Ford reveals facelift for fizzy little Fiesta ST

One of the most highly regarded hatchbacks in the game has been given a mild overhaul; Ford having revealed the 2022 Fiesta line-up overnight.

Of course, the reveal is somewhat moot to Kiwi readers, given that only the performance flagship Fiesta ST is offered locally. But nevertheless let’s take a look at the full ensemble.

Ford has published images of the ST-Line, Active, and ST Fiesta models (the ordinary Trend and Titanium trims were absent from the press imagery).

The biggest tweak to each model visually is the new grille, which makes for a larger, friendlier face than before with the Ford badge mounted more prominently. Each gets a new bumper to boot, featuring a wrap-around secondary grille area and new headlights.

As with the outgoing model, the Active gets some rugged-looking wheel arch extensions and what appears to be a slightly taller ride height. All up, the updated Fiestas are a handsome bunch.

Inside, Ford has added a 12.3-inch digital cluster; a feature that’s slowly but surely becoming more prominent in more subcompact vehicles. Ford boasts that it’s fully configurable, with pictures showing how its appearance can change depending on drive modes.

The updated 8-inch touchscreen can be had with a new-look version of SYNC 3 with live traffic updates and other local information, voice commands, and full mobile connectivity. The new Fiesta also is also compatible with FordPass Connect, meaning it can be remotely started and unlocked via Ford’s app.

Onto powertrains. Ford has axed the naturally aspirated 1.0-litre and the 1.5-litre turbodiesel. A trio of turbocharged 1.0-litre triples now do the bulk of the work, one producing 74kW of power, a mid-spec 48-volt hybrid version producing 92kW, and the most powerful 1.0-litre hybrid making 114kW.

The ST naturally gets something a little different, in the form of a more powerful, larger 1.5-litre turbocharged triple. It’s based on the same unit as in the outgoing ST, with power unchanged at 147kW. Ford has been able to squeeze more torque out of the 1.5, increasing it from 290Nm to 320Nm.

A six-speed manual is still the only transmission offered with the ST, making it one of the few cars only offered with a manual (joining the likes of the Toyota GR Yaris, Honda Civic Type R, and not a lot else).

Despite the extra torque, 0-100km/h doesn’t change, with Ford still rating it at 6.5 seconds. The ST’s much lauded suspension tune hasn’t changed either, still based around a Tenneco twin-tube front damper and force-vectoring spring combination.