Ford throws a fiesta in Phuket

Phuket, Thailand—Ford sure knows how to go on a road trip. First, they round up some of the rowdiest and most hilarious members of the motoring press. Next, they send said rowdy bunch off on a plane to the picturesque island of Phuket in Thailand.

Third, they put them behind the wheel of what is easily the coolest-looking and most exciting new hatchback and subcompact sedan to hit the roads in recent years—and let them drive said cars for over 200 kilometers on the scenic roads of Phuket.

Last and certainly not the least, they equip the cars with cool gadgets and features to make the driver and passengers feel that they’re riding in a big luxury car.

But first, what the heck is this new car and why does Ford seem like they always want to party with it?

Answer: It’s the new Fiesta and it looks so good and is priced so well that people (and Ford) will be partying in the streets when it hits the showrooms.

The new Fiesta (it’s actually the 7th-generation model since the original debuted way back in 1976) is in the size and price range of the Honda Jazz/City, Toyota Yaris/Vios, Suzuki Swift, and the recently launched Mazda2 hatchback and sedan.

It will be priced starting at P670,000 for the 1.4-liter manual transmission Style sedan, go up to P685,000 for the 1.4-liter manual transmission Trend hatchback and sedan, move further up to P766,000 for the 1.6-liter PowerShift Trend hatch and sedan, and top out at P816,000 for the flagship 1.6-liter PowerShift hatchback with those cool hands-free Bluetooth and Voice Control features.

The new Fiesta sports Ford’s bold new Kinetic design language defined by signature elements such as the dynamic headlamps, the contoured hood, and the toned muscularity of its surfaces. The face of Kinetic design features a large Ford Focus-inspired bumper-situated trapezoidal grille that is as much a design element as it is a functional feature drawing in air to improve engine cooling and AC function.