2022 Ford Fiesta Gets Mild Styling Updates; Fiesta ST Has More Torque
The 2022 Ford Fiesta arrives in Europe with a few styling updates and a mild power upgrade for the hotter Fiesta ST version. Ford has discontinued the Fiesta (and other cars except for the Mustang) in America beginning a few years back. But in Europe, the Fiesta remains a strong competitor against other superminis like the Vauxhall Corsa, VW Polo, and Seat Ibiza.
The current seventh-gen Ford Fiesta is getting a mildly restyled fascia for 2022. Changes include a new front grille, standard LED headlights for all trims, dark-tinted rear taillights, and varying cosmetic tweaks to distinguish between trim levels. Meanwhile, the Fiesta ST-Line gets a bespoke front grille with a glossy black finish and a honeycomb mesh design. Matrix LED headlights are now optional.
Under the hood is the same 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost turbo engine with 100, 125, and 155 horsepower. New for this small turbo engine is a 48V mild-hybrid powertrain derived from the Ford Puma, available in the 125 and 155-horsepower versions. It offers a mild electrical boost to improve low-end torque, but you can't plug it, and it won't allow the car to travel on electrons alone. Buyers can choose a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
But the crème of the crop is the Fiesta ST. Under its hood is a feisty 1.5-liter EcoBoost turbocharged three-cylinder engine pumping out 197 horsepower. With that much oomph from a small car, Fiesta ST can scoot from zero to 60 mph in 6.5-seconds and a 143 mph top speed. Ford also gave the ST model ten percent more torque, now peaking at 236 pound-feet. It's the same engine in the Ford Puma ST, and the 2022 Fiesta ST also inherited the Mean Green paint of the former.
In addition, Fiesta ST has a new Track driving mode that remaps the stability control to a broader slip mode, allowing you to slide the car around with minimal electronic interventions. Optional kit includes a mechanical limited-slip differential and dark 18-inch alloy wheels, although Fiesta ST comes standard with sporty-looking 17-inch wheels.
Inside, the 2022 Ford Fiesta has a new digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster with a new Wrong-Way Alert system. Also new for the Fiesta ST are Ford performance seats (no more Recaros) with integrated headrests. The new Ford Fiesta starts at around £17,000 ($23,500).