The Fiesta is Ford's bestselling model in Europe and has been the UK's most popular new car since 2008. While good looking and fun to drive, it is also conventional mechanically.
NEW CAR FOCUS: Ford Fiesta Spanning eight generations over 45 years and 4.75 million UK sales, Rob Marshall looks mainly at the petrol tech that underpins Ford's best seller
Despite the current version being more complex than its ancestors, the Fiesta has never been a technical innovator. Instead, Ford has relied on regular styling and specification updates to keep the model fresh, even if the mechanical hardware remains relatively unremarkable. This is not necessarily a bad thing; tried-and-tested engines and transmissions help to suppress repair costs, plus technicians also appreciate a degree of familiarity.
The two 1.5-litre diesel engines are based on the PSA/Ford DV6 units. Of particular interest are their very low lubrication and coolant capacities, of 3.8 and 2.5 litres respectively. Image courtesy of Stellantis.
NEW CAR FOCUS
Any car model cannot notch-up eight successful generations by being starved of investment. Despite FoMoCo being renowned for keeping a close eye on production costs, it has updated the Fiesta regularly to maintain desirability. Compared with its 1976 original, the 2021 'Mark VIII' is bigger, safer, faster, more economical and better equipped but - even when adjusted for inflation - more expensive.
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