Ford is giving its popular small Fiesta its biggest overhaul in six years. The Dearborn, Mich., automaker revealed the redesigned Ford Fiesta before 4,000 employees, dealers and members of the media Tuesday in Cologne, Germany. The new Fiesta has a wider and lower stance compared to the current version and a face that reflects some of the same styling cues of the larger Ford Focus, including a black grille, a black lower lip and slanted headlights.
Ford said it updated and modernized the design of the Fiesta while also staying true to the small car’s roots. The Fiesta, now in its eighth generation in Europe, is among Ford’s most popular cars globally. Ford has sold nearly 18 million Fiestas since it was launched in 1976. The Fiesta that is sold in Europe will be built at Ford’s plant in Cologne and is part of an agreement signed in 2015 between Ford and the German Works Council, which involves more flexible work rules.
Inside, the new Fiesta has more space, an 8‑inch floating high-definition touch-screen, Ford’s SYNC 3 communications and entertainment system, and Ford’s first custom-designed B&O PLAY sound system. The B&O sound system was developed in a partnership with Harman that was announced in September. The Fiesta will be powered by a redesigned 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine that Ford said will be the industry’s first three-cylinder engine to feature cylinder deactivation. The technology can disengage or re-engage the cylinder in 14 milliseconds, which helps to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions.
The new version of the Fiesta will go on sale in Europe next summer. Ford declined to say when it will show the Fiesta in the U.S. or when it would go on sale here. In Europe, Ford will offer the new Fiesta in four trim levels: Titanium, the performance-inspired Fiesta ST-Line, the upscale Fiesta Vignale and the Fiesta Active crossover. Prices were not revealed.
