( dpa ) - Ford of Europe is showcasing an all-new Ford Fiesta at the Geneva Motor Show with only the nameplate remaining of a car that has sold 12 million units since it was first introduced in 1976.
The new Fiesta is the first major product of the company's new global product development process, the car maker said with the Fiesta to be sold on markets in Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and the Americas between 2008 and 2010.
Taking design cues from one of the three Verve concept studies revealed at last year's Frankfurt car show the new Fiesta embodies the hallmarks of what the company calls "kinetic design".
"This new car embodies the very essence of Fiesta fun, vitality and emotion," said John Fleming, CEO, Ford of Europe. "We know there isn't a better name for the new model, and we have over 30 years of investment in the Fiesta brand to consider.
The new design made it necessary to keep the car in the small vehicle segment with weight saving measures including extensive use of high-strength steel in the body structure.
The European production of the new Fiesta is set for autumn 008 at the company's Cologne plant in Germany. Later, as production ramps up, the Valencia Assembly Plant will bring additional Fiesta capacity on line in 2009.
Electric-Power Assist Steering (E-PAS) is introduced in the Fiesta for the first time. New to the Fiesta range for European markets is the Ford Duratec 1.6-litre Ti-VCT engine. The 115 hp engine with variable intake cam timing, brings a 15 hp performance improvement over the outgoing Fiesta without a fuel consumption penalty.
A highlight of the Verve Concept interior the futuristic, mobile phone-inspired, human-machine interface technology of the instrument panel centre stack will be a core feature of the new Ford Fiesta, the car maker said.