Chantel Lenard recently participated in an online chat hosted on thefordstory.com.  Lenard, group marketing manager of Ford's Global Small and Medium Cars, answered questions ranging from the new Fiesta to rally racing.  Many questions were submitted by the general public.  Below are edited excerpts from the chat.   

Q. Are we going to see hatchbacks return to Ford's U.S. lineup? 

A. We do see an increase in demand for hatchbacks in the U.S. and plan to offer a 5-door hatchback version of the Fiesta and new Focus.  

Q. I am very excited about the new Ford products.  I love the Fiesta, the new Focus is awesome and Fusion is great. As a former general manager of a large Ford, Lincoln Mercury dealership, I want to know more about C-MAX.  Where can I find information?

A. We announced the C-MAX is coming to the U.S. at this year's Frankfurt Auto Show.   It is a truly whitespace vehicle, offering the versatility of seven seats, eye-catching styling, spirited driving, AND great fuel economy and affordability.   We think it's a perfect fit for the growing number of small-car customers not willing to compromise.   You can find more information about C-MAX on thefordstory.com.  

Q. Is there a 2.0L or 1.4L EcoBoost engine in the future for the Fusion in an all-wheel-drive configuration?

A. It is a bit too early to discuss which vehicles will get 4-cylinder EcoBoost engines.  But we think the EcoBoost technology is the perfect solution for providing the best combination of performance and fuel economy for a broad array of our vehicles.  

Q. What's next for the Fiesta Movement to keep the buzz going?

A. We've been very pleased with the results we've gotten with fiestamovement.com.   More than 9 months before launch, we have over 50,000 hand-raisers who are interested in learning more about the Fiesta, and 97% of them are consumers who are new to Ford!   It's also been a great opportunity for us to get feedback from the agents on the product and the emotional connection they have with their Fiesta.

Q. How would you compare the feedback gathered from the Fiesta agents to your typical focus groups?

A. The great part about the Fiesta Movement is that these agents have now lived with their cars for 5 months, so they know them inside and out.  They are passionate about these vehicles -- from how their Red Bull can fits perfectly in the cup holder, to the stares they get while driving down the road.  Their insights provide so much more depth than we typically get in a brief focus group.

Q. In my opinion, Focus and Fiesta should have a presence in rally racing, such as Rally America, where Subaru profits a lot. 

A. We agree that Rally America is a great opportunity to reach new customers, particularly youth.  This year, the Fiesta competed in the X-Games and won in its first year of competition.   We also participated in the run up Pikes Peak.  Stay tuned for Ford's continued involvement in these kinds of activities.

Q. I think that Ford needs to (allow customers to) customize, modify and personalize (their vehicles).  Imagine Ford dealers with a constant stream of customers coming in to buy accessories, socialize and be a part of something bigger.

A. We will have many more accessories available at launch for Fiesta than you've seen in the past from Ford.   Our Fiesta agents have told us how much they've enjoyed the opportunity to personalize their vehicles with wraps, etc.  We think it's important to offer these kinds of personalization options to Fiesta customers at launch.  

Q. Is the Ford Ka coming to the U.S.? 

A. We're looking forward to the launch of Fiesta first, and we'll monitor demand for smaller cars like Ka.  With the continued growth in B (Fiesta) and C (Focus) cars, it is an interesting question of whether sub-B's (Ka) will now start to establish themselves in America.