The Ford Fiesta's not done yet: Here's everything we know about its rumoured return

Britain’s favourite car could be making a comeback – and this time, the Ford Fiesta will be fully electric

TL;DR: Is the Ford Fiesta returning?

Ford retired the Fiesta – its most popular car – three years ago.

But the success of models like the new Renault 5 and Leapmotor T03 have forced Ford to revisit the idea of a small electric car in its lineup.

They’ve partnered up with Renault to make a small electric hatchback, which is expected to launch in 2028. Making the return of the Fiesta less of a rumour and more of an industry-wide expectation.

While the new car will share Renault’s Ampere platform, Ford promises it’ll have its own rally-heritage embedded in the design.

Details are spare, and the name has yet to be officially confirmed - but we can make educated guesses about its range, price-tag, and expected rivals.

It ferried school runs, first dates, and the dreaded morning commute for 47 long years.

And for 17 of them, the Ford Fiesta topped the charts as Britain’s favourite car.

Then Ford pulled the plug.

But don’t worry; if you’ve had a Fiesta-shaped hole in your life recently, you’re in for some good news. The car half the nation grew up with could be making a surprise return to our roads next year.

Ford’s team-up with Renault has fuelled the automotive rumour mill that plans for a new electric supermini will revive the retired Fiesta badge. And while official confirmation is still waiting in the wings, there’s every reason to believe the speculation is based in fact.

So what do we know about the Fiesta’s rumoured return?

Why did Ford retire its most popular car? 

You may have missed the first Ford Fiesta rolling off the production line in 1977, but we guarantee you’ve seen one knocking about your local high street since then.

Over 47 years it’s been through seven generations and sold over 22 million units worldwide. In the UK alone, the Fiesta spent 17 years as the UK’s top-selling car.

It’s not an understatement to say that makes it one of the most popular cars of all time.

So why did Ford pull it from the factory line? Popularity wasn’t the problem: Profitability was.

The Fiesta was Ford’s response to the 1973 oil crisis. The oil crisis that got the entire automotive market investing heavily in the supermini class; small, economical cars that ran cheaply, and could compete with the ever-iconic Mini Cooper.

But cut to 2023, and the market had moved on.

Appetite for cute and compact hatches was smaller, but had grown considerably for sizeable SUVs and crossovers.

And the pressure for manufacturers to electrify didn’t help; it was getting more expensive to make small cars without pricing them out of their traditional market.

You only need to look at the Honda e to see what we mean. Quirky, compact, but with abysmal range and a price tag that failed to justify itself.

The writing on the wall was clear; Ford’s future was in bigger cars with big batteries under the bonnet.

By 2023, Ford had pulled the Fiesta from its lineup to make way for new electric cars like the Capri and Explorer.

But the nation’s love for the Fiesta has refused to die.

Even three years after it got punted to the scrapyard of history, the Ford Fiesta remains the most popular car on the used market.

And why not? It’s rare to find a car that so perfectly blends proper affordability with excellent fuel economy and an unmatched driving experience.

Add in cheap running costs and a spacious cabin, and the Fiesta wins out as a surprisingly capable hatch with sporty performance and better than expected practicality.

It’s no wonder so many of us learned to drive in one.

And it’s no wonder so many of us are still keen to get behind the wheel, even with so many new and exciting brands hitting the market.

So is the Fiesta coming back? 

Probably – and we’ll tell you why we think so. 

When Ford and Renault announced they were teaming up, it got tongues wagging the world over.

You may or may not have seen that Renault recently revived the beloved 5 badge with a new electric supermini. And the reception has been glowing.

It’s not the first model to be brought back from the dead either, but it’s definitely had the warmest reception. The Vauxhall Frontera is basically an old name stuck on a brand-new car that is completely unrecognisable from the original; a slightly cynical approach when they were banking on nostalgia to boost sales.

Ford’s new Capri does a better job at honouring its namesake, with various design cues harking back to the OG model. But sticking a cult sports car name on a coupe-SUV has been controversial among long-time fans.

On the flip side, the Renault 5 E-Tech perfectly preserves the spirit of the original 5. And its success is proof that there’s still appetite for a humble hatch in a market saturated with SUVs.

Ford weren’t brave enough to make a fully electric coupe.

But with Renault’s Ampere Platform behind them, it looks like they’ve got the nerve to put a supermini back in their lineup: This time with a big ol’ battery under the bonnet.

They’ve brought one iconic name back from the dead; why not another? Granted, there are a few to choose from like the Escort, or the much-missed Focus.

But if you ask us, there’s one obvious choice. And the whole world will be surprised if Ford doesn’t make it.

They have yet to confirm the name. But that hasn’t stopped the automotive world from treating a Fiesta revival less as a rumour and more as a fact.

Scheduled for a 2028 launch, we could see the final production version by the end of next year, before it goes on sale.

What to expect from a new Ford Fiesta

So, what do we actually know so far? Ford isn’t giving a lot away this early in the game except that this new car is a nod to its rally heritage. And that it will be a small electric hatchback.

But speculation is rife and the Renault 5 E-Tech gives us something to go on: 

• Looks and drives like a Ford: Despite sharing a platform with Renault, there's been assurances it will be a Ford car through and through
• Key rivals: It'll likely be competing with the likes of the new Volkswagen ID.Polo, CUPRA Ravel, SKODA Epiq, Alpine A290, Nissan Micra, and (of course) the new Renault 5.
• Spec: Expected to be a front-engined, front-wheel drive - just like the 5
• Range: Likely looking at between 250-280 miles (WLTP Comb)
• Pricing: The new Renault 5 starts from £22,995* at entry level; it's likely Ford's new car will be similarly priced, but the price tag could bump up if they make a sportier RS-badged version

Interior and tech details are non-existent, but that’s likely because Ford have yet to confirm if they’ll use their own infotainment system. And this is where we really hope Ford is carrying forward learnings from the Capri revival.

Because its infotainment system? We’ll give it a chef’s kiss.

We’re talking a 14.6 inch SYNC Move touchscreen which adjusts to your driving position, storage galore, and the ability to create a hidden compartment behind the screen.

It’s slick, it’s swish and if you’ve read our Ford Capri review, you’ll know it left us seriously impressed.

We also expect some of the Fiesta’s more annoying issues to be eliminated by virtue of coming back electric.

Coolant leaks and wet-belt degradation? Banished, along with the EcoBoost engine that caused them.

The faulty Powershift automatic transmission? Hopefully won’t be reappearing any time soon either.

We want the Ford Fiesta back, yes. And if Ford has learned from its recent history, it could be coming back better than ever.

Closing the affordable EV gap

Ford retired the Fiesta partly because demand for small cars was waning in favour of chunky SUVs and crossovers. Especially as carmakers started taking zero-emission driving more seriously.

But the tables are finally turning.

In 2025, the UK government introduced a new tax on expensive cars; and most EVs had a price tag that tipped them over that £50,000 threshold.

Suddenly customers wanting to embrace zero-emission driving were having to stump up more cash than they’d budgeted for to drive EVs like the Polestar 4, or Volvo EX60.

Cue: The arrival of brands like Leapmotor with the smashing little T03.

It’s cute. It’s compact. And its one trim comes with everything included, including 15-inch alloys; a 10-inch touchscreen; panoramic sunroof; and a comprehensive suite of driver assistance tech loaded in the cabin.

All this for the hefty sum of £15,995*. Yes, you’ve read that right.

That’s a price tag dipping so far beneath the threshold of the expensive car tax that you can basically forget it even exists.

And it’s not alone; BYD, Changan, Chery, OMODA, JAECOO… They’re not just here to compete, they’re actively filling a gap in the EV market that our tried-and-true carmakers just haven’t been able to close; demand for genuinely affordable EVs.

The likes of Nissan, Renault, and yes, even Ford, have been forced to revisit the idea of an affordable electric supermini if they want to stay competitive.

Nissan has brought back the Micra. Renault, as we know, has done a roaring job reviving the 5.

Now it’s Ford’s turn. And given the Fiesta’s stupendous first run, they’d be stupid not to bring it back as one of the two small EVs they’ve got cooking up with Renault.

What does this mean for you?

Whether you’re a long-time Fiesta fan or not – in fact, whether Ford revives the name or not – this pivot towards small, affordable EVs is a good thing.

It means more choices. More practicality. More convenience.

Because yes, if you’ve got kids, pets, or paddleboards to ferry around, you probably will find yourself behind the wheel of an SUV eventually, purely for the amount of space on offer.

But most households have two cars running, and it’d be nice to have the choice of a smaller second car that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to take home.

So, while your partner tackles the school run behind the wheel of a Nissan Qashqai or Peugeot E-3008, you could nip to the gym in a Renault 5.

Easier to park, no emissions, perfect for the times you don’t need to haul the entire household from A to B.

And if you lease both cars, being able to pick a second smaller, cheaper lease deal can really help manage your household costs. Because why pay for two expensive lease deals if you don’t have to?

When you consider the cost of a Polestar 4 and a Volvo EX90, against something like a Polestar 4 and a new Nissan Micra, the savings are substantial.

And the proposition – low price tags, plenty of tech – is genuinely attractive.

So whether Ford name their new supermini the Fiesta or not, it'll still be one more option to add to your shortlist.

But if you’re choosing your first electric car, the Fiesta is a name you already know – and given its sterling reputation, it’s one you can trust.

Yes, we’re still waiting for confirmation of the name. Yes, we’d love it to be the Fiesta; revamped, renewed, and returned from the dead with brand-new electric credentials.

But whatever badge Ford give their new supermini, one thing is clear: It’s worth getting excited about.