FORGET what you know about baby Fords. Its new Fiesta is the anti-Festiva, with crisp instead of curvy styling, decisive rather than diabolical dynamics and robust instead of ropey quality. But it isn’t a picnic in the light car class and the Fiesta has to really pull something out of its hat to sway buyers away from tiny tots as terrific as the Honda Jazz and Mazda2.
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Ford Festiva
Released: July 1994
Ended: December 2000
Family Tree: FiestaFord's 2004 WP Fiesta light car effectively replaces the forgettable Festiva sold here between 1991 and 2000 - although the three-door Ka was also swung into Ford's light car duty between November 1999 and December 2003. The WA-series, Kia-built Festiva sold between 1991 and 1994, but the marginally better WB/WF-series - sold between 1994 and 2000 - is Fiesta's most direct predecessor. The last WF iteration appeared here in January 1998, including a $15,390 Trio three-door (with 47kW/100Nm 1.3 and three-speed auto), plus $18,740 GLXi five-door and $16,740 Trio S three-door variants, each with a 56kW/115Nm 1.5.
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