SPY PICS: Fiesta resistance

With a distinctly Peugeot-style front end treatment and super-slick wedge profile, Ford’s Verve concept (more here) has been widely touted as the key pointer to the next-generation Fiesta that is expected to make its first appearance in 2008.

And that doesn’t seem too far away from reality, according to snaps taken by spy shot specialists Carparazzi on a lonely mountain road in the French Alps.

Peeling away the extensive fake cladding on the development cars suggests the lines will be pretty close to those seen on the Verve, including the dramatic headlights that sweep up the quarter panels, almost to meet the base of the A-pillars. Not to mention the high-set taillights filling the space between the upswept side windows and rear glass.

With the basics of the next Fiesta already locked in via the just-launched Mazda2, the small Ford will likely follow the Mazda by retaining, or perhaps even shrinking slightly the outer envelope to appeal to style-conscious, rather than predominantly practical customers.

The new Fiesta will be a product of a styling team comprising British and German designers and is a showcase for the company’s “Kinetic” styling theme that has appeared in the face-lifted Focus as well as the 4x4 Kuga crossover wagon expected to be launched in Europe next year.

Ford’s new styling directions were first seen on the swoopy Iosis concept unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt motor show.

The next Fiesta’s interior will most likely mirror that of the Verve, while the suspension should be the same MacPherson strut/torsion beam system seen on the Mazda2. The engine options are likely to remain as a choice between the 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre Duratech powerplants seen in the current model.

But while the Verve gives a clear indication of how the next Fiesta will look, don’t expect it to sit on the concept car’s oversize 18-inch alloys.

-- with Carparazzi