Ford Aspire

Ford introduced the all-new Aspire in 1994 as a replacement for the departed Festiva. The Aspire was a little larger than the Festiva and certainly more Taurus-rounded in design, a distinctive change from the upright boxy Festiva. The Aspire would be relatively short-lived, being discontinued after 1997 with very little change throughout its tenure.

Here's a quick rundown:

1994-1997
In the Australian market it was known as the Festiva, and continued the previous boxy Festiva name.

Like the former Festiva, the Aspire was also based on a Mazda design and produced in South Korea by Kia (which was then partly owned by Ford). The Festiva's 63 hp 1.3L (81 cid) I4 engine carried over to the Aspire, along with an available 5-speed manual or an optional 3-speed automatic transmission. 3- and 5-door hatchback bodystyles were offered, the latter on a slightly longer wheelbase. The 3-door could be ordered in upscale SE guise, adding fog lamps, a rear spoiler, and different seats and interior trim. Dual airbags were standard and anti-lock brakes were an option. 1995 Aspires changed very little other than the usual color-shuffling.

In 1996, the only real change was that the lower front spoiler was eliminated, and the window moldings and center roof pillars now were body-colored instead of former black. The SE package for the 3-door was gone too, leaving only the base trim for both bodystyles. For the Aspire's final year, it got its heaviest revision to date as there were all-new front and rear bumpers, headlights & taillights and an oval grille, but Ford nonetheless dropped the Aspire after this year, which never reached sales expectations, perhaps due to too much internal competition with Ford's own domestic-built subcompact Escort. There would be no replacement for the Aspire.

Competitors

 * Eagle Summit
 * Geo Metro
 * Hyundai Accent
 * Mazda Protege
 * Mitsubishi Mirage
 * Suzuki Swift
 * Toyota Tercel