Full details and exclusive pictures as Ford takes the wraps off all-new, posher Fiesta
■ Ford gives us a close look at its roomier, higher-quality big seller
THE current Ford Fiesta has topped Britain’s new car sales charts for the past seven years, but with the latest Nissan Micra and Citroen C3 hitting the market – plus a new Volkswagen Polo on the horizon – the supermini sector is as competitive as it’s ever been.
However, Ford is hoping it can cement its position at the top with this seventhgeneration Fiesta. The new model is the most grown-up edition yet, as we found out when we had an early look at it in Germany.
It’s bigger, roomier, safer, more efficient and more upmarket than ever. And the Fiesta sub-brand will expand; joining the range will be a compact crossover, called the Fiesta Active, and it will be introduced alongside a luxurious Fiesta Vignale.
The first thing you’ll notice is the new design. According to George Saridakis, exterior design director at Ford of Europe, the car’s styling is “more evolution than revolution, with a more mature approach”.
Saridakis added: “It’s simpler and less fussy than the previous Fiesta, with a narrower daylight opening [windows] to make it look more elegant.”
It’s still instantly recognisable as a Fiesta, but the new car is 71mm longer and 12mm wider than its predecessor. Styling cues such as the swept-back headlights, simple bonnet and split wraparound tail-lamps at the rear help to accentuate the car’s extra width, but there’s a functional reason at the heart of the slight increase in size.
The previous Fiesta wasn’t the roomiest supermini on sale, but with a 4mm longer wheelbase – partly to house larger 18-inch wheels that are now available – Ford claims it has freed up an extra 16mm of knee room.
Space is helped by fitting slimmer front seats, and the new Fiesta is definitely more spacious in the rear than the old car, with competitive levels of head and legroom.
Ford hasn’t yet revealed how big the new Fiesta’s boot is, but Saridakis confirmed to Auto Express that it’s “within a few litres of the outgoing car”. That means we can expect a luggage capacity of around 290 litres, while access will be easier, thanks to a wider tailgate opening.
The new Fiesta is also more spacious in the front, but here the space has come from redesigning the cabin layout.
“The interior is the opposite of the exterior,” said Saridakis, adding that “It’s a revolution in design terms”. In place of the current vertical centre stack with its excess of buttons, the new Fiesta features a wider dash with more horizontal elements, and the infotainment system is all new. With all of the main functions apart from the
“The new Fiesta is bigger, roomier and more upmarket than ever, while a compact crossover will join the range”
climate controls operated through the touchscreen, there’s almost half the number of buttons on the centre console, which will make it much simpler to use.
Quality has definitely taken a leap upmarket, and the Fiesta has a more refined feel inside. But there will also be more customisation options available for the new car, with features such as the mirror caps and roof available in contrasting colours. Buyers will be able to specify different coloured trim inserts for the interior, too.
The Fiesta will be available in Style trim for fleet customers only, while private buyers get the choice of Zetec, St-line, Titanium, Vignale and Active guises. There are three and five-door bodystyles as well, although the Active crossover only gets the latter option. The car also comes with what Saridakis calls a few different “faces”.
Lower-spec cars feature the basic front end, while St-line gets a much sportier look with a different mesh for the bespoke grille and a deeper front bumper that “draws its inspiration from the Focus RS hot hatch”.
St-line trim was only introduced earlier this year on the outgoing Fiesta, but it’s already been a sales success, so it’s no surprise that Ford has chosen to differentiate it further. Above this, the Titanium and Vignale models look subtly different again.
The seventh-generation Fiesta is still based on Ford’s Global B-car platform, but it has been tuned to offer 10 per cent more grip, according to the brand. Along with the introduction of electronic torque vectoring to improve agility, the front and rear tracks have increased by 30mm and 10mm respectively for a wider stance, and there’s 20 per cent less friction in the steering to help feel.
New suspension bushes improve steering response, but Ford also claims that they better isolate the passenger compartment from the road, reducing the effect of small bumps and road noise. St-line models also get a sportier chassis set-up.
There’ll be a wide range of engines, underpinned by Ford’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder Ecoboost turbo petrol offered in 99bhp, 123bhp and 138bhp guises. This will have a six-speed manual gearbox to help keep CO2 emissions down to as little as 95g/km. There will also be a six-speed auto with steering wheel paddles for the 98bhp model, while a
“Quality has definitely taken a leap forward, and the new Fiesta has a more refined feel inside”
new normally aspirated 1.1-litre threecylinder with either 69bhp or 84bhp will make its debut, emitting 101g/km of CO2.
As for the diesels, the new Fiesta will be the first model to get a high-power TDCI unit. Ford’s 118bhp 1.5 TDCI is anticipated to emit 89g/km of CO2, while the more modest 84bhp diesel is predicted to offer even lower CO2 emissions of 82g/km.
All engines are offered with stop/start and some editions get an active aero front grille to squeeze out a few more miles per gallon. But the advanced technology also extends to the new Fiesta’s safety systems, with Ford’s Pre-collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection available.
In addition, it’s the first supermini in Europe to offer Cross Traffic Alert. This is one of 15 driver assistance systems, alongside adaptive cruise, blind spot and forward collision warning, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, automatic perpendicular parking and auto high-beam headlamps. LED lights will also be an option, while a clever new design for the seatbelts helps reduce slippage under the belt in a crash, so there was no need for Ford to include a driver’s knee airbag in the newcomer. It’s aiming for a five-star Euro NCAP rating.
A lot of this safety kit will be optional, as Ford nudges the price up. A spokesperson told us figures have not yet had final sign-off, but we’d expect the entry-level three-door Zetec to start from just under £14,000 when the new Fiesta goes on sale in summer 2017.
FORD has made a big deal over the differentiation of the next-generation models that bear the Fiesta nameplate. As a result, the Titanium version – which should make up the majority of sales – features a different chrome grille and simpler front and rear bumpers.
The Fiesta Active crossover will be the first of many Active models rolled out across Ford’s range. It wears black plastic cladding, as well as a black decal on the boot and a different grille. It also gets an increase in ride height of “15-20mm”, according to Saridakis. Ford wouldn’t outline if the Active will be sold with a four-wheeldrive option, although it’s unlikely.
The blue oval will also add an even more luxurious Fiesta Vignale to the line-up, with unique 18-inch alloys, a panoramic roof and some satin-finish detail that’s been “applied sparingly, as less is more with Vignale”. Inside, the range-topping Fiesta gets Tuxedostitched leather seats and bespoke trim inlays with a 3D texture.