Will Britain's most popular car ever make a comeback?
Loved by learners, collected by enthusiasts and popular among senior motorists; this is a name that is deeply ingrained in hearts of drivers of all ages and passion levels for cars. If the nameplate is to make a dramatic reappearance, it will surely be stamped onto a very different vehicle to the one we've known and loved for decades. Without question, if Ford is to bring the Fiesta name back, it will not be used for a combustion-engine model. And the brand's existing deal with another car-making giant could fast track its return as it has done former iconic names associated to the brand with the blue oval badge.
Ford-VW deal could be key to Fiesta comeback
Ford and Volkswagen currently have an agreement in place. It sees Volkswagen granted access to its rival's commercial vehicle platforms - like that of the Transit - in return for sharing its electric vehicle architecture. The tie-up has already sparked the return of the Explorer nameplate as well as the highly-contentious return of the Capri badge in 2024 after a near 40-year hiatus. Both are underpinned by VW platforms, with the pair sharing DNA with the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 respectively. Volkswagen's head of sales and marketing, Martin Sander, who left Ford to join the German automotive powerhouse, told Auto Express that the collaboration with Ford on EVs has already proven to be 'very, very, very successful,' and suggested the partnership could extend into the future. During a recent interview, he told the automotive title that he did 'not want to rule out' any future opportunities to 'share technology again'. And VW's plans for smaller models could potentially instigate a return of the Fiesta nameplate.
Volkswagen's 2026 EV the ideal Fiesta candidate
Volkswagen is due to launch a compact ID.2 in 2026 - and a year later, an even smaller ID.1 is scheduled to follow. While Ford itself has not signalled the possibility of building a new entry-level electric hatchback smaller in dimension to its Puma Gen-E, Auto Express has hinted that the Fiesta name would be a logical option if the larger of these two EVs were part of the shared-platform arrangement. Ford has also said it is 'confident in its ability to compete in the right segments' - and currently with no small models at all, this could be a possibility. The ID.2 - based on the ID.2all Concept revealed in 2023 - is a mere 18mm longer than the last-generation Fiesta sold in Britain and too shares a practical five-door layout. As such, it seems the perfect fit for a reborn battery-powered Fiesta.
Ford has only one model that could qualify for UK's new Electric Car Grant
What could also accelerate Ford's appetite to bring smaller EVs to market is the recent announcement of the UK Government's Electric Car Grant. This will be available to models priced under £37,000. However, brands also need to meet specific manufacturing emissions criteria in order to qualify for the full £3,750 subsidy - and even a lower £1,500 allowance. While Chinese brands are expected to be excluded due to their heavy reliance on coal power stations for manufacturing, there are some European marques that are expected to have a number of eligible vehicles below this price point. Not Ford, though.
Only the Puma Gen-E is listed below the £37k threshold. Explorer, Capri and Mustang Mach-E are all steeper. It is currently unknown which EV models will be accepted into the scheme, though the DfT exclusively revealed to This is Money that the initial list of eligible battery-powered cars would be shared before 11 August. The final Ford Fiesta emerged from the brand's Cologne factory in Germany on 7 July.
Having first arrived in 1976 and been sold across seven different generations, the plucky small car has topped Britain's annual sales chart 16 times and leads the Cortina and Escort as the nation's all-time favourite model. It is still the most common car on our roads today and remains a staple of Britain's streets.
Ford confirmed to This is Money in summer 2023 that the last two Fiestas off the line have been kept by the company. One - which was signed by the whole factory workforce when it came off the assembly line - is retained in its international fleet in Germany while the final right-hand-drive model has formed part of Ford UK's heritage collection.
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