Korean cars are common sights on the road today, but in 1987 the name Kia was a complete unknown in pre-internet America. Long before our streets teemed with Sephias and Souls, the first Kia to achieve widespread sales in the US was the Ford Festiva. But wait, you haven’t accidentally stumbled onto Korean Nostalgic Car because the Festiva was engineered and designed by Mazda.
Mazda, while still under Ford ownership, created the Festiva to be built in South Korea by Kia to keep costs down. In both Japan and the US it was sold through Ford dealerships. In the US the Festiva came in two trims, the base L and the premium LX, the latter of which Motorweek reviewed in 1987.
The PBS show praised the Festiva for its long list of features at an affordable price. The L started at a mere $5,765 ($16,190 in 2025 dollars) while the LX, which came standard with wider wheels, power mirrors, a tachometer, and tilt-adjustable steering wheel, started at $6,868 ($19,290 today). Motorweek‘s optioned-out test car that included a premium stereo and aircon maxed out at $7,964 ($22,370 today), still an excellent deal compared with other subcompacts of the era.
Its 1.3-liter four-cylinder made 58 horsepower and 73 lb-ft of torque, scooting the Festiva from 0-60 in 12.5 seconds during Motorweek‘s acceleration test. However, the team found its handling lacking due to its tiny 12-inch, 70-series tires. That’s okay though, because no one bought it for its performance. With a 5-speed manual it achieved 39 city, 43 highway mpg.
In the US the Festiva tended to find itself as the butt of the joke, but in Japan it was actually considered quite stylish, particularly the Canvas Top variant. We simply won’t abide hatchbacks of any form, but even Motorweek liked the Festiva’s blister fenders and sculpted rocker panels.
In fact, this could be a decent commuter car option for our friend in last week’s QotW. He does love Mazdas and this is technically one. Their cross-badging turned off both Mazda and Ford fans, but if Hyundai can restore a Tiburon then perhaps Kia should consider overhauling one and putting it in their own museum.
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OH man, what a blast from the past. I remember my dad and I REALLY disliking those cars because it looked so wimpy and ready to breakdown. That and the USDM Ford Escort. But, karma comes around, and at the time we had a problematic Ford Taurus with continuous drivetrain / electrical nightmares. My dad took the day off and dropped it off at the dealer. I was waiting at the bus stop after school and I see this red Festiva GT rolling up fast, with my dad in the driver’s seat! He just signals me to get in, as much as I didn’t want to be seen jumping into a Festiva. My dad clearly wasn’t in the mood (broke down Taurus, had to take day off, driving a Festiva), and he showed that by driving the Festiva pretty hard.
Quick fact, our 1988 Ford Taurus had the same horsepower as the Festiva (88hp), and so when my dad was just mobbing the Festiva back home, i asked him, “what do you think?” To my surprise, he said, “it’s more powerful than I thought!” What a great throwback!
correction, 1986 Taurus. The maiden model, with the 4-cyl. 88hp, oh boy, we struggled on any inclined road.
In the end America fell in love with the hatchback. All it took was a 2″ lift kit.