2009 Ford Fiesta: First Spy Shots!

These are the first photos of the 2009 Ford Fiesta, photographed while taking a break from testing on North American soil. No longer just for fuel-conscious Europeans, this next-generation Fiesta will be sold in theU.S., as confirmed by Ford officials at the recent Geneva Motor Show.

The Fiesta's design follows Ford of Europe's kinetic design language, and this look is expected to be sold virtually unchanged on each side of the Atlantic. 

 

The next-generation Fiesta will be based on the Mazda2, and the silhouette of this three-door Fiesta prototype looks remarkably similar to the five-door Mazda2. But the styling similarities end there. The Fiesta's styling is more conventionally European, with prominent wheel arches at each corner. The C-pillar kicks ups assertively, adding a little strength to the familiar hatchback shape. The current Fiesta's Focus-inspired pillar-mounted taillamps will be replaced with rear lights that run along the car's beltline.

 

Ford CEO Alan Mulally has been eager to leverage the Blue Oval's global resources, and the Fiesta's planned entry into the U.S. market is a bold move in that direction. The appearance of a Fiesta prototype on the U.S. testing scene confirms that the globalization plan is more than talk, and is actually coming to fruition. 

 

A 1.6-liter gasoline engine is the only engine likely to be offered on the U.S. version, but Europe will certainly have diesel options, which could conceivably come our way if the U.S. market becomes more diesel-friendly. 

 

Ford's ability to turn a profit on a sub-Focus model in the U.S. is still in question, so we would expect the Fiesta to be manufactured in Mexico, or possibly Brazil, and arrive some time in the 2008 calendar year as an '09 model.

 

Related Articles

 

Ford Fiesta Headed to U.S. by Richard Yarrow (3/6/2007)
Mazda2 underpinnings will go global.

 

Ford’s Wixom Plant is History by Marty Padgett (5/31/2007)
Factory closes after 50 years of Lincolns and more.

 

BMW-Volvo? Not So Fast, Pundits by Jim Burt (5/29/2007)
The blogosphere lights up with rumors, but is Ford really dumping Volvo?

 

More spy shots from TheCarConnection