Roshake shot and posted this Kia Pride wagon, something we did not get in the US in the form of the Ford Festiva. In addition to the wagon, there were also a four door sedan and a 5-door hatchback.
This tough little car has been built in numerous plants all over the globe, and is a mainstay in Iran, as the Saipa Pride, and its variants. It was built there until 2020. And a small Tunisian company called Wallyscar apparently started building it just this past year. A true evergreen.
There’s still a couple of Festivas here in Eugene. I wonder for how much longer…
All the basics, and nothing more.
The wagon treatment gives it quite a different look. I saw a four door sedan in Cuba.
I quite like the looks of that, I was aware of the 5-door hatch which is weird whenever seeing abroad after decades of only seeing the 3-door at home but this is on a whole ‘nother level, first time I’ve seen one. Supremely useful, great find!
As a previous owner of two awesome Festers, I dig it.
Does anyone know why these snippets are called “cohort” picks? Cohort I thought was like your accomplice in a scheme…. Am I close?
Look up just under the site banner. CC Cohort is one of the tabs, it’s a Flickr account where anyone can just submit random pics of potentially CC-worthy material that they may have spotted. We then choose one to feature on many days (the pic(k) of the day) or can use it to build a longer post as some have done as well. You can click through them, there’s hundreds of pages from all over the world…
Here’s the link:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/curbsideclassic/pool/
Thanks! Sadly it looks like I could lose a few hours in there 🙂
Good looking little wagon .
If it’s well built no reason not to have a long life in the hands of a good owner .
-Nate
Can you own one Florida
I think these were pretty good cars, all around. Ford probably didn’t sell the wagon in the US for fear of cutting into Escort wagon sales. I think they sold well in the US because even in the late 80s, there were places (especially in the Midwest) where folks didn’t want to drive – or be seen driving – a “foreign car”, but the badges on the Festiva said “Ford” so that made it okay.
Not really. We weren’t fooled. Festivas got great launch reviews and buyers, (I was one), weren’t fooled. Being sold as a Ford got them to my local dealer, but since these cars ran forever, never needed to see any Ford service bays.
When I was selecting mine, the salesmen made it clear that the Festiva wasn’t a Ford, but a Mazda 121. I don’t know who started the trope that Midwesterners are gullible, narrow-minded uneducated people, but we’re not.
Allen ;
My interactions with Mid Western folks has always been quite the reverse, intelligent, able to figure out jury – rigged solutions, friendly and capable hands on people .
My kinda people .
-Nate
I struggled with these when they were first sold here in the US. As the former owner of an “original” European built 1978 Fiesta, which I thought was a great car, I couldn’t accept the idea of a Korean-built successor (only the first generation Fiesta was sold here, 1978-1981 model years, until the 2010-2019 Mexican-built Fiesta). Plus, non-car people confused the two names: “Didn’t you used to have one of those Festiva’s?” I’d be asked. And then with typical Detroit cluelessness, the Festiva with its “F” name was replaced by the Aspire, which didn’t even share the original Fiesta’s boxy but efficient and attractive style. But over the years I’ve come to appreciate them, thanks in no part to the favorable reporting here at CC. And this five door looks like a very useful vehicle. In every way, a positive contrast to the EcoSport.
It may be Korean built but it’s a Mazda 121 in other lands, and full of tasty Mazda goodness under the skin. 4 whole cylinders, not 3 like some competitors at the time. Genuine fun to drive, I had mine alongside a Miata or two.
The Aspire was badged as a Festiva in Australia,I know, we helped our late mother buy one in October 2000,when it was sold as an end-of-model runout edition.
There is only one Festiva on Craigslist on the entire West Coast. In LA. 245K miles, $3000. 3 doors of course, not 5.
I would love to have a Kia Pride Combi. Regardless I still made a woodie ‘wagon’ even if it’s a 2 door.
Here’s the thing for me – the Festiva was perfect, and adding weight would really suck. When KIA added pounds to the Festiva, and renamed it the Aspire, it was a sluggish overweight Festiva, and it sucked. Can’t see how a four door, hatch or wagon would do nothing but slow the car and suck.
I raced around the Loop with bar bouncer friends, and weighing it down the extra 550 pounds, was really felt. The Festiva parked anywhere and served as the perfect pub crawler in Chicago.
Had heard about the 4 door version, but not the wagon. Since this is the Euro version, I doubt the engine was over 1.0 liter. Maybe a diesel as evidenced by the trailer hook.
Hope its got the 5 speed!!
Actually it has 1.3 gas engine, pretty much anything can have a tow hook here (my 1.4 Sunny has one too) 🙂
And AFAIK yea its a 5 speed
Yes, only engine available in European-market Kia Pride was the 1.3 petrol, with a 5-speed manual gearbox. I remember quite a few of these here in Italy, now it’s quite hard to come by, but some are still around 🙂