Ford muffles the Fiesta with latest update

Ford has revealed its updated Fiesta and Fiesta ST, both of which bring changes to the table, however, anyone expecting a dynamic new form should look away now as the removal of some distinctive details has resulted in an underwhelming final product. There is also a new Fiesta Van, which we will get to shortly.

With the Fiesta, the exterior design team has made some notable alterations, particularly at the front. The long, curvy bonnet that featured on the previous car is still present, but on this latest model it stops a little sooner, resulting in a slight increase to the height of the nose. There is also a clear line in the body work to separate the grille from the bonnet – a significant change from the previous Fiesta where the bonnet ran smoothly into the grille and made for a distinctive appearance.

Similarly, the headlights, while still large, have been squished and simplified. They no longer emphasise the wheel arches, but attempt to draw the eye to the grille, which is slightly bigger and now includes the blue oval badge. On the previous Fiesta, the lights reached over the wheel arch and fell towards the grille, almost creating a stretched semi-circle – another distinctive look that has been removed. It’s all gone a bit bland.

Thankfully, though, the exterior design team has left some details alone. Sharp character lines still run along the sides, continuing from a groove in the front fascia on the ST variant, which nicely ties the front to the sides. The lines finish at the tip of the rear lamps, which, like the rest of the rear, is kept the same.

Not much has changed on the inside, either. But this isn’t really a positive as the Fiesta’s cabin feels a bit cheap and dated when compared to some of the other hatchback interior designs currently on the market, like the Peugeot 208 for example. The same central touchscreen unit sits on the plastic IP, which includes the same collection of air vents and assorted buttons. The inverted shape of the carbon fibre insert above the glovebox does not align with the carbon fibre surround of the touchscreen and digital cluster hood. It’s a mish mash of shapes and lines, with little fluidity.

There is a new 12.3-inch digital instrument display, which Ford says is “fully configurable… giving drivers the ability to personalise and prioritise information.” A few new driver assistance technologies have been added too, like ‘Local Hazard Information’ and ‘Wrong-Way Alert’.

For the Fiesta ST, Ford has attempted to make the exterior more aggressive by working on the face. The grille is bigger again, as is the lower air intake. The side air intakes are finished in ‘crystaline grey’, and the cut in the body work above them is deeper and more accentuated. On the inside, the Fiesta ST gets new ‘performance seats’ that have been developed in-house, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, and a rounder gear stick as well as metal pedals.

Finally, we have the new Fiesta Van. Using the same front end as the standard passenger version, the van does away with the back seats in place of a large boot. Aside from this, everything is as described above apart from a unique colour scheme inside that includes black seats with small red strips. It’s hardly groundbreaking stuff.

While it’s merely an update, Ford has played it safe. Too safe. The lack of bold new choices is evident and the expunging of design details that previously made the Fiesta a fairly interesting car is a shame.