Fiesta news for Canadian Fiesta Fans

[FiestaFan]

Because it's more consistent. Ford wants the Fiesta to at least look somewhat like the other cars in its lineup, even if the resemblance is minor. There's something to be said about a strong family look uniting the brand. And yes the Fiesta is a bit different to what Ford has done before (if you choose to forget the Focus) but they're going to a very strong family look and that includes the Fiesta.

[mrbirdman330]

The Fiesta nor the Focus are part of the US Family. They never have and never were, they're the cousins from Europe. If a smart-ass wanted to get technical the MK I Focus is an actual import.

[golf strom]

Originally Posted by mrbirdman330

the MK I Focus is an actual import.

This is correct mrbirdman.

I have never considered the Focus a US product.....because..it isn't. The design and engineering was primarily done in Koln and with minor items done in other places in Europe...UK, and Belgium I think.

[FiestaFan]

Again most buyers won't know it's not a "real" US car because it's a Ford, and Ford generally equals American.

And if I wanted to be an even bigger smartass I'd opine that the Mk1 Focus and Fiesta ARE members of the US Ford family, adopted ones but members nonetheless.

Ford is a company, Ford wants to have a coherent range and so that means giving the Fiesta a different grille. Very few companies would want products that are all over the place and don't form a coherent whole as a brand because, long term, it confuses customers.

If anything you touch on an interesting point; One Ford means the Focus, Fiesta, Mondeo/Fusion etc. will be designed in Europe AND America and elsewhere to ensure a product that is optimal for all markets. The Fiesta was designed to be optimal for Europe more than anything else and as a result some changes need to be made for it to make a better business case in America.

[GhiaFan]

Originally Posted by FiestaFan

. IN FORD'S OPINION it is better for the brand to phase out the old look gradually in favor of the Kinetic theme, it keeps the brand more coherent instead of making them look scatterbrained and inconsistent.

In the Focus case, I am curious how the American public will view such a drastic change from what is currently known as the Focus and what wil be the Focus. You Focus fans in North America should be alot more concerned that there will not be any gradual phase out of this funny looking Focus you have to the global Focus.

At least with the Fiesta, North Americans do not have a previous Fiesta to compare the new design to.

On the Canadian Fiesta site it is interesting that Ford Canada has already listed under Fiesta facts that the North American version will be offered with power start button plus Power Shift tranny!

[mrbirdman330]

Thats the beauty of it Ghia, since Ford has this thing where we keep the same body design for a decade here in North America most Americans know its time for a new body to come out, there won't be any shock to the public. Only issue is if Mulally has steered Ford Clear then we'll be recieving all new Foci Models from now on.

[FiestaFan]

I think that's the case. Now that design programs are unified we'll be getting new Fiestas, Foci and Mondeos (as Fusions) at the same time as the rest of the world.

IIRC Ford said they're going to operate on 6 year model cycles from now on, with significant facelifts the 3rd or 4th year. IMO this could work well, since I imagine the tiny unnoticeable facelifts Toyota and Honda give their cars don't really do much.

[azulejost]

Originally Posted by mrbirdman330

Thats the beauty of it Ghia, since Ford has this thing where we keep the same body design for a decade here in North America most Americans know its time for a new body to come out, there won't be any shock to the public. Only issue is if Mulally has steered Ford Clear then we'll be recieving all new Foci Models from now on.

Could you please stop with the absurdly inaccurate allegation that models live on for 10 years? The core between the wheels of the Focus has been mostly unchanged (roofline and windows) but the lines and shapes of the door have been altered toward the "comet" effect seen in the Fiesta as well. Don't try saying that makes it similar enough to justify your opinion unless you are willing accept the US Fiesta sharing the same segment of identical design with the EU Fiesta therefore makes it the same.

The Fusion had a facelift in its fourth model year, the Taurus/500 has seen too many changes before finally getting it mostly right (albeit too heavy) in the 2010 form, and the Mustang has been redesigned in its fifth year. Point made? Thanks.

[mrbirdman330]

No the Focus and the 500 have had Facelifts and the 500 was renamed but it's the exact same car, the Focus has had 2 facelifts like a Celebrity first one was good second one well way too much to the point it got fuglified. We have not gotten a new model of Focus because you can if you desperately wanted to do some serious back dating to the current Focus Model it isn't that hard. Europe has gotten a new model and an extensive face lift to the point it is a new model. Big difference.

[FiestaFan]

The '08 Focus essentially was a complete redesign as little to no sheetmetal was carried over. It's similar to what Toyota and Honda have done in the past with the Corolla and Civic; same chassis, new sheetmetal. The fact that it came 7 years after the Mk1 and that it wasn't the Euro model were the problems (and it was ugly).

The Fusion has been kept fresh with the successful recent facelift, so even though the basic '06 design will be on the market for 6-7 years total it won't feel any older than a 5-year-old Camry design at the end of its run.

The only real rotting on the vine deal Ford has done recently was with the 96-07 (!) run of the Taurus. They should have kept the 96 design on the market one or two more years and given it a total clean-sheet redo for 2001 or 2002, but I think by that point they'd pretty much given up on the car. It won't happen again.