Ford Fiesta Range
Shouldnt we have had enough of the Ford Fiesta by now? The British public have bought thousands of the things since they first started appearing on the streets back in 1977 (yes, it was that long ago) but we still keep coming back for more. Just, one would hope, like the hairstyles and fashion senses of those who can recall the original cars debut, the Fiesta has been updated markedly in the interviewing years. Today were up to the sixth generation of Fords family favourite and the current model has a revitalised wardrobe without so much as a hint of bubble perm or flared trouser.
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Nobody wants to live out the rest of their days looking permanently surprised or as if theyre forever battling their way to the far end of a wind tunnel. With cars, its a little different. A facelift should revitalise without ruining a vehicles overall aesthetic but buyers like to be able to pinpoint the differences so they know tangible improvements have been made over the old model. With this Fiesta, Ford havent gone too overboard.
The grille is now of a diamond mesh design, the headlamps are pointier and the side mouldings grow thicker as they progress rearwards. The rear lights have been reshaped as have the bumpers and the overall effect is a slight move away from the Fiestas inherent chunkiness in a sleeker, more dynamic direction. Dramatic the changes are not. If you liked the look of the sixth generation Fiesta, and the sales charts suggest that plenty of people did, youll like todays version of it.
The Fiesta range, priced from £8,595, offers up few surprises but an impressive degree of choice. You can specify your car in the three or five-door bodystyles or even opt for the high-riding Fusion model that nobody can quite see the point of. Whichever option you ultimately pick, interior space is a definite strongpoint. In versions past, Fords supermini served up cattle class rear seating that would ask serious questions of anyone bar small children and national hunt jockeys.
Now two proper adults can be accommodated with little fuss. Theres 268 litres of luggage space in the three-door Fiesta or 284 litres in the five-door and in each instance those volumes more than treble when you fold the rear seats down.
"The Fiesta range offers up few surprises but an impressive degree of choice"
The Fiestas six-powerplant engine line-up can be split into three sections. Starting out, you have the two entry-level petrol options - solid units, tightly priced and economical but which struggle to inject much verve into the substantial Fiesta package. The 1.25-litre entry-level option produces 74bhp and a 13.
6s 0-60mph sprint but its major selling point will be the 45.6mpg combined fuel consumption. The 79bhp 1.4-litre alternative can hit 60mph in 12.
3s and returns 43.5mpg so many will be inclined to find the required premium over the smaller alternative. The next group offer much more by way of performance getting the best out of the Fiestas accomplished chassis. The 99bhp 1.
6-litre engine can make the sprint to 60mph in 10.2s before registering a 114mph top speed but the real barnstormer in the range is the 148bhp 2.0-litre petrol found in the ST model 7.9s and a 129mph top speed.
These engines return 42,8 and 38.2mpg respectively. The final group is comprised of the two best engines that the Fiesta has at its disposal the TDCi diesels. The 1.
4-litre TDCi has just 67bhp to call upon and a pedestrian 14.4s 0-60mph time but an outstanding 64.2mpg combined economy showing and a full 160Nm of torque at 2,000rpm mean that this unit has a muscular feel and a puny appetite. The 1.
6-litre TDCi option has more torque still, more even than the 2.0-litre petrol option, with 204Nm at 1,750rpm. Like the 1.4, it uses common-rail injection technology to produce a crushing surge of mid-range acceleration.
0-60mph in 11.2s doesnt tell you the half of it and a 62.8mpg average makes this engine a first class all-rounder. There should be few complaints about the Fiestas handling whichever engine you choose.
With accurate steering, one of the best gearboxes in the sector and plenty of grip, fun is always on the cards. Youve got your engine, youve got your bodystyle, now all thats left is the trim level. The Fiesta range kicks off with the Studio before extending to Style Climate, Zetec Climate, Ghia, Zetec S and ST trim levels. All Fiestas get intelligent windscreen wipers, a CD stereo, central locking and Fords Intelligent Protection System.
The plusher models get body-coloured door handles and mirrors with all Fiestas benefiting from a reasonable quota of safety equipment. Twin front airbags, ABS, seatbelt pretensioners and extensive impact protection are standard. The car also illuminates its hazard lights automatically during heavy braking. The Fiesta has come in for some criticism in the past over the quality of the materials used in its cabin but the current car has progressed on this score.
There are more of the in vogue soft-touch surfaces but, happily, the uncomplicated layout and the durable feel remain. Nice touches include a digital display in the instrument cluster which gives the radio station name and other handy titbits that youd otherwise have to divert your eyes from the road obtain. The volume on the stereo is speed sensitive so as wind, road and engine noise increase with your velocity so does the volume of your favourite song. The Ford Fiesta is a small car with real substance.
Enjoyable to drive with good interior space, its well-equipped and has a genuine feeling of strength about its construction. Visually it isnt the most exciting supermini youll encounter, although tweaks to the styling have refreshed things to some extent, and the smaller engines sometimes make hard work of things. The Fiesta may have been around in various forms since 1977 but the current one is bang up to date and worthy of its place amongst the UKs supermini favourites.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Ford Fiesta range
PRICES: £8,595-£13,795 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 2-13
CO2 EMISSIONS: 114-179g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.4 petrol] 0-60mph 13.2s / Max Speed 104mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.4 petrol] (urban) 32.1mpg / (extra urban) 60.1mpg / (combined) 45.6mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver's and passenger airbags
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 3917/1800/1432mm
