Just hours ago we brought you a speculative rendering of what the new Fiesta hatchback could look like and what do you know – Our good friends at WorldCarFans have spotted a test mule of the 2013 Fiesta hatchback. The marque that was born in 1976 is all set to enter the second phase of its 6th generation. The current Fiesta was launched in 2008 and flaunts the old design language based on the Verve concept.
The new Fiesta will don a design language influenced by the Fiesta ST Concept showcased last year’s Frankfurt Motorshow. The broad grill on the test mule, slimmer headlamps garnished with a string of LEDs are design cues lifted from the Fiesta ST Concept.
As we are near the Frankfurt Motor Show that will be held between September 15 to 25, more and more automakers are coming to the public domain to talk about their exhibits. Ford has let the cat out of the bag saying it’ll have no less than four models at its stall including one that hints at the future direction of its design department.
Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe -
We’re excited to be showing customers our best-ever vehicle line-up and a special glimpse of the future.
Ever since the announcement of the One Ford strategy, every reveal has some relevance to the Indian market. We’ve been toiling since the middle of 2011 with the Fiesta based SUV we call the 2012 EcoSport. There are good chances of a SUV concept shown at this year’s show that will form the thematic inspiration for this model.
Ford Fiesta rear tail lamp image clicked by IAB fan Akhil Gopal.
A representatives from Ford in America has confirmed the development of a 1.0-liter, 3cyl EcoBoost engine. Smallest in Ford’s portfolio, the direct-injected petrol engine will find its way under hoods of global Ford vehicles in the coming years.
Indian Autos Blog readers will not be surprised as we’ve already analyzed a 1-liter 3cyl “Fox” engine planned for the next generation KA hatchback. International blogs claim that the 1.0-liter engine could produce 120hp, equivalent to the 1.6-liter Duratec petrol engine, a bit of info we laid out in that Fox article.
The 3-pot motor will have split cooling which warms the cylinder block faster in cold weather improving fuel efficiency. The exhaust manifold and cylinder head are cast as a single piece lowering exhaust gas temperature thereby allowing the engine to run in a wider rpm band. The 3-cylinder engine features direct injection, variable valve timing, offset crankshaft and a turbocharger. Despite all the add-ons, the engine will be light and offers better efficiency, response and performance than a 1.6-liter Duratec engine, found under the hood of a Fiesta.
Riding on the wave of the Figo, it seems that the Chennai plant is becoming too small for Ford. Rumors are that the Big Oval is planning a second plant in Gujarat. Of course, we saw this one coming after all recently Ford announced that it will launch eight new models for India by 2015. They obviously need a place to make those 
Let’s also not forget Chinese car maker Changan’s interest of selling its portfolio of vehicles here in India using Ford’s assistance.
According to sources, representatives from financial organizations that represent Ford have visited senior Gujarat government officials and they were a suggested a site near Sanand, near the Tata Nano Factory. This is beneficial for Ford in multiple ways
1. Ford can now de-risk the business by decentralizing the production
2. They can cater to the northern and western markets much faster
3. The Vendors are already present in Sanand catering to Tata
4. This also protects them from any labor union crisis
5. Gujarat is the next auto hub after Chennai and Pune and major players like Tata and GM already present in the state
6. We heard of a massive port coming up in Simar which can take care of exporting models
It seems that Ford has indicated huge investment plans in the region and if everything goes well, the company is just two to three months away from finalizing things.
We have launched the Figo, we are working on a new car, and plan to have eight new products by mid decade. These will be global platforms, and will be smaller vehicles rather than larger vehicles.
Michael Boneham, Ford India’s president and managing director tells Sify about the company’s much talked about plans for this decade.
A few weeks ago, we reported that Changan’s interest in Indian commercial vehicle market and an article on Businessweek today has more to add.
Changan has approached Ford to sell its vehicles through the latter’s ballooning dealer network. Listen in to Chongqing Changan President Zhang Baolin’s comment -
We have discussed with Ford to use their network to expand overseas, but haven’t come to an agreement yet.
Mr Baolin withheld information of the models and instead replied all types of vehicles were being considered for the Indian market.
Changan’s commercial vehicles should be suitable for India as arch rival General Motors is taking the help of Chinese to introduce vans and mini trucks for India next year. Almost every car manufacturer in India is finding vast potential in the commercial vehicle and the rivalry there isn’t all that fierce.
At the moment, the cheapest and most usable platform for Ford India is the B-Platform which underpins the Figo and the Fiesta. The B-Platform only once saw the roll out of a commercial vehicle.
Pictured – Changan Jie Xun is merely for the sake of representation and has no relevance to the story or India yet.
Ford suddenly looks as if it realized the pulse of car buyers in India who prefer small cars. Cars that are smaller than the Ikon make up major chunks of sales, and Ford is planning big by bringing in the small.
Recently, reports in the media claim Ford is “looking at multiple platforms, including cars in the European line-up” for India. Ford is referring to hatchbacks that are popular among car buyers India.
Ford expresses its desire to compete with expert brands Tata, Maruti and Hyundai who sell the major volume in that segment that adds up to 85,000 units a month. Cars like the Fiesta and Ka could be in India by the middle of the next decade. Ford has not ruled out the introduction of the Mazda 2 either, a famous hatchback in Europe with all the ingredients for a perfect Indian small car recipe.
This is independent of the small car scheduled for a 2010 launch. It will export 10% of the cars manufactured to Europe, South Africa and Asia-Pacific regions.
Entry posted on February 13, 2009 by
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As a counter measure to tackle the threat posed by Fiat Linea and Honda City, Ford India has launched an upgraded Fiesta ZXi that comes with some new features at no additional cost.
