Ford Fiesta sedan debuts in China

The all-new Ford Fiesta has been making the show car circuit rounds since its debut at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, and since then we’ve seen the introduction of a number of new variants including the standard three and five-door models, the sporty S, and the fuel-efficient ECOnetic. Now, more than six months after the debut of the original hatch Ford has revealed the latest sedan variant.

The four-door compact saloon made its world debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in China on Monday, and is set to enter production at a factory in Nanjing later this year. First sales are expected to start in Asia early next year.

Ford has previously confirmed that the Fiesta sedan would be sold alongside the hatch in North America in 2010. Both cars will be manufactured at the Blue Oval's Cuautitlan plant, near Mexico City, replacing production of the F-Series pickup.

No official details about the car’s mechanical package have been released but expect to see a similar engine lineup to that found in the European hatch. This means that it will likely feature an entry-level 60hp (45kW) 1.4L petrol unit and a choice of six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. North American models will likely get a more powerful 2.0L unit. The cars also come with Ford’s new EPAS electronic steering to help save fuel.

The new Fiesta is the first major product of Ford’s new global product development process and it will eventually be sold on most continents.