Just two months after sales began in the US, Ford Brazil has started selling the new Fiesta, initially as a sedan only.
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Like US cars, ours are built in Mexico using engines and manual gearboxes exported from Brazil – an autos free trade agreement applies – used in all models of this Ford compact sold in the three Americas.
The powertrain is made in Taubaté, (75 miles east of São Paulo City) and Ford of Brazil imports the complete car duty free thanks to the Mercosur-Mexico agreement. Sales forecast is 12,000 units yearly.
In Brazil the redesigned model is called New Fiesta and will be sold alongside the locally made, previous generation model renamed Fiesta Rocam, a reference to its current engine. The new Fiesta will initially be sold only in sedan form; the hatchback is due in the first quarter of 2011.
From late 2012 the New Fiesta will be built at Ford Brazil’s Camaçari, state of Bahia, manufacturing plant, altogether with the new EcoSport mini SUV.
The Mexican car comes to Brazil with the flexible-fuel, 1.6-litre Sigma DOHC engine, developing 113 bhp on E100 ethanol/108 bhp on regular petrol, produced only in Brazil. The petrol version, also exported exclusively from Brazil to North America and called Duratec, adds a cam phaser to the double overhead camshaft to pump out 118 bhp.
Ford Brazil has been cautious with its price positioning so not to jeopardise the Focus and is retailing the New Fiesta from R$50,000 (US$28,000).
It expects the most popular version to be the R$55,000 (US$31,000) version with leather upholstery, ABS and seven airbags (inclcuding driver kneebag).
Main competitors are compact saloons such as the VW Polo, Peugeot 207 Passion and, especially, the locally produced Honda City.
At the higher end of this price bracket lurk the Fiat Linea and even the Kia Cerato (larger width and wheelbase) but the importer lowered its price last week to match the New Fiesta.
