2009 Ford Fiesta preview

Some of us remember the original Ford Fiesta. If you don't, don't feel too bad. It was an utterly forgettable car, a sad little box that was indicative of the early 90's junkbox that was coming from Detroit. Lost in the sea of unreliable with other prime rides like the Tempo and Probe, the little Fiesta was long ago forgotten. Seeing one on the road today is akin to spotting the loch ness monster basking on the beach somewhere.

The Ford Fiesta has enjoyed a revival, however, on the small car friendly shores of Europe. Small fuel efficient cars are all the rage in these countries, and Europeans are willing to pay a good premium for them. And now Ford is betting that Americans will forgive and forget, embracing the little box that could when it returns to North America in 2010.

The Fiesta is the testbed for the new process of designing and engineering cars for a global audience, and it's a strategic move into a new market segment. American car buyers are getting a taste of what the rest of the world has experienced for decades, and now appear more than willing to choose something small and efficient as opposed to large and thirsty. In a time of market upheaval the Fiesta could end up having to serve as a lifeline to beleaguered workers, dealers, and shareholders.

The good news in all of this is that the Fiesta is a superb car.

When it debuts here in America, it will initially be offered as a sedan, with a hatchback version soon to follow (note: isn't it funny, how Americans, who wouldn't be caught dead in a hatchback a year ago, are now buying Honda Fits at an alarming rate?).

The Euro version's 1.6-liter engine, its chassis, its exterior and interior design, even its equipment, will barely change for the U.S. Funny enough, Ford sold another 1.6-liter compact hatch called Fiesta in the mid-70s. It was designed by Tom Tjaarda, then working at Ford's Ghia studio in Turin. It proved a strong seller in that fuel-starved decade, and the company is hoping the same good fortune will strike the new one.

The Fiesta is zippy and fun to drive, thanks to a happy revving 1.6 liter and a slight 2250 pound curb weight. It now matches the best small cars anywhere for crash test integrity. It also comes with up to seven airbags and, on most versions, ESP.

Seat and door trim fabrics are inspired by high-tech outdoor gear rather than your aunt's La-Z-Boy. And the dashboard is clad in a lush-feeling soft finish, a notable contrast over the cheap, hard materials in Japanese and Korean subcompacts.

The little four cylinder pumps out 120 hp and 112 lbft of torque. With a 0-60 time of 9.9 seconds you won't mistake it for a club racer, but it gets the job done. The number you're looking at here is an estimated 39.9 mpg.

The beauty of the package is how well built it is. Everyone who has tested the new Fiesta raves about it's build quality and overall feel on the road. The only bad news is that we still have to wait a year to get one.

Ford still has some stuff to do before it intros the car in the States. Like get itself a production line somewhere in the Americas. Ah well, they become vacant all the time these days. It also has to sort out a name for the car. Fiesta is a badge that has been attached to almost 13 million cars sold in Europe, so it has cred. But in the U.S., it's a cipher.

After all, when was the last time you saw a Fiesta on the road?