L.A. Auto Show: Ford unveils the Fiesta, again

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The latest wisecrack in the auto world is that Ford’s new small car, the Fiesta, has been revealed at so many car shows, for so many years, that it’s already overdue for a refreshing.

Ford lifted the veil again today at the L.A. Auto Show, showing the audience the American spec version, which won’t hit dealership lots until late next year.

But the car has already been on sale in much of the rest of the world for some time. In Britain, for example, one can be had today starting at about $18,850. Ford said that more than 500,000 have been sold to date in Europe and Asia.

Ford first lifted the curtain on a prototype of the current-generation Fiesta more than two years ago, at the Frankfurt Auto Show, and has practically worn out the thread on the curtain raising it time and again. That early version, for example, was brought to shows in Detroit and China.

Then, in March 2008, Ford showed the Fiesta off again, at the Geneva Auto Show. Five months later, the Blue Oval wheeled it out for another debut, this time revealing the Fiesta sedan in China’s Guangzhou motor show.

Starting in spring, Ford began trotting the Fiesta out in the U.S. to a select audience of ‘opinion makers’ as part of its ‘Fiesta Movement’ pre-marketing marketing push, a move that was echoed over the summer in Canada.

Just to top things off, Ford held a pre-reveal reveal of the Fiesta at an, er, fiesta held at the Palladium in Hollywood on Tuesday night.

So. The curtain rose on the Fiesta once again today. And the car, if not a big surprise, certainly seemed to please the gearhead audience of car critics and auto-philes.

“Customers are savvy. They want expressive cars that deliver not just great fuel economy but also high quality, new technologies and a fun driving experience,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president for the Americas. “We plan to answer the call with Fiesta; an all-new vehicle in North America we hope will set a new standard for small cars.”

Stylish if not downright cute, the Fiesta seems squarely aimed at cars like the Honda Fit and the Toyota Yaris. Ford claims it will get 40 miles per gallon on the highway and 30 mpg in the city. And because it will be built in Mexico, it is likely to come in at a price that handily beats the European Fiesta that we’ve come to know so well over the years, although Ford won’t reveal that number until sometime next year.

Somehow, Simply Red comes to mind: If you don’t know me by now ...

-- Ken Bensinger

Photo: 2011 Ford Fiesta sedan. Credit: Ford Motor