FORD FIESTA ZETEC S 1.6 TDCi
Fords Best Fiesta Might Just Be This Mildly Sporting Diesel Model. Andy Enright Explains Why
Its unlikely youll have missed the column inches devoted to the Fiesta ST sports hatch but theres a lesser known sporting Fiesta that could well be the pick of the range. Whats more, its powered by a diesel engine. Although a Fiesta diesel doesnt promise a thrilling steer, the Zetec-S 1.6 TDCi makes a great all rounder and has a chassis that can show many more illustrious GTi hatches what handling is all about.
It has to be said that the headline figures dont make exciting reading. Packing 90bhp isnt going to impress too many people and a sprint to 60mph of 11.2 seconds isnt exactly concussive. Look beyond the raw figures and youll get a better handle on the performance of this common rail diesel engine.
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For a start, its fairly refined and certainly a good deal quieter than the same unit fitted to its Fusion sibling. Its unlikely youll pull up at the pumps and reach for the green nozzle, but it features an inoffensive soundtrack with what is, for a smallish diesel, a broad spread of torque. On Fords press launch we drove the Fiesta ST first and then Zetec-S TDCi models. This is normally a recipe for finding the diesel car sluggish beyond belief, but this was far from the case.
Much to Fords chagrin, their star car had, in the eyes of many journalists present, been upstaged by the diesel hatch. The STs big engine endows it with far more torque than a sporty supermini usually packs but the TDCi is another step ahead. On the twisty, hilly road route around Siena, the additional pulling power of the Zetec-S made light work of the punishing inclines. With 204Nm of torque on tap, the Zetec-S TDCi offers effortless muscle out of hairpin bends.
The cars torque to weight ratio is the reason for this, and this means that you wont need to constantly grab for gears to maintain decent progress. This is just as well, as the short throw manual shift isnt the sweetest, with a particularly obstreperous change from second to third.
"Beneath the somewhat ordinary styling is a car with a great chassis and enough pulling power to entertain"
Being a diesel, you can take for granted excellent fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions. In this instance, you can count on a combined fuel figure of 62.8mpg and an emissions showing of just 118g/km. Even when hammering the car hard up and down hillsides all day, the fuel economy didnt drop below 40mpg.
Developed in conjunction with PSA
Peugeot Citroen, this lightweight all aluminium alloy engine features twin overhead cams and a drive by wire throttle system, which means that features such as ESP stability control can also be offered. The engine weighs less than 120kg, helping to avoid that lumbering nose heaviness that has often afflicted small sporting diesel cars. The Zetec-S features recalibrated spring and damper settings and a ride height thats been lowered by ten millimetres. The rear twist beam has also been beefed up by around fifteen per cent.
Unique 16-inch alloy wheels are shod with either Continental or Pirelli P Zero rubber. Its road manners have been elevated to a position above and beyond any existing supermini whilst its ride and refinement is 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 seats are a different matter altogether, lacking lateral support at the sort of cornering speeds the excellent chassis routinely coaxes you into.
The Fiesta shrugs off mid-corner bumps well and has a genuine big car feel. If theres one complaint about the Fiestas handling, its that it may almost be too clever for its own good. 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.
Get comfortable in the narrow 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. 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 side airbags cost extra even on this plushest model.
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 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. The driving position is fairly good, with light pedals and a height adjustable drivers seat.
The way that Ford have raised the gearlever onto a pedestal places it quickly to hand. On a practical note, the seats are easy to fold down, those integrated rear headrests making the operation simplicity itself. Where the Fiesta falls down is in the lack of clever cubbyholes and the singular lack of any cup holders. Grab a takeout from KFC and youd better get used to the Colonels Hot Wings tasting of Fanta.
Priced at £12,495, the Fiesta Zetec-S TDCi probably isnt the most obvious sports hatch out there for those looking for something both responsible and reasonably rapid. Other manufacturers offer far more eyecatching wares, but the Fiesta is a fantastic all rounder. Beneath the somewhat ordinary styling is a car with a great chassis and enough pulling power to entertain. New owners will, within the space of a few miles, be content that theyve made a very
smart choice indeed.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Ford Fiesta Zetec S TDCI
PRICE: £12,495 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 6E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 118g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 11.2s / Max Speed 112mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 52.3mpg / (extra urban) 68.9mpg /(combined) 62.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver's and passenger airbags, IPS, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 3921/1683/1468mm
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