Ford Fiesta review
by David Finlay (15 September 2008)
Ford launched the first Fiesta more than thirty years ago, and since then cars with that name have consistently been among the best-selling small hatchbacks in the UK. The British market being what it is, this would probably be the case no matter how good the car was, and it's not unfair to say that there have been some pretty ropey Fiestas in the past. The new model, which goes on sale next month, is however just possibly the best Fiesta yet.
I say this having spent two days (quite mileage-intensive days, though) in a single, left-hand drive, German-market model. Apart from having the steering wheel on the "wrong" side, it won't be radically different from the cars that will go on sale in this country, and in some respects it has to be exactly the same; the surprisingly generous amount of room for front passengers, for example, won't change, and nor will the very effective noise insulation which made even this turbo diesel version one of the quietest of its kind.
A diesel engine is a hefty piece of kit to put between the front wheels of a small car, but the Fiesta nevertheless has a ride quality that suggests it's at least a market segment larger than it actually is - both large undulations and small bumps in the tarmac are dealt with smoothly and without fuss. Equally, though, this car is good fun to drive, and willing to keep up with your ambitions if you decide to tackle a country road with more bravado than most Fiesta owners are likely to attempt.
The exterior design is quite adventurous for a Fiesta, and if there are occasional hints of other cars (I saw - or had pointed out to me - features which called to mind such diverse machines as the Peugeot 207 and the Hyundai Coupé) they don't alter the fact that the body is both attractive and adventurous, and narrowly escapes having too many fancy details. The interior comes nearer to falling into that trap, but on the plus side it's the most successful of any recent Fiesta (previous models having been bland to the point of boredom).
There are some problems, though, and the two key ones are shared with the Fiesta's close relation, the Mazda2. Small hatchbacks aren't expect to have lots of rear legroom, but the Fiesta is particularly disappointing in that respect, and the wedge effect of the window line creates rear visibility problems which are both ridiculous and inappropriate for a car which may well spend a lot of its time being reversed in supermarket car parks. This isn't so much form failing to follow function, it's a case of form taking function behind the bike sheds and giving it a good kicking.
The Fiesta comes in seven closely-packed trim levels, the cheapest of which is Studio. Studio cars cost from £8695, depending on which engine they use, and come with ABS, front, side and knee airbags, a cD player, central locking and electric mirrors. Style (starting price £9295) adds body-coloured exterior trim, an upgraded four-speaker audio system, remote central locking and electric front windows. Style + (£10,395) is the same plus a heated windscreen and air-conditioning.
Zetec (expected to be the most popular choice, starting at £10,995) includes 15" alloy wheels, front foglights, a leather steering wheel, chrome exterior trim and "aesthetic" interior lighting. Zetec S (£12,595) has 16" alloys, sports suspension and bodywork add-ons including a rear spoiler. And Titanium (£12,095) is the fancy one with Electronic Temperature Control, privacy glass, cruise control, automatic headlights and wipers, folding door mirrors and carpet mats.
If you were keeping score there, you'll notice that that's six trim levels, not seven as I suggested. The seventh is ECOnetic, the low-CO2 Fiesta with a VED-exempting 98g/km rating. ECOnetics use a modified version of the 89bhp 1.6 TDCi turbo diesel engine along with low-resistance tyres and lowered suspension, but they won't go on sale in the UK until spring 2009.
In addition to the 1.6 diesel mentioned above there's also a 67bhp 1.4 alternative, while on the petrol side there are two 1.25s (producing 59bhp and 81bhp), a 95bhp 1.4 and a new 118bhp 1.6.
There's little to report on the question of safety, since Euro NCAP has not yet put a Fiesta through its crash test programme. However, the very similar Mazda2 only narrowly failed to remove the Peugeot 207 from its position as safest supermini when it was put through the Euro NCAP test procedure late last year, and it's likely that the Fiesta will at the very least come close to achieving a similar result.
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