Buyer’s guide to the Ford Fiesta

Buyer’s guide to the Ford Fiesta

Here’s everything you need to know about one of Britain’s most loved cars.

Undoubtedly one of the most successful and popular cars ever to exist, the Ford Fiesta is cherished among British buyers.

Whether it’s someone looking for their first car, a hot hatch, a family runabout, this is a model for everyone – a true ‘car of the people’.

Ford has clocked up seven generations of its Fiesta since 1976, and the model remains just as sought-after as ever. It’s consistently Britain’s most popular new car each year, and faces little competition.

The range is now lengthier than ever – thanks to new Vignale and Active trim levels – and there have been a few slight changes elsewhere, too. Here’s everything you need to know about the updated range.

What engines are available?

The line-up starts with a naturally-aspirated 84bhp 1.1-litre petrol engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

After this are the popular 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engines, which offer a great mix of efficiency and performance. You can choose the engine with outputs of either 99bhp, 123bhp or 138bhp. The 99bhp unit comes with the option of a six-speed manual transmission or an automatic gearbox instead, though the more powerful units are only offered with a manual shifter.

For high mileage drivers, Ford continues to offer an 84bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine, which comes with a six-speed manual gearbox. This is the cleanest engine in the line-up – returning up to 55.4mpg, with CO2 emissions as low as 103g/km. Ford has recently stopped selling a more powerful 118bhp version of this diesel unit, though there will likely still be pre-registered versions available with this unit.

If you’re looking at the ST hot hatch, this model utilises a punchy 197bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine, which is again offered with a six-speed manual transmission. Performance is key with the ST, which is able to accelerate from 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds and reach a claimed top speed of 144mph.

What trim levels are offered?

The Fiesta comes with one of the most comprehensive line-ups of trim levels of any new car, with a grade to suit most tastes. The highlights and prices of each are below.

Trend – from £15,995

Replacing Zetec, this well-equipped entry model comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, front fog lights, lane-keep assist, a speed limiter and lane departure warning. It also gets an eight-inch touchscreen, air-conditioning and a heated windscreen.

ST-Line – from £17,620

This version adds 17-inch alloy wheels, sportier styling from the ST, sports suspension, sports seats, keyless entry and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.

ST-Line X – from £19,370

In addition to ST-Line, this ‘X’ version adds rear LED rear lights, privacy glass, satellite navigation, part leather sports seats, cruise control, climate control and further safety kit – including traffic sign recognition, high beam assist and a driver attention alert.

See Available Fiesta deals

 

Titanium – from £18,320

On top of Trend, this adds electric door mirrors, climate control, automatic wipers, cruise control, satellite navigation and further driver assistance tech that’s fitted to the ST-Line X.

Titanium X – from £19,720

On top of Titanium this adds a B&O premium sound system, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, part-leather upholstery and keyless start.

Active 1 – from £18,350

This trim is focused all around rugged styling – adding two-tone 17-inch alloy wheels, a more off-road centric bodykit, though it also gains selectable driving models – including for ‘Slippery’ driving.

Active B&O – from £19,450

On top of Active 1, this gains yellow-themed styling, a B&O sound system, automatic wipers, a black painted roof and black roof rails.

Active X – from £20,800

In addition to Active 1, this grade comes with electric door mirrors, a reversing camera with rear parking sensors, keyless start and cruise control.

Vignale – from £21,520

This luxurious model adds 17-inch alloy wheels, revised front fog lights, a panoramic roof, reversing camera and ruby-coloured heated leather seats and a heated steering wheel.

ST-2 – from £20,700

Moving over to the hot ST models, the ST-2 (on top of ST-Line) brings 17-inch alloy wheels, heated Recaro sports seats, cruise control, a B&O premium sound system and ambient interior lighting.

ST-3 – from £22,450

Over ST-2, this grade comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, electric door mirrors, a heated steering wheel, leather Recaro sports seats and keyless entry and start.

ST Ford Performance Edition -from £26,495

With this flagship model you get lightweight 18-inch alloy wheels, a unique Deep Orange paint colour, LED headlights and the ‘Performance Pack’, which includes performance shift indicators, a Quaife limited slip differential and launch control.

What about personalisation?

When it comes to personalisation, a lot of the choice depends on which trim level you go for. Race Red is the default standard colour, while Luxe Yellow is only offered on the Active and Ford Performance Blue on the ‘ST’ models. If you opt for the Vignale model, this also comes with its own bespoke range of colours to the rest of the range.

Selected colours are also offered with the option of coming with a black painted roof – a £200 extra. You can also choose from the usual tow bar packages, bike racks and roof boxes, too.

More traditional optional extras include a panoramic roof (£650) and LED headlights (£600), along with blind spot monitoring (£350).

Join the newsletter

Get the latest news, reviews and guides every week. Update your preferences at any time.