Ford Fiesta review

It’d be fair to say that 2021 wasn’t exactly a normal year. All a little bit topsy-turvy for a great number of reasons, wasn’t it? Perhaps the biggest shock of all came at the end of the year though, when the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders announced the UK’s best-selling new cars from the previous 12 months.

Imagine our surprise when we heard that the Ford Fiesta – the darling of the British buying public – had been knocked off its perch after 12 consecutive years at the top of the charts. In fact, the Fiesta didn’t even make it into the top 10. The Puma was Ford’s only representative in eighth.

Big news. What is Ford going to do about that?

Well, this is the newly facelifted seventh-gen Fiesta, so you can see for yourselves…

There are new grilles up front with different interpretations for each trim level, although each one plays host to a new, larger Blue Oval. Slimmer headlights house LEDs as standard while fancy matrix LEDs are an option. The bonnet has been reshaped to make the nose look higher and there are new lights out back too.

It's still recognisably a Fiesta, and thanks to a lack of fiddling underneath it drives like one too. The standard seventh-gen didn’t really need any improvements in that department. 

What engines can I have these days?

The standard Fiesta range has been petrol-only since 2020, with your only engine option a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo EcoBoost. You can have that in 99bhp form on its own, or it can be paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system for a more healthy 123bhp. You won’t need to plug that in of course, but you also won’t get any all-electric range. The mild-hybrid setup is essentially a more effective start/stop system. 

Top Trumps fans will be disappointed to learn that the most powerful 153bhp mild-hybrid EcoBoost setup has been axed from the range. 

Can I have a three-door?

Bad news! Ford has also discontinued the three-door Fiesta in all trim levels and production will stop at its plant in Cologne at some point during the summer of 2022. So to answer your question: no you can’t. It’s five-door only we’re afraid. 

Is the ST still a thing?

Good news on this front thankfully. The brilliant little ST hot hatch has also been facelifted, although in the UK it’ll only be available in top spec ST-3 trim and also as a five-door. That means prices start at a punchy £27,245. Click these blue words for our full (pre-facelift) review. 

What else do I need to know?

Prices for the standard Fiesta now start at £19,405 for the base spec Trend trim. Above that is the chrome-grilled Titanium and the fully-loaded Titanium Vignale (yep, Ford’s still using its posh moniker), and another step above that is the ST-Line and ST-Line Vignale.

For the same price as the semi-sporty ST-Line you can also have the jacked-up Fiesta Active or Active Vignale. They get crossover-style black plastic perimeter cladding, but bear in mind that they’re not 4WD and can’t be considered proper Panda 4x4 or Suzuki Ignis rivals. Shame.

Ford will want this facelift to push the Fiesta back up the sales charts in the UK, and in all honesty it should be near the top. It’s better to drive than the new champ – the Stellantis-backed Vauxhall Corsa – and the interior is modern-looking and easy to use. 

It's great-looking from the outside too, as well as refined and well-connected. It's not the roomiest supermini, nor does it have the highest cabin quality, but they aren't deal-breakers for most people.

Entry prices have risen (although there is more and more kit available) and it’s a shame that the loveable three-door has been taken off sale, but the standard Fiesta still remains a bit of a TG hero. Do you really need that Puma?