Ford will bring a five-door sedan version of the new Fiesta to India, by 2009-10
Ford has sold no less than 12 million Fiestas over the last 32 years, so yes, it’s an iconic car for Ford. And now, the company is ready with an all-new Fiesta that’s actually been designed and developed by the European arm of Ford's global product development team.
Between now and 2010, the new Ford Fiesta will go on sale in Europe, US, China, Australia, Africa and Asia (including India), but sales will start with the European market in October this year. The car certainly looks good – much more distinctive than the current Fiesta model sold in India – and will be offered with a range of fuel-efficient 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines.
Designed by Ford's Global Product Development System (GPDS), the new Fiesta is supposed to be the first car that embodies Ford’s ‘One Ford’ vision – a single, global company designing and building cars for a single, global customer base, not divided by regional or national borders.
As you’d expect, the new Fiesta will be safer than its immediate predecessor and will feature a host of safety equipment like ABS, ESP and multiple airbags. ‘The new Fiesta is a clear example that making a safe car doesn’t mean making a large car, or a heavy car. There is no need to compromise between safety and good design or driving character,’ says Bernd Liesenfelder, Body Engineering Manager for Ford Europe.
While three-door Fiesta hatchbacks will be offered in some markets, expect to see only the five-door Fiesta sedan in India when it comes to our shores by end-2009 or early-2010. This is one car with which we can’t see Ford going wrong…
