Ford Fiesta (B299/B409). 2008–18 (prod. over 1,000,000 Europe only to March 2011). 3-, 4- and 5-door saloon. F/F, 999 cm³ (I3 DOHC), 1242 cm³ petrol, 1399 cm³ diesel (I4 OHC), 1388, 1596 cm³ petrol, 1498, 1560 cm³ diesel (I4 DOHC). Ford’s global small car, part of European Fiesta lineage with nameplate returning to North America for the first time since 1980. Four-door for Asian and North American markets. Regarded as class leader, excellent chassis and handling. Showed small-car interpretation of ‘kinetic’ design theme which débuted on larger Ford Mondeo Mk IV. Minor facelift in 2010, more substantial, Aston Martin-esque facelift in 2012, with Ecoboost three-cylinder and 1·5 diesel added. Quality issues with DPS6 transmissions exposed in Detroit Free Press in 2019.

Manufacturing locations: Köln, Germany; Valencia, Spain; Pluakdaeng, Rayong, Thailand; Nanjing, China; Cuautitlán, México; Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Marque: Ford | Model: Ford Fiesta | Predecessors: Ford Fiesta Mk VI, Ford Tierra | Successor: Ford Fiesta Mk VIII

q.v. Ford B-Max

Off-site links

• Lucire: ‘You Just Need to Talk Like Keeley Hawes’—road test of 1·6 Zetec model
• P. Wall Howard: ‘Ford knew Focus, Fiesta models had flawed transmission, sold them anyway’, Detroit Free Press, July 11, 2019