Overview

The Ford Fiesta has been a staple of the British motoring landscape since 1976, which means it barely needs an introduction. It has evolved over eight generations into a thoroughly accomplished small hatchback, topping the UK’s bestselling cars list for years.

But its success has gradually waned. The Vauxhall Corsa eventually surpassed the Fiesta in the popularity stakes, clinching the top spot in the sales charts in 2021 and 2022. Ford launched a facelifted Fiesta in 2022, but shortly after this confirmed that it would be going out of production in 2023.

This is a shame because the Fiesta has been a much-loved staple, and it certainly still looked attractive on paper. Upgrades in 2022 included sharper styling, standard LED headlights across the range and an optional digital gauge cluster. However, following industry trends, the three-door model was axed at this point and the car’s diesel engine banished.

The Fiesta occupied a very competitive market, rivalling the likes of the SEAT Ibiza, Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia and Hyundai i20 – all of which made compelling arguments for buying them instead. Traditionally, the Fiesta always came out on top because it was a supermini that could appeal to your head and your heart. But by the end there were rivals available offering more electrification and more attractive technology.

Still, the Fiesta was about as practical as you could expect from a modern small car. There’s room inside for four adults, the boot is big enough for a good shop and the seats fold flat for those occasional furniture carrying duties. You could even get an SUV-inspired Fiesta Active model and an automatic gearbox – which meant the Fiesta covered a lot of bases for a lot of buyers.

At the end, Ford offered the Fiesta with a choice of five petrol engines. The most basic Trend model had a (rather weedy) 75hp 1.1-litre powertrain, while Titanium models and up came with turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engines, available in 100hp, 125hp and 155hp outputs. If you had a lust for speed, you could opt for the Fiesta ST hot hatchback which featured a 200hp 1.5-litre engine.

What really stood the Fiesta apart from the competition was how it drives. Cheaper models were quiet, comfortable and refined, while ST-Line and ST spec cars were engaging and fun (but firmer). Every model had pin-sharp steering and Ford’s tiny 1.0-litre petrol engines could muster plenty of punch.

We reckon the facelifted version of this Fiesta saw Ford saving the best until last. Over the next few pages, we’ll thoroughly review each aspect of this iconic supermini before offering our final verdict on the car – and answer that all-important question: should you buy one?