Ford's Fiesta SUV is getting closer

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Ford's new pint-sized SUV is getting closer.

The Fiesta-based off-roader has been caught by Drive's spy photographers in mule form during testing in Europe.

The car that has been spotted is an unchanged Fiesta hatchback sitting atop high-riding off-road underpinnings, but sources are suggesting the exterior design of the new SUV is expected to borrow a few styling cues from the bigger Kuga soft-roader, with wider guards and a more aggressive front bumper and grille the most likely changes.


The snappers managed to get in close to get a good look at the Pirelli all-terrain tyres fitted to the mule's 16-inch wheels. The close-up image also gives a good indication as to how much higher the SUV version of the Fiesta will be, with a notably large gap between the tyre and the body, and the wheels also sit wider than the regular hatchback version, indicating a wider track and therefore better on- and off-road stability.

As Drive has previously reported, the new city-friendly SUV - which is likely to compete against pint-sizers such as Suzuki's SX4, Mitsubishi's ASX and Nissan's Dualis - will be offered in a choice of two- and four-wheel-drive.

The as-yet-unnamed SUV is likely to powered by a range of diesel and petrol engines, including a turbocharged EcoBoost version, likely to be the recently revealed 1.0-litre three-cylinder version.

There are also rumours of a high-output performance model, likely to be powered by the 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine found in European versions of the new-generation Focus small car.

There is currently no word on when the new Ford city SUV will be unveiled, though it is likely to go on sale in 2012 in Europe.

As yet, Ford hasn't said whether it would be considered for Australia, but if the Blue Oval didn't offer a Fiesta-sized SUV it would be missing out on one of the biggest growth segments of the market.

Ford has confirmed that it will replace the ageing Escape compact SUV - which is struggling against newer, more technologically advanced rivals - with a new model based on the Vertrek SUV concept, with the fresh SUV likely to go on sale in 2012/13.