The Fiesta has been hot property in the UK and Europe since its 1976 debut, yet it didn't reach Australia until 2004. Ford's city car has never seemed to reach its sales potential here, despite plenty of body-style choices (three- and five-door hatches and sedan) and critical acclaim for its dynamics. Its sporty handling credentials have been exemplified by hot-hatch versions initially called the XR4 followed by ST. In 2018, Ford Australia said it would not be importing regular versions of the new, seventh-generation Fiesta, instead focusing on the new ST performance variant.
