Ford FIESTA RANGE
Fords Latest Fiesta Is Deservedly Gaining A Strong Following. Andy Enright Reports
We had to wait a long time for a completely new
Ford Fiesta but when it finally arrived early in 2002, dealers and customers alike seemed pleased with the result, now priced from £8,295.
The design is everything a modern Supermini should be as youd expect, given that Ford had plenty of time to examine the competition during this cars lengthy development. The first thing we should talk about is space. Rival offerings with Tardis-like interior dimensions had rendered the previous generation Fiesta a touch quaint, and nowhere was this more evident than in rear
seat room. Economy class on an Aeroflot internal flight sprung to mind when snugly ensconced in the back of the little Ford.
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Thats no longer the case of course. With this latest Fiesta,
Ford have consciously made it a significantly larger car. In fact its 87mm longer, 50mm wider and 100mm taller in five-door guise. Even the three-door version makes the old model seem like one of those tiny citycars.
You might assume all this to mean that its now no longer as easy to park or as simple to thread through city streets. You might think that, but youd be wrong, thanks largely to the glassy bodyshell which does an excellent job in disguising the extra bulk. Whether the current car is better looking than its predecessor is a matter for debate. Whereas the front end cribs its styling cues from the larger Focus Family Hatchback, the rear end divides opinion, looking like a bevelled and chamfered
Vauxhall Corsa.
Its no great beauty, thats for sure, but its undeniably effective in achieving that goal of providing superior internal accommodation.
"If theres one complaint, its that the Fiesta may almost be too clever for its own good"
Drop into the drivers
seat and youll be greeted with a dashboard that adopts many of the quality conventions of the Mondeo range, and thats good news. For those who enjoy tracing the lineage of the design, the Mondeos interior designer was poached from
Volkswagen and it shows. Mind you, its easy to see where cost has been excised from the Fiesta, competing as it does in a class where margins are utterly cut throat. Some of the fascia plastics feel somewhat hard and nasty and anti lock brakes are an extra cost option across most of the range.
Cleverly however, Ford have appreciated that the bits of the cars we physically touch most often lend the strongest impression of quality, and to this end have wisely fitted leather-trimmed steering wheels and tactile gear shifters. Another example of intelligent design comes in the shape of rear head restraints that are deliberately uncomfortable when not slid up into their deployed position. This encourages rear seat occupants to utilise them properly but gets around the issue of encumbered rear vision when rear head restraints are traditionally fitted. Four petrol engines are offered, a 75bhp 1.
25-litre powerplant, a 16-valve 79bhp 1.4, a 1.6-litre 16-valve thats good for 99bhp and the 150bhp 2.0-litre found in the ST model.
For those looking to squeeze a few more miles from their gallon, a latest-generation 1.4-litre TDCi common-rail diesel unit is offered. With 67bhp on tap, its no tarmac scorcher, but its 118lb/ft of torque guarantees a relaxed drive. Above that comes the 90bhp 1.
6-litre TDCi that powers the diesel Zetec S model. Although Ford have concentrated on improving cabin space, they havent rested on their laurels when it comes to driving dynamics. Granted, the recipe doesnt at first appear promising, this high-sided car wearing a relatively state-of-the-ark twist-beam rear axle powered by a series of engines with modest power figures. Where is the independent control blade suspension that the Focus wears? Where are the trick driver aids? Scythed by the bean counters is the answer, although few will miss them after a drive in the Fiesta.
Yes, the Fiesta is a far more competent handler than its impressive predecessor and that should be praise enough for most. As a result, its handling is elevated to a position above and beyond any existing supermini, whilst its ride and refinement are comparable with the class best cars like the Volkswagen Polo and
Skoda Fabia. The steering was obviously engineered by somebody who understands the needs of keen drivers, being nicely weighted and rich in feedback without becoming a wearing distraction. The Fiesta shrugs off mid-corner bumps well and has a genuine big car feel.
If theres one complaint however, its that the Fiesta may almost be too clever for its own good, for its true that some of the verve and pizzazz of the old cars handling has been smoothed out. In making the car more competent, a little of the fun factor has been excised. Equipment levels are reasonable, spread across Studio, Style, Zetec, 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.
Market and finance also looks good with low day-to-day running costs and a healthy projected residual value. A Durashift EST sequential manual transmission is also available as an option on the 1.4 16v and the 1.6-litre petrol unit is offered with a conventional Durashift automatic.
Economy isnt a major plus with any of the petrol engines as all have to be worked hard to maintain a decent lick, but the 1.4-litre diesel unit is competent in this respect, returning 53.3mpg. Its a tough call, this latest Fiesta.
Objectively, it seems to trump its predecessor in any area you care to mention, which also means that in many respects, key rivals get a similar working over. Its hugely fit for purpose, displays an incredible depth of engineering and, exterior lines aside, is probably as good as could have been hoped. It seems churlish to criticise such an achievement but in making things better, a few of the raw edges we loved so much have been lost. If thats the price of progress, so be it.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Ford Fiesta range
PRICES: £8,295-£13,595 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
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