In what looks like a move to lessen dependence on the success of specific locally developed and built models like the EcoSport, Ford’s Brazilian unit has decided to bring forward imports of the redesigned Fiesta to as early as the second quarter of this year, just-auto has learned.
An official announcement is yet to be made but importing the Fiesta from Mexico – under a free trade agreement established some years ago which avoids 35% import duty – is a change from producing the car locally as is the case with the outgoing model.
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That outgoing model looks much the same but differs in some detail from a similar Fiesta sedan model built and sold in India.
The new Mexican-built sedan destined for Brazil is essentially the same model which goes on sale in the US, Canada and Mexico this summer. Production of a similar version began in China in January 2009.
Brazilian specification versions will have the new ‘Sigma’ all-aluminium, 1.6-litre flex-fuel engine – exported from Ford Brazil.
The hatchback version will also be built in Mexico but Brazil’s supplies will be built locally in Camaçari (Bahia state) from the beginning of 2011.
Initially, both new imported and old locally made sedans will will co-exist in Brazilian showrooms, albeit differentiated by price.
Ford sources have confirmed that within four years all Brazilian-made models would be aligned with the rest of the world. That includes the current unique-to-Brazil Ka (larger than the new European model co-developed and produced with Fiat in Poland) which still uses the first-generation Brazilian Fiesta’s platform.
The Brazilian subsidiary is also considering importing the Mexico-built Fusion hybrid (the US-designed sedan; not the European B-segment Fiesta crossover spin-off). The goal would be mainly to show off the technology, because hybrids are pointless in Brazil.
Using ethanol at no extra cost, a similarly sized vehicle would emit only about 30g/km of CO2 because of the effect of capturing the gas at the sugar cane farms and processing plants.
Two weeks ago, the US Environmental Protection Agency conceded that using sugar cane ethanol-based advanced biofuel cuts CO2 emissions by over 60% compared to petrol.
Separate calculations by Brazilian experts show a potential reduction of over 80%.
