The perennially popular Ford Fiesta has been restyled and updated as part of a mid-life facelift aimed at keeping it near the top of the B-segment sales chart.
Revealed before customer deliveries begin in early 2022, the rejuvenated supermini will be priced from £16,670 in its entry-level form – a subtle increase over the current car.
The visual refresh is centred on the front end, where the 2022 car is distinguished from its predecessor by way of slimmer headlights (now LED as standard or optionally matrix LED), and a markedly different grille design that varies slightly according to specification. The bonnet has been reshaped as well, to give a higher nose profile, while the Blue Oval emblem has been moved from the bonnet's leading edge to the grille, which is said to contribute to "greater road presence".
Ford's European design boss, Murat Gueler, told Autocar that his priority for the Fiesta was to give a "more grown-up feeling". "The current car – if you're very critical – is a bit rounded at the front. The line work around the headlights is a bit swoopy, a bit 'baby-eye', and some of the sculpturing is relatively simple," he said. "We felt, in that respect, the Fiesta could use an upgrade to refresh the front end." At the rear, meanwhile, the light clusters – optionally LED-equipped – have gained contrasting black surrounds.
Each version of the Fiesta continues to bring bespoke styling cues that nod to their positioning. The entry-level Trend and mid-rung Titanium cars, for example, feature chrome grille and window surrounds, while Autocar writers' cars of 2020: the hot Ford FIesta ST gets a deep-set grille with a black honeycomb design, along with colour-coded side vents and a widened lower grille, and the Ford Fiesta Active continues to chase compact crossover sales with its rugged design cues and raised ride height.
"We have tried to separate the characters of the cars even further," Gueler told Autocar, emphasising that the Active has been pushed "as much as possible into the crossover segment" and the ST is "as sporty as can be".
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Not bad, although I wish Ford would get over their obsession with big grilles on the Fiesta as I don't think it suits them. I'd still like an ST with the option of a flappy paddle gearbox, although I am stuck crawling in traffic a lot less these days so maybe I don't need that as much as I used to.
Not a huge difference, but then I've always thought it was one of the better looking superminis. Interior still looks a little drab and plasticky
Rather like this facelift, brings a little more pizzaz to the Ford Fiesta, a little less gentle looking than the previous model... which I worried played it a bit safe from the outset. Great car to drive, so the increased torque on the ST much welcome.