Ford Laser

Ford Laser
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford
Also called	Ford Meteor (Australia)
Production	1981–2002
Assembly	Oakville, Ontario, Canada Taoyuan City, Taiwan (Ford Lio Ho, CKD) Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia Hai Duong, Vietnam Rayong, Thailand (AAT) Homebush, Australia Japan Wiri, New Zealand Indonesia United States Mexico Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines Valencia, Venezuela Bogotá, Colombia Pretoria, South Africa Willowvale, Zimbabwe
Body and chassis
Class	Compact
Related	Ford Capri Ford Escort Mazda 323 Mercury Tracer
Chronology
Predecessor	Ford Escort
Successor	Ford Focus

First generation (KA, KB)
Ford Laser (KA) Ghia 5-door
Overview
Also called	Ford Meteor (sedan)
Production	1981–1985 (Laser) 1982–1985 (Meteor)
Body and chassis
Body style	3-door hatchback 4-door sedan 5-door hatchback
Related	Mazda Familia/323 (BD)
Powertrain
Engine	1.1 L E1 I4 (petrol) 1.3 L E3 I4 (petrol) 1.5 L E5 I4 (petrol) 1.5 L E5T I4-T (petrol)
Transmission	4-speed manual 5-speed manual 3-speed automatic

Second generation
Ford Laser (KC) Ghia 5-door
Overview
Production	Japan: 1985–1989 Australia: 1985–1990 (sedan, hatchback) Australia: 1986–1994 (wagon) New Zealand: 1980s–1996 (wagon) South Africa: 1986–1995
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door convertible 3-door hatchback 4-door sedan 5-door hatchback 5-door station wagon
Powertrain
Engine	1.3 L E3 I4 (petrol) 1.5 L E5 I4 (petrol) 1.6 L B6 I4 (petrol) 1.6 L B6T I4-T (petrol)

Third generation (KF, KH)
Ford Laser (KF) Ghia hatchback
Overview
Also called	Ford Escort (North America)
Production	Japan: 1989–1994 Australia: 1990–1994 New Zealand: 1990–1996
Body and chassis
Body style	3-door hatchback 4-door sedan 5-door hatchback
Dimensions
Length	4,270 mm (168 in) (Japan)
Width	1,695 mm (66.7 in) (Japan)

Fourth generation (KJ, KL, KM)
Ford Laser (KJ) Liata LXi 5-door (Australia)
Overview
Also called	Ford Aztec (Taiwan; 3-door) Ford Liata (Taiwan; 4-door)
Production	1994–1998
Body and chassis
Body style	4-door sedan 3-door hatchback 5-door hatchback
Powertrain
Engine	1.8 L I4 1.6 L I4

Fifth generation (KN, KQ)
Ford Laser (KN) Lidea hatchback (Japan)
Overview
Also called	Ford Life (hatchback) Ford Tierra (sedan)
Production	1998–2002
Body and chassis
Body style	4-door sedan 5-door hatchback
Powertrain
Engine	1.8 L 2.0 L 1.6 L

The Ford Laser was a compact car which was sold by Ford in Asia, Oceania, and parts of South America, and Africa. It has generally been available as a sedan or hatchback, although convertible, wagon and pick-up versions have also been available in different markets. The sedan, and briefly station wagon, versions were labelled Ford Meteor in Australia between 1981 and 1987.

The Ford Laser was a restyled version of the Familia/323 models produced by Mazda in Japan from 1980 onwards. Ford had acquired a 25% stake in Mazda in 1979.

Platform and assembly-line sharing with the locally produced Mazda Familia in Japan allowed the Laser in that market to be offered with a plethora of engine, paint and trim configurations not available anywhere else in the world. This was most notably evident during the 1980s with multiple turbocharged variants, unique bodyshells such as the cabriolet, and full-time 4WD models all available years before their debuts in other markets (and in some cases, never making it offshore at all). Along with the Japanese produced Ford Telstar and Ford Festiva, the Laser was sold at special Autorama dealerships.

In Australia and New Zealand, where Ford was seen as a local brand, the locally assembled Laser outsold its Mazda twin, the 323, especially in Australia, where the 323 was imported. According to research carried out by Ford Australia in 1984, a third of Laser buyers were unaware that the Ford model was based on the Mazda 323.

However, in neighbouring Asian markets, such as Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, as well as Japan itself, the reverse was the case, although pooling resources with Mazda allowed Ford to maintain a foothold in the region. This was also the case in South America, South Africa, and the Caribbean, where the Laser was also sold, in many cases being locally assembled.

The KA Laser (Australian model code), built under license from Mazda, was introduced in March 1981, replacing the rear-wheel-drive Escort in Australia. The range was available as a hatchback, in both three- and five-door varieties, as well as a four-door sedan badged Ford Meteor. Originally sold only with the 1.3-litre engine, the smaller 1.1-litre engine was never available in Australia. Later, 1.5-litre versions were added, eventually even a turbocharged version. In January 1983, the Laser underwent a facelift to become the KB. Light changes were made to the rear, while the front was redesigned in a more modern style, aligning it with Ford's corporate look of the era.