Time for an indefinite siesta - Ford has confirmed that after 46 years and 4.8 million sales in the UK, the Fiesta hatchback is being dropped.
Whichever way you look at it, the Fiesta has had a fantastic innings, having first been launched in 1976 and having found a space on the driveway of pretty much every single motorist in the UK, at some point in time.
If you haven’t had one, chances are your mates have.
Ford says production of the Fiesta will end in June 2023.
And it’ll bow-out to make way for a new generation of all-electric family run-abouts. Meanwhile the writing is also on the wall for the Ford S-Max and Galaxy people carriers.
A spokesperson for the manufacturer said:
“At Ford in Europe, we are accelerating our efforts to go all-in on electrification with our passenger vehicles being fully electric by 2030 – and all vehicles across our Ford portfolio by 2035.
As we get ready to transition to an electric future, we will discontinue production of S-Max and Galaxy in Valencia, Spain in April 2023 and discontinue Fiesta production in Cologne, Germany by end of June 2023."
There’s a whole lot to love about the Fiesta.
It’s a car that not only represents the gateway into smile-inducing driving for young motorists, it also became the go-to school run workhorse for countless parents up and down the land.
And there’s another reason the Fiesta reached iconic status - and that’s the many different ‘hot’ versions of the hatch that hit the market down the years.
Here, in a nod to all you petrolheads out there, here are our faves:
Fiesta Supersport
While the iconic Fiesta XR2, launched in 1981, is widely considered the first proper ‘hot’ Fiesta, this ‘Supersport’ model tested the waters a year earlier in 1980 - and promptly went down a storm.
It had the lot - flared wheel arches, chunky alloy wheels, and rally-esque spotlights.
Performance-wise, there’s nothing really to write home about - a 1.3 litre petrol engine generated 66hp and it took 11.8 seconds to hit 62 mph.
But it was lightweight, zippy and looked the part.
Good examples are worth around £20,000 today.
Fiesta XR2
The XR2 is a bona fide classic, and it’s a hot-hatch that would ultimately do battle with the legendary Peugeot 205 GTi.
It had similar styling to the Supersport but featured a larger 1.6 litre engine producing 97 hp and could whip from 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds.
At the end of the 1980s Ford revamped the XR2 with the launch of the ‘XR2i’ - which improved things with a fuel-injected 1.6 litre mill that boosted power to 103 hp.
Fiesta RS Turbo
The sleek Fiesta RS Turbo was the natural successor to the XR2 and XR2i, appearing on forecourts in the mid-1990s.
A turbocharged 1.6 litre engine developed 131 hp and saw the 0-60mph acceleration time shrink to 8.2 seconds.
It also got sharper suspension and steering, larger 14 inch alloys, tinted windows, distinctive pin-striping on the exterior and in the cabin, and a top speed of 132mph.
The Turbo was ultimately followed by the 1.8 litre RS1800, which never really caught on.
Fiesta Zetec S
Before the fourth generation Fiesta ticked-over into the fifth gen in 2002, the little hatchback was treated to a major facelift in 1999.
And it was at this point that another hot-but-not-scalding Fiesta was introduced in the form of the Zetec S. It borrowed the chassis from the much-loved Puma coupe, boasted uprated brakes and stiffer anti-roll bars.
And at the heart of the car was a plucky ‘1.6i’ 16 valve engine making 100 hp.
For our money, the original Zetec S is something of an underrated gem and which can be picked up for a couple of grand.
Fiesta ST-150
The mid-Noughties was a good time to be alive if you liked hot-hatches. You had cars like the Renault Clio 182, Honda Civic Type R and the MINI Cooper S tearing about the place.
And in 2005 Ford launched the ST-150 as a frantic little bundle of revs and which offered obscene amounts of fun.
Power of 150 hp came from a gutsy 2.0 litre engine. You can pick-up an ST-150 for a few grand right now, and it’s sure to be an appreciating classic.
Fiesta ST-3
The ST-3 is the hot Fiesta you can lease right now - and what a machine it is.
A 1.5 litre EcoBoost engine with 200 PS translates to a 0-62mph time of 6.5 seconds.
Opt for the ‘Performance Pack’ and you’ll also get a Limited Slip Differential from British motorsport engineers Quaife.
It’s won numerous ‘Car of the Year’ awards and is an absolute hoot to drive. It’ll also return a decent 42 miles to the gallon, which makes it every-day practical.
You can lease a Fiesta ST-3 with Select from just £327 a month.
Enjoyed this? Read our latest news:
-
Hyundai Ioniq 6 readies for launch
-
All-electric Lotus Eletre revealed in full
- Select Car Leasing nominated for ‘Community’ award
- Powerful new Enyaq iV vRS joins Skoda line-up
- Vauxhall reveals Vauxhall Grandland GSe performance SUV
Where To Next?
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to our newsletter.
Looking for a great leasing deal? Check out our incredible range of special offers.
Read our latest reviews and find the right model for you.
Want to know more about leasing? Take a look at our comprehensive leasing guides.
Interested in everything motoring? Why not catch up on all the latest car leasing news.
