: :bigthumb:

http://auto.consumerguide.com/images/auto/editorial/gallery/aveo_ext1_lrg.jpghttp://auto.consumerguide.com/images/auto/editorial/gallery/aveo_int1_lrg.jpg

:spit: :cwm27: :lol:


:bigthumb: for Fiesta's interior:

http://www.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2001/frankfurt/features/ford-fiesta/images/ford-fiestaint8.jpg

As has been stated very well here, the Fiesta was introduced in Europe in 1976. It came to the US briefly from 1977 (mid year) through 1980, when it and the Pinto were replaced by the Escort.

The current Fiesta is the third generation (not counting facelifts and the like). The Fiesta wouldn't compete well with the Aveo because of the labor rates in Korea versus those in Europe. Which is why the last car smaller than the Escort sold in the US (the Ford Festiva/Aspire) was sourced from Kia in South Korea instead of importing the European Fiesta.