Nice article on Martin Smith and the Fiesta:
A four door Fiesta sedan for the Chinese market will make its debut at the Beijing Show next month, previewing the car that will be in U.S. Ford showrooms next year. American Fiestas will differ slightly from the sedan shown in Beijing, however, featuring bigger 'federalized" bumpers, and a redesigned front fascia with a bigger grille above the bumper and smaller air intake below.
Basking in the warm glow of the enthusiastic reception the Fiesta received in Geneva, Smith was quick to point out the production versions differ minimally from the Verve concepts. Main difference: The roofline is about an inch taller. "We're giving the customer the idea they're buying a concept car," he says.
Smith said he wanted a car that would attract the sort of style-conscious buyers who wanted a Mini, but could only afford a Peugeot 206. He knew he wanted a strong wedge side graphic, a big grille, and powerful wheel arches. His design team came up with three proposals, ranging from mild to wild. The wildest version proved overwhelmingly popular in customer clinics -- Smith says in Milan, Italy, 80 percent of people surveyed said they would drive it home if they could. Bear in mind, we're talking about a Ford here...
Like Cadillac's CTS coupe, the new Fiesta is a car that would not have passed Ford's internal design standards a few years back. Smith admits there was a lot of internal debate over the steeply rising beltline that gives the Fiesta its aggressive stance: "People were worried that it was too high and compromised visibility."
I tried the back seat in a five door Fiesta hatchback, and despite the show car looks, there's a ton of room, even for my 6ft-plus frame and long legs (and yes the front seat was set all the way back). It's a terrific package. The front of the interior is impressive, too - the center console features a button pad clustered around a central control dial that's incredibly easy to use. "We got that idea from watching the target audience, who were always playing with their mobile phones," says Smith.
There's no question the new Fiesta is going to be a hit for Ford in Europe. But will it be a breakthrough car for the Blue Oval here in America? That depends on whether we're prepared to accept a small Ford as a legitimate Honda, Toyota or Nissan rival. It's got the style the Japanese just can't match, and it will have the handling edge, too (provided Dearborn's engineers don't dumb it down in a misguided attempt to appeal to American tastes). If the quality and price are right, there's no reason why it can't be.
More here:
http://blogs.motortrend.com/6233234/editorial/ford-fiesta-by-the-man-who-knows/index.html
