Four-door Fiesta on the way

Ford execs have confirmed the company will add a sedan version to its new Fiesta range. Eventually...
 
Launched Down Under last week in three and five-door hatchback versions, the new Ford light car will go on sale nationally in late January. You'll have to wait a bit longer than that for the sedan variant, however. The four-door model is not likely to arrive locally until at least late 2010.
 
Ford unveiled the Fiesta sedan at the Guangzhou motor show in China last month, but local connections sidestepped questions regarding the local introduction of the four-door (more here).
 
"At the moment, we want to concentrate on the [hatchback] models we're launching and we'll go from there," said Sinead McAlary, Ford Australia's Communications Manager in answer to the Carsales Network's questioning.
 
However at the launch of the hatchback models last week Ford Australia Vice President Marketing, Sales and Service, Beth Donovan, confirmed the local Blue Oval arm would add the sedan variant to its range.
 
She cautioned, however, the car was more than 12 months away.
 
"We have the Fiesta sedan in our cycleplan," Donovan confirmed.
 
She also stated that the arrival of the sedan would correspond with the shift of Aussie Fiesta production from Germany to Thailand in 2010.
 
"We will build the sedan in the region. With all the synergies of 'One Ford' that's the logical place to do it," Donovan opined.
 
"China comes up on line first -- before we can do it," she explained.
 
In addition to China, sedan-friendly SE Asian markets (including Thailand) and Australia, the Fiesta sedan will go on sale in the USA. It will be Ford's first light (subcompact) car offering in the USA since the Festiva/Aspire in the late 1990s.

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