Ford introduced the fourth generation of the Fiesta in 1995 and refreshed-it in 1999.
Although it wasn’t a completely new car, it had a totally different face.

Ford tried and gained with the New-Edge design language used for the first generation of the Focus and for the sporty little Puma. The idea was to combine long and curved lines in sharp angles. The compact-sized vehicle was such a success that the blue-oval management decided to apply the same theme on the smaller Fiesta.

From the oval-shaped headlights to the triangular ones, it was a complicated design process that imposed new fenders, hoods, and grille. The rear panel, quarter panels, and the tailgate were redesigned to accommodate a new set of taillights designed in the same trend in the back.

The interior was still part of the biodesign era, with rounded shapes and a curved dashboard. But Ford changed here and there a few buttons and the audio system. For the Ghia trim level, the designers installed a wood-trim, which might have looked better on a larger car than in a small-segment vehicle. The interior room was good for a family of four with adequate legroom in the back. Its trunk was big enough for weekly shoppings and, if there was more room needed, the seatback of the rear seat was folding in one piece.

For the 1999 Fiesta, Ford dropped the 1.1-liter engine and made the 1.3-liter unit the base version. A new, 1.25-liter ZETEC engine was installed and offered 75 hp. For selected markets, the Fiesta featured a 1.6-liter engine. An improved 1.8-liter turbodiesel version was introduced.