Updated: Ford may drop Fiesta nameplate

Updated: Ford has four new names under consideration including Genesis, Isis, Phoenix and Cuga, but no final decision has been made and the Fiesta name could still live on.

Original: Ford may no longer keep the Fiesta name for its next-generation small car, with Blue Oval execs in Europe unable to come to an agreement on whether or not to drop the name that has been in use since 1977. A Ford source told reporters from BusinessCar that the “Fiesta name is up for grabs and a decision cannot be that far away”. They also mentioned that there’s a significant push for change because the new model will be a radical departure from previous generations.

Ford stuck with the ‘Mondeo’ tag for its mid-sized car after it was reported that the name achieved more positives than negatives and it would be too expensive to market a new label. But unlike the Mondeo, the new small Ford will be a truly global car and is expected to arrive in the US for the first time in 2009, so some inside Ford are hoping for a fresh start with the latest version.

The Fiesta has been the top selling small car in the UK for many years and there remains a strong following within Ford to retain the name. However, despite the Fiesta name dating back several decades, the inside source also revealed that “some of the people Ford would like to sell Fiesta were not born in 1977 so heritage is not an issue".

More details should be revealed when a concept version is unveiled at September’s Frankfurt Auto Show.