Since its launch in 1976 Fiesta has been a success for Ford. In the region of 100,000 models are sold in the UK each year.

Last year it was the best-selling car in the UK. In fact, four million Fiestas have been sold in the UK and 12 million around the world.

But Ford have somehow managed to keep it fresh and attractive to successive generations. It must be a formidable job for the designers and engineers to keep Fiesta at the top of the tree but somehow they manage to keep newer, fresher rivals at bay.

The latest Fiesta seems well placed to continue Ford’s domination. So, how does Ford do it? Well, price is key. New Fiesta costs from £9,795, making it a cost-effective option. But it’s also stylish and well-equipped.

It also comes with the EcoBoost one litre engine first seen in Focus which is a formidable unit.

But there are also bigger engines and the luxury model Titanium for those who prefer Fiesta to be very well-appointed. The highly-specified models appeal in particular to those coming down from bigger models.

The first and most obvious change is that the new Ford front end first seen on a concept car has been grafted onto the familiar Fiesta, with new headlights and on the whole a sharper face. Three vibrant new colours have been announced, too: Copper Pulse, Hot Mustard and Candy Blue. The package is clearly tailored to a younger, more outgoing audience but all the more reserved colours are there as well.

But the biggest news is that there are now six different drivetrain options for the UK that fall under the 100g/km threshold, giving consumers a remarkable level of choice of how to digest our road tax-free motoring.

Three sub-100g/km turbodiesels sharing similar architecture sit alongside two 1.0-litre turbocharged EcoBoost petrols, with a lower-powered non-turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol rounding off the six. The latter, which produces an impressive 79bhp, is eventually due to replace the 1.25-litre 81bhp.

Something very new, however, is the level of technology the Fiesta can hold. B-segment drivers aren’t usually familiar with comprehensive voice-activation for the stereo, including any connected MP3 players.

Nor do many have automated emergency services contact systems that can accurately report the location of the car.

The MyKey system is new as well, allowing parents to apply top speed and audio volume limits among other safety precautions. Oddly, since most people’s budgets are being squeezed, Ford says that more people than ever are choosing the highest trim levels, again a sign of people migrating from larger models.

As a result there is a new, even higher grade over and above Titanium. Titanium X is the range-topper elsewhere in Ford’s range and now it comes to the Fiesta with partial leather upholstery and heated front seats. Keyless entry is also new and destined for the X only, although Zetec S and Titanium buyers can add X-standard kit.

As was seen in the Focus before the Fiesta, the lightweight EcoBoost engine also lightens the front end of the car, giving it an even keener turn-in and letting it hang onto corners even more tenaciously. The effect is less pronounced in the Fiesta because the EcoBoost is only a little lighter than the 1.25-litre petrol it will replace, but the difference between it and the heavier diesels is marked. The petrols are much the sweeter to drive.

Interior quality is subjective according to what the buyer is trading up or down from, but the materials are solid and they’re given an aesthetic boost with user-selectable colours for the dashboard. The Fiesta has grown up in some ways, with more technology and better engines. But at its core it offers good looks, sharp driving and affordable motoring.

l It was a nice touch that the new 2013 Fiesta was unveiled at the Imperial War Museum in Manchester this week, half a mile from where Ford built its first car in Britain, the Model T.