Ford · 1986–present

Ford Festiva

The Ford Festiva is a four passenger front-drive subcompact car originally manufactured in South Korea by Kia, under license from Mazda and marketed by Ford from 1986 until 2002 over three generations in Japan as the Festiva. The first generation was also sold as a Festiva in North America, while the first two generations were Festivas in Australasia. The third generation was a badge engineered Mazda Demio and was generally not available with Ford badging outside of Japan. Designed and engineered by Mazda using the DA platform and B series straight-four engines, the Festiva was manufactured in South Korea by Kia, under license. Sales of the first generation Festiva reached 350,000 in America. Kia began marketing the first generation in South Korea under license — as the Kia Pride. Australasia and Europe received the first version between 1987 and 1991 as the "Mazda 121". After 1991, Australasian sales began under the "Ford Festiva" name, while European sales continued as the "Kia Pride". Kia ended production of the Pride in 2000. Ongoing production of the first generation overlapped its second generation, introduced in 1993 and marketed as the Ford Aspire in North America and as the Kia Avella in South Korea and other markets. The second generation was marketed for model years 1993–2000, and a third generation was sold between 1996 and 2002 in Japan as a badge-engineered version of the Mazda Demio. The "Festiva" nameplate derived from the Spanish word for "festive".

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First generation (WA; 1986)

The first generation Ford Festiva was designed and engineered by Mazda in Japan at the request of parent company Ford. The Mazda-designed and built three-door hatchback was launched in Japan in February 1986 under the name "Ford Festiva", with the 1.1 and 1.3-litre engines. The Festiva used a front-wheel drive layout with rack and pinion steering, independent front suspension with struts, coil springs and sway bar, and a torsion beam rear suspension. The Festiva was facelifted in 1989, receiving a redesigned grille insert and tail lamp lenses. In Japan at launch, the Festiva three-door was offered in L, L Special, S, Ghia, and Canvas Top specification levels. Ford retailed the Japanese market Festiva via the Autorama dealership network. At the 1986 Tokyo Motor Show, the sporty GT and GT-X models were shown, with a unique twin-cam 1.3-litre engine (BJ). These were fitted with a special body kit and a prominent bonnet bulge, and went on sale on 1 December 1986. By then, the Festiva Cargo L (commercial version) had also been added to the lineup, in either a two- or a five-seat version. Beginning in 1989, Autorama also began selling left-hand drive, Korean-assembled five-door hatchbacks (and later the four-door sedan as well). The Hatchback was sold as the Ford Festiva 5, while the four-door sedan was called the Festiva β. Neither version sold particularly well in Japan. 973 cars were brought in during 1989, with the aim of selling 2,000 the following year. Production of the Japanese market Ford Festiva ended in December 1992, with sales from stock continuing for another month. Markets. ==== North America ==== In mid-1986, another Ford partner, Kia Motors in South Korea began production of the Festiva under license as the "Kia Pride". Starting from late 1987 for the 1988 mo

Second generation (WB, WD, WF; 1993)

The second model Ford Festiva, launched in 1993, was jointly developed between Kia and Ford, retaining most of the drivetrain of the previous model with a more rounded body style. This new Festiva was slightly longer, wider, more aerodynamic, and suspended by MacPherson struts in the front and a torsion beam axle in the rear. While it was sold in certain markets as a second generation Festiva, Ford renamed it the "Aspire" in North American markets, where the five-door model was offered for the first time. In South Korea, the car was badged "Kia Avella". The sedan version was mainly restricted to the South Korean market, although it was also available with Ford Festiva badging in Taiwan. Depending on the market, some retained the SOHC, throttle-body injected motor, while others received an engine with a DOHC cylinder head and MPI also designed by Mazda. These engines were: B3 EGi: 1.3 L (1,323 cc) fuel injected 8-valve inline-four making 73 PS (54 kW; 72 hp) at 5000 rpm and 100 N⋅m (74 lb⋅ft) at 3000 rpm 76 PS (56 kW; 75 hp) in Japan B5 EGi: 1.5 L (1,498 cc) fuel injected 16-valve inline-four making 88 PS (65 kW; 87 hp) at 5000 rpm and 134 N⋅m (99 lb⋅ft) at 4000 rpm (Asia and Oceania only) 100 PS (74 kW; 99 hp) in Japan Transmission options comprised a 5-speed manual transmission, although some models could be optioned with a 4-speed automatic. Australian and U.S. models were equipped with a 3-speed automatic. In 1997, the Festiva received a new front bumper with an oval grille, reshaped headlamps, and other minor changes. The Aspire was dropped from the Ford range in the United States after 1997. The second generation Festiva continued to be sold in Australia until 2000 when it was replaced by the Ford Ka. Australian second-generation Festivas have U.S. side marker li

Third generation (1996)

Sales of the second generation Festiva ended in 1996 for the Japanese market, being replaced by generation three—a badge engineered Mazda Demio (DW). Known as the "Ford Festiva Mini Wagon", the Japanese-only model range consisted of a single five-door hatchback body style available with either a 1.3- or 1.5-litre engine. Transmission options were a three-speed or four-speed automatic and a five-speed manual. Production continued until Mazda ceased manufacture of the equivalent Demio in 2002.

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