The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Ford goes to extremes for the new Fiesta, which is now for sale here
CAR makers go to great lengths to set their vehicles apart but Ford seem to have set extreme, if not bizarre, new thresholds with their latest Fiesta supermini.
The car is just now going on sale in Ireland. An evergreen favourite with Irish buyers, they’re expecting big things from a name that has been on the go for more than 40 years.
Prices start from €16,550 for the Zetec 3dr 1.1-litre 70PS petrol version.
They are claiming it is the world’s most technologically advanced small motor. And there are as many as four variations, including an Active ‘crossover’ version with rugged styling, raised ride-height, roof bars, cladding etc.
But here are five Fiesta off-beat things you might be surprised to learn about the new arrival.
1. Robot buttocks ‘sat’ in the seats 25,000 times to ensure their ability to cope with heavy wear-and-tear traffic. Seat bolsters, meanwhile, are subjected to 60,000 test cycles. And the materials are checked after 24 hours at minus 30degrees Centigrade.
2. New manufacturing technology ‘listens’ to noise frequencies produced when parts are being pressed to make sure they’re up to standard. The factory in Cologne makes a new Fiesta every 68 seconds and can handle 20,000 different variations of the car.
3. The car’s heated, leather steering wheel has been tested so it is resistant to damage or being stained – from sunscreen on the driver’s hands.
4. The new car’s doors need 20pc less power to shut – because of improvements to its air extractors of all things.
5. And engineers spent a year – a year – listening to more than 5,000 music tracks so their 675-watt B&O PLAY system hits all the right notes.
According to ‘What Car?’, the entry-level 1.1-litre petrol engine has just 69bhp, although there’s a gutsier version of the same engine with a more respectable 84bhp.
The 1.0 Ecoboost engines are peppy around town and comfortable on longer motorway trips. The sweet 125 (123bhp) version offers a step up in pace from the 100 while the 138bhp version pulls eagerly from low revs yet loves to be revved beyond 6000rpm.
One of the most appealing things about the Fiesta is that it combines small-car fun with big-car sophistication, and that’s true of the way it rides.
WhatCar? says the Seat Ibiza smoothes over smaller imperfections slightly more adroitly, but the Fiesta is more comfortable than every other rival in the small car class. Keen drivers will love its responsive, composed nature on demanding roads, but it’s the Fiesta’s ability to put a smile on your face on even the most mundane journey that’s most endearing.
Put simply, the Fiesta is the best-handling small car on the market and actually outshines many cars from the class above.
Meanwhile, the Fiesta’s accelerator, brake and clutch pedals are all positively weighted, making it a really easy car to drive smoothly. The six-speed manual gearbox (fitted to all versions apart from the entry-level 1.1 Ti-VCT) is also very precise, if not quite as slick as the ‘box in the rival Ibiza.
The Fiesta’s funky shape does compromise visibility slightly but the high driving position gives a good view of the road ahead.
Rear parking sensors are standard on Titanium trim and above (optional on Zetec), while a reversing camera is fitted to Titanium X, ST-Line X and Vignale trims.
The 8.0in touchscreen that comes on Titanium models and above is bright and relatively simple to use while the Bang & Olufsen sound system is seriously punchy.