In the mid-1990s Ford appeared to turn its back on the concept of the high-performance Fiesta. There were XR2 versions of the Mk1 and Mk2 models, and thrill-seekers later had their choice of two 1.8-litre Mk3s, plus the muscular RS Turbo.
Ah, how the years pass. With its 1.6 engine, the Zetec S is the largest-capacity Fiesta there has been (not counting diesels) since the current model was introduced. It just barely scrapes over 100bhp, a figure which would have qualified it as a mid-range car nearly a decade ago.
Still, performance isn't simply a question of peak power outputs, and the Zetec S pulls quite strongly at most engine speeds. That means you can nip around the place at a satisfactory rate without pushing it too hard, and if you do happen to venture towards revlimiter territory it continues to sound sweet.
Changes of direction are sharp, so it's a pleasing car to drive on twisty country roads. But this is at the expense of the excellent ride quality which Richard Parry-Jones introduced to the original Mk4, showing against nearly all previous evidence that the Fiesta's suspension could be made to operate in a sophisticated manner.
The party line, no doubt, is that the jiggliness which makes slow running over less than perfect surfaces a bit of a chore is what sportily-minded drivers want from small hatchbacks, but I'm not sure. It is a challenge, but not an impossible one, to make even small hatchbacks handle well while also riding well. With the Zetec S Ford seems to have avoided the challenge completely and reverted to the more simplistic method of turning the chassis into something resembling a skateboard.
Admittedly the Zetec S can be a lot of fun when the right opportunity arises, but it so rarely does. Overall - and you can call me a heretic if you like - I thought the Fiesta diesel tested recently by CARkeys was actually more fun to drive more of the time than its sportier stablemate.
An even greater irritation, and the main reason I do not want to own this car, was that I found it extremely difficult to change gear smoothly. This isn't particularly the car's fault - the problem is that I'm too tall to be able to drive it correctly. The clutch biting point on the test car arrived at exactly the moment I had to give up flexing my foot and pull my leg back to release the pedal further.
If you've ever tried this you'll know that this is not an easy movement to control, and it made for some embarrassingly jerky changes in the lower gears. The only way round this would have been to let the driver's seat move further back than the runners currently permit, in the process reducing the Fiesta's already notoriously feeble rear legroom to practically zero.
Drivers of more reasonable height won't find this a problem, of course, and I must admit I honestly don't remember this being quite such a problem in other Fiestas. Still, for that reason more than any other, the Zetec S is, as tested, a car which I can't recommend to tall chaps.
Second opinion: Yes, it's a pity the old fiery Fiestas have faded away, but Ford never intended that the Zetec S should be a replacement 21st-century hot hatch. I thought this was a lively machine out on country roads, handled enjoyably thanks to the considerably uprated suspension, with a decent surge of mid-range power and a firmish ride which didn't bother me all that much. Quite well kitted out, with the white-faced dials and red trim elements which shout "sporty!" these days. Good driving seat, too. We can't do much about staff foot size, and I'm puzzled that somebody who's just gone Legends racing should prefer the Fiesta TDdi, good though it may be for torque. Ross Finlay.