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SAN FRANCISCO – For the B-car segment to grow, reeling in American consumers is a must, and the ’11 Ford Fiesta is the perfect bait.
Ford says it expects the small-car segment, in which the Fiesta resides, to account for 36% of the U.S. market by 2013, up from just 21% in 2003. As such, the tiny Ford has the potential to be a big fish in an expanding pond.
The Fiesta is attractive, well-appointed and fun to drive – a prime example of what a B-car can and should be.
The car does away with the “econobox” moniker given to less-than-stellar B-cars of the past, including Ford’s previous U.S-spec Fiesta, which was sold from 1978 to 1981 before being yanked in favor of the Ford Escort.
The Fiesta’s sheetmetal is both curvaceous and angular, taking Ford’s global kinetic design language, meant to convey motion even while standing still, to a whole new level.
The rakish profile culminates in an aggressive rear end belying the car’s diminutive stature.
The Fiesta comes in two body styles: a 4-door sedan and 5-door hatch. The hatch is more sporty-looking, but Ford expects the bulk of buyers to pick the sedan.
The new B-car offers more colors than a rainbow trout. Nine vivid hues are available with equally colorful monikers, such as “Lime Squeeze” and “Blue Flame.”
The shades might be a bit much for traditional buyers, but they’re likely to net the Fiesta’s target audience of “twenty-somethings” looking to express themselves.
