Diesel-powered Fiesta axed from Ford’s line-up

Ford has taken the decision to remove any diesel variants from its popular Fiesta range.

The Fiesta – which was previously available with two 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engines with either 84bhp or 118bhp – can now only be specified with petrol powertrains.

A spokesperson for Ford said that the diesel mix on Fiesta during 2020 has been ‘two to three per cent’, showing that demand had steadily declined.

It comes as a new mild-hybrid variant is launched, integrating a 48-volt hybrid with an efficient 1.0-litre Ecoboost turbocharged engine. With 153bhp, the engine has already been used on the recent Puma.

Sales of diesel cars have continued to decline across the board as more efficient petrol, hybrid and electric versions come to the fore. In fact, diesels made up just 18.4 per cent of sales in September 2020 – a considerable drop on the 50 per cent market share in 2014.

The Fiesta remains one of the most-purchased cars in the UK and was the second most-popular vehicle in September with 9,545 cars registered during the month.