New Ford Fiesta To Conquer World

New Ford Fiesta To Conquer World
by Anthony Fontanelle
Ford Motor Co. has christened its new subcompact the Fiesta, inspired by one of its famous models. The car will be unleashed with one end in mind and that is to conquer the world. The new Fiesta will be displayed on the fourth of March at the Geneva Motor Show.
Ford Fiesta will hit dealerships in Europe this year. Next year, it will be offered in China and Asia-Pacific. The Fiesta will arrive in North America and the rest of Ford markets around the globe by 2010.
"If we weren't doing this as a global car, we couldn't afford to bring it into North America," said Joe Bakaj, vice-president for product development with Ford of Europe.
The new Fiesta is a test case for the Dearborn-based automaker product development drive spearheaded by CEO Alan Mulally. In Frankfurt, Guangzhou and Detroit, the automaker has showcases the Verve, its pre-production 'concept'.
Martin Smith, executive director of Design for Ford of Europe summarized the offers of the new subcompact: "All the vital elements of 'kinetic design' have been translated into the new Fiesta to create a dynamic spirit of fun and energy. New Fiesta evokes an instant emotional response that says 'I want one' which extends the traditionally practical values of the Fiesta to appeal to a new, style-conscious generation of small car buyers."
Ford will build the new subcompact at its Cologne plant from August and in Valencia from 2009. The maker of iconic cars such as Ford Taurus, Mustang, F-Series, will be modify the Fiesta varied regional markets.
The original Fiesta, which the automaker produced during the first oil crisis, has sold over 12 million units since 1976. Eventually, Ford stopped selling the Fiesta in America in 1980. This is why the automaker disparaged in the past for missing great opportunities.
In Europe, the automaker sells over 400,000 units of the current-generation Fiesta annually. The segment where the car is in is also gaining traction in the United States where escalating gasoline prices and declining economy push shoppers to shift to small fuel-efficient cars.
The chief executive of the automaker is now pushing the company to leverage its global resources more effectively. Ford is in the midst of a restructuring effort aimed at returning its core North American operations to profitability by next year.
Earlier this month, the automaker said that its Turkish-made Transit Connect light van would be sold in North America from the middle of 2009.
Ford's next global car is expected to be a successor to the present generation Focus, its best-selling model worldwide.