Ford’s Compact Superstar
A week in a sporty five-door Zetec model confirmed Car Showroom’s impressions from the new model launch – Ford’s Fiesta is one of the very best compact cars on the market.
Award-winning looks, superb on-road dynamics and excellent value mean the Fiesta is a must-include on your shopping list if a compact car is on your mind.
What You Get
Entry to the Fiesta family starts under $17K with the CL 3-door, but Ford handed us the keys to a range-topping sporty Zetec five-door manual (recommended retail price $21,490). Automatic Fiestas are powered by Ford’s 1.4-litre engine while manual models get the DOHC 1.6-litre.
Sourced from Ford in Germany, the Fiesta oozes European design style inside and out. On the road you enjoy European-standard performance, ride and handling.
Inside, Fiesta presents a contemporary and stylish look and it’s loded with features.
Under The Hood
The strategy of equipping automatic Fiestas with the 1.4-litre engine and manual models with the 1.6-litre is somewhat baffling but don’t be deterred – we know from driving a variety of Fiestas at the new model launch that the smaller engine is still quite handy.
However we certainly enjoyed our week in the 1.6-litre Zetec five-door.
The Duratec 1.6-litre is a DOHC design and delivers a useful 88kW of power at 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 152Nm at 4050 rpm. That’s identical to the power of Honda’s Jazz 1.5-litre and an extra seven Nm. The Mazda2 (1.5-litre) provides 76kW and 137Nm.
Ford says the combined cycle fuel economy of the Fiesta is as low as 6.1l/100kms and the CO2 emissions are 143g/km.
The Interior
Everyone at the Car Showroom team was hugely impressed by the Fiesta interior.
Instrumentation is good, there are lots of storage bins for bits and pieces and the seats are amongst the best in the compact segment. Rear seat room is not the biggest in the segment but the luggage space (281l with the 60/40 split rear seat upright) is competitive.
We liked the height-adjustable drivers’ seat and this, combined with a steering wheel adjustable for height and reach, provided a good driving position for people of all sizes. The quality-feel, three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear lever provide a sporty feel.
The audio is a single CD system with MP3 and Bluetooth integration.
As you would expect with the latest generation cars coming from Europe, safety is strong and Fiesta boasts five airbags including a drivers’ knee airbag, head and thorax side airbags.
Exterior & Styling
The acclaimed Red Dot Design Awards from the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Germany are eagerly sought by everyone from automotive companies to dishwasher manufacturers. This year the Fiesta scored a Red Dot Award for its exterior design excellence.
And the award-wining Fiesta is in elite company there with only a small field of fellow recipients from the automotive sector – these include the Maserati Quattroporte and Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster.
It’s a great look with those sharp headlights, deeply sculptured bonnet and curved side glass blending to a brilliantly executed rear.
Zetec models gain a sports bodykit highlighted by a large roof-mounted rear spoiler.
On The Road
This is where the Fiesta scores big points. Ford’s compact car is a superstar in terms of its performance, ride and handling.
Underneath is a cleverly designed suspension system that matches the best from rival European brands. The front is an independent MacPherson strut design with subframe-mounted L-shaped lower control arms and struts with twin-tube shock absorbers. The rear is a twist-beam design with mono-tube shocks.
Toss-in Dynamic Stability Control with Traction Control plus 16-inch alloy wheels with German-made 195/45 R16 tyres and the result is a sharply-priced compact car that was superb fun to drive over our mountain road test route. The Fiesta provided high levels of refinement and noise suppression over bumps and train crossings – better than most segment rivals.
Back in the city, Fiesta is easy to maneuver and park with nicely weighted power steering and good visibility. The handy 10.2 metre turning circle certainly helped tight parking.
Challenges
The Fiesta does face-off against some well-credentialed rivals in the compact car segment. We would reckon the rear drum brakes might be replaced by discs at its first facelift and we would concede the Honda Jazz does deliver a more versatile interior.
Verdict
The Car Showroom team was unanimous – the Fiesta Zetec was a ‘keeper’ (a car we would rather have kept than return).
Superbly-styled inside and out, great to drive and sharply priced, the Fiesta deserves the praise being heaped on it by motoring journalists in every corner of the globe.
The Competition
While most would agree, the most direct rivals for the Fiesta are Mazda2, Honda Jazz, Volkswagen Polo, Fiat Punto and Citroen C3, others hovering in the segment include Holden Barina, Hyundai Getz, Kia Rio, Mitsubishi Colt, Nissan Micra, Proton Satria, Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris.
Likes
Brilliant looks; great to drive; value-for-money; European quality
Dislikes
Interior not as versatile as some; rear drum brakes
