WA Festiva

With its once unassailable Laser small car under serious attack from the light car segment below, Ford turned to its South Korean affiliate to provide it with a low-priced entry-level salvo.

The WA Festiva was a first generation 1985-1990 Mazda 121 built under licence by Kia.

Although affordable, its ageing design, flimsy quality and sloppy dynamics put it behind progressive rivals like the 121 “bubble” and Holden Barina.

Both the three-door Trio and five-door “Festiva” were powered by a lacklustre 46kW 1.3L “4,” coupled to either a five-speed manual or three-speed auto.