Ford May Bring Fiesta Small Car From Mexico

[BMWDave]

Ford May Bring Fiesta Small Car From Mexico
Date Posted 08-10-2005

DEARBORN, Mich. ? Ford Motor Co. is considering a proposal to sell a Mexican-built small car in the U.S. in model year 2008.

The automaker's dealers are demanding a vehicle priced below the $14,000 Focus, according to Automotive News. Rival Chevrolet imports the Aveo subcompact from Korean affiliate Daewoo, with prices starting at around $10,000.

Ford currently builds a small four-door sedan based on the European Fiesta subcompact at its plant in Cuatitlan, but the vehicle is sold primarily in the Mexican market. It also builds the Fiesta hatchback and a Fiesta-based crossover, the Ecosport, in Camacari, Brazil, for the South American market.

The automaker may shift production of the next-generation Ecosport to Mexico in late 2007 or early 2008, sources tell Inside Line. But Ford has not decided which Fiesta derivative ? sedan, hatchback or crossover ? would be most appropriate for the United States. Nor has the company finalized pricing strategies.

What this means to you: Yet another Mexican-built vehicle could soon be headed north of the border ? this one to Ford dealerships. It seems all manufacturers are seeking an entry in the American small-priced-small-car category.

[ifcar]

Ford needs a cheap small car so it can be able to upgrade the Focus without worrying about charging too much for bargain hunters. Hopefully the Fiesta will fit this.

[mazda6er]

This seems stupid to me. Not the part where Ford is attempting to compete with the Aveo and other super-cheap cars, but the fact that companies have jacked up the prices on their used-to-be-super-cheap compacts to the point where cars can now "slot underneath" them. Won't this end up as a vicious cycle until dealers are trying to sell hardtop golf carts that "slot under" the last model, rendered "no longer cheap enough" due to inflation?

[ifcar]

It makes perfect sense to me. Enough people who buy cheap cars expect comfort, interior space, refinement, and driving enjoyment, and are willing to pay extra for that. At the same time, others want simple, cheap transportation. Both groups' needs cannot be satisfied in the same car, why not sell two?

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Sounds good, i've always liked the baby focus "fiesta". However i hold little hope when it comes to ford, the sedan and hatch would be a perfect car in the sub 14K class, throw in some good standard features(scion like, basically a/c, cd player, and some power windows/locks) it would be a great deal, even better if they can maintain the fun to drive factor of its bigger brother.

However look for ford to bring the crossover only, it will be cheap, ugly and probobly about as fun to drive as a hotdog bun.

[280Z Turbo]

Why do people buy these bottom of the barrel economy turds? It seems to me that a good used car would be a better choice in the long run.

[ifcar]

Why do people buy these bottom of the barrel economy turds? It seems to me that a good used car would be a better choice in the long run.

Some people don't want the headache of someone else's car. You also get more warranty with a new car.  

[Raghavan]

good. they need an aveo competitor.

[280Z Turbo]

Why do people buy these bottom of the barrel economy turds? It seems to me that a good used car would be a better choice in the long run.

Some people don't want the headache of someone else's car. You also get more warranty with a new car.

True, but cheap, Mexican built cars have headaches too.

[ifcar]

Why do people buy these bottom of the barrel economy turds? It seems to me that a good used car would be a better choice in the long run.

Some people don't want the headache of someone else's car. You also get more warranty with a new car.

True, but cheap, Mexican built cars have headaches too.

You have detailed experience with the current Fiesta? Please share it with the rest of us.

[280Z Turbo]

No, but I do have experience with other Mexican built products.

[ifcar]

And all vehicles manufactured in the same country are of equal quality? What a conclusion.

[280Z Turbo]

Are you saying that Mexican built products are just as good as those built in Japan or the United States?

Do you think I'm the first one to say that products from Mexico generally are not as well built?

[ifcar]

There are exceptions to every generalization. Why, with no knowledge or information at all about the product, assume that it would be inferior?

[TBR]

People always assume that German cars will be less reliable than Japanese cars yet there are exceptions to that generalization also. My point is that sometimes you have to assume and generalize, and 280z's generalization wasn't unreasonable at all.

[TurboDan]

It all depends on quality control.  Mexican VWs stink because there is no quality control from Wolfsburg.  GM cars built in Mexico will be fine if GM keeps tabs on the plant and oversees everything.  If they don't, quality will suffer.

[ifcar]

People always assume that German cars will be less reliable than Japanese cars yet there are exceptions to that generalization also. My point is that sometimes you have to assume and generalize, and 280z's generalization wasn't unreasonable at all.

How many vehicles built in Mexico are sold in the US to base such a generalization? A few GM trucks, some VWs, possibly still the Ford Focus. Even if that were a large sample, only the VWs are known as unreliable.

Furthermore, how does one generalization justify an unrelated one? That makes no sense at all.

[TBR]

People always assume that German cars will be less reliable than Japanese cars yet there are exceptions to that generalization also. My point is that sometimes you have to assume and generalize, and 280z's generalization wasn't unreasonable at all.

How many vehicles built in Mexico are sold in the US to base such a generalization? A few GM trucks, some VWs, possibly still the Ford Focus. Even if that were a large sample, only the VWs are known as unreliable.

Furthermore, how does one generalization justify an unrelated one? That makes no sense at all.

Gm trucks don't exactly have top notch quality.

[ifcar]

Interior or reliability?  

[MX793]

So does this mean that we'll get a slightly pricier, slightly more upscale, C1 based Focus like what they get in Europe?

[ifcar]

I don't see why not.