Ford Adds Hatchback Fiesta to U.S. Launch

Today, Ford announced it will build the upcoming Ford Fiesta at its Mexican assembly plant. The bigger news is that along with a small sedan, Ford will also build a two-door hatchback version of the Fiesta for North America in 2010. When the Fiesta launches, buyers will be able to choose between the hatch or the sedan.

What’s being phased out of the assembly plant to make room for the new Fiesta? The F-Series pickup. The F-Series will still be produced at a number of U.S. plants, but this is an illustration of how the company is shifting production to match new demand for small, fuel-efficient cars versus trucks and SUVs. But will 2010 be too late for another small Ford car to hit the market?

Check out our previous coverage of the Fiesta for more photos and information.

Another New Ford Fiesta Look

We’ve been following the progress of the new Ford Fiesta for months as it has been transformed from the Verve concept cars to the Fiesta production versions. We saw two-door and four-door hatchbacks in Geneva earlier this year and this week in China, Ford unveiled a more angular looking four-door hatchback which is scheduled to go on sale in Asia.

The U.S. is still expected to get a sedan version of the Fiesta to go on sale in 2010, with a design aimed at U.S. audiences. The very slight variation between the European and Asian design makes us hopeful that the U.S. version will be as aggressively styled as its overseas counterparts. Take a look at the new Fiesta below as well as the European four-door hatchback and let us know which one you like better.

More Fiesta News

Ford Fiesta Coming Back to U.S. in 2010

The Ford Fiesta has a long — if not exactly storied — history in the U.S. Its small, boxy shape was a hallmark of disastrous 1970’s-era car design, and its long-standing execution problems mean it’s not a car many consumers feel nostalgic about. In a century of car manufacturing, it wasn’t one of Ford’s high points.

That hasn’t stopped the company from busting out the old Fiesta name and slapping it on its Verve concept, which debuted at the Frankfurt auto show last fall. The Fiesta is officially Ford’s long-rumored small car, set to hit U.S. shores in 2010. We were amped about the Verve — so much so that we called its looks “stunning” — and we still are, but we can’t help but think it’s a mistake for Ford to brand the production model “Fiesta.” Without context, Verve is just a better name for a car. With context, Fiesta reminds us of the clunky ‘70s go-carts, a piece of Ford’s long history the company might do well to ignore.

U.S. will get little Ford Fiesta in 2010 (Detroit News)

2008 Geneva Motor Show: New Ford Fiesta Heading to America

• Competes with: Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent
• Looks like: A futuristic minicar
• Drivetrain: 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine (1.4- and 1.6-liter turbo-diesel engines for world markets) with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: 2008 for Europe, 2010 for North America

If you think the all-new Ford Fiesta looks like the Verve concepts we’ve been seeing over the past year at various auto shows, you’re right. This production car takes those concept car cues and turns them into reality. Don’t take our word for it, just check out the interior, which closely resembles the concept car.

Ford says this is the first car that will truly be a global performer, going on sale in Europe, Asia and North America. Yes, Ford will start producing the Fiesta — it will not be called Verve anywhere it’s sold — in North America for sale in the U.S. in 2010. Ford officials confirmed that with Cars.com today.

Engine choices in Europe will include two small, efficient diesel power plants and two gasoline engines. We expect the largest of the two gasoline engines to make it to the U.S. — a 1.6-liter four-cylinder producing roughly 115 hp.

The Fiesta’s crazy center console has an auxiliary jack, USB port and a 12-volt outlet. Bluetooth will also be available. Since the new Sync system isn’t offered in Europe, it’s not included in this release. Again, though, we’d expect it to be an available upgrade in a U.S. Fiesta.

Other features include a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, ambient lighting and Ford’s new capless fuel intake. Ford hasn’t released full specs — like official dimensions — but says it retains the same footprint as the current Fiesta. We could also see a sedan version in the future. Our only complaint is that we have to wait two more years for it. More photos below.

2008 Detroit Auto Show: Ford Verve Concept

• Looks like: Ford is thinking ahead for its next small car
• Defining characteristics: Bass-mouth lower grille and sharp headlights
• Ridiculous features: Shower nozzle influenced controls
• Chance of being mass-produced: Ford says its new small car is coming for 2010 and we’re betting it’ll look a lot like this

Ford is in need of a small car. Sales trends show that the rise in popularity of small cars and the influx of millennial drivers (today’s teens and twenties) will come to a peak around 2012. Hopefully, Ford can deliver a real-life version of this concept by its own 2010 date.

The Verve is going to be a global car and this concept is similar to ones shown in Asian and Europe. By selling variations of the same car globally, Ford can afford to offer a high quality — think Mini Cooper quality, not Toyota — small car here in the U.S., where vehicles in the class have been hard to make money on.

There aren’t a lot of ridiculous concept car oddities stuffed into the Verve. Instead, we get to ogle the racy lines and radical headlights. The dimensions are quite interesting, though. The Verve concept is roughly two feet shorter in length than a four-door Toyota Yaris, but offers similar front leg and headroom. Ford hopes to throw a fuel-efficient four-cylinder under the hood to get the thing moving, but isn’t saying if it will be a new powerplant of something borrowed from the past. For now, check out the photos below.