Ford Fiesta
Supermini continues to top new car sales charts. We see if it’s still a class leader
MODELTESTED: Ford Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost 100 Zetec 5dr PRICE: £15,895 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 99bhp
FOR the best part of a decade the Ford Fiesta has been Britain’s best-selling car, and the arrival of an all-new model last year did nothing to dent the popularity of the famous nameplate. Yet competition is fierce in the supermini sector, so six months after its launch, is the Fiesta still a contender? The £15,895 1.0 Ecoboost 100 Zetec five-door model fights it out against the latest Polo here for honours.
Design & engineering
AS with the Polo and the Ibiza, this latest eighth-generation Fiesta has grown in size to offer buyers more usability, but Ford hasn’t sacrificed the strengths of the previous model in its quest for increased practicality.
The car is based on an updated version of the global B small car platform that underpinned its predecessor, which means Macpherson strut suspension and a torsion beam rear end that stacks up against its supermini rivals. However, Ford’s chassis team has tuned the set-up to deliver a typically fun feel, while further improving comfort and refinement, too. The engine in our test car is the familiar 1.0-litre three-cylinder Ecoboost unit that delivers 99bhp and 170Nm of torque, but unlike its rivals here, it gets a six-speed gearbox.
In Zetec trim there’s a comparable level of kit to the Polo’s, with an upgraded eight-inch touchscreen featuring on our test car thanks to the £300 optional sat-nav system. Air-con, a speed limiter, DAB, Apple Carplay and Android Auto are offered as standard.
The equipment is nicely integrated into the interior, too. The infotainment placement is a vast improvement over the previous Fiesta, plus the driving position is the best here. However, while quality is good in the most part, some of the materials don’t have quite the same premium feel as those in the Polo – but then the Ford does cost marginally less, while some options are cheaper, too.
Driving
EVEN though it’s a supermini, if you’re a keen driver who values fun then the Fiesta will suit you perfectly. Compared with its Mqb-based rivals that feel inert, the Ford is alert and agile, but is still comfortable.
The steering is lovely, and as you load the car up into a corner it offers the most information as to what’s going on at the road surface. Not so much as to impact refinement, that is, but just enough to put you at the heart of the driving experience. And combined with a suspension set-up that delivers impressive grip and adjustability for a standard small hatchback, it’s remarkably rewarding to drive.
The damping has a lovely ability to support the car through bends so it doesn’t roll, but it’s not too harsh over bumps, either, softening the blows from ripples in the road. It’s not as refined as the Polo, but then it’s clear the Fiesta’s brief is ever so subtly different. It feels like its job is to entertain, while it makes a good effort at delivering day-to-day usability.
This is helped by the six-speed box that keeps cruising revs lower. Its 0-60mph time is identical to the Ibiza’s, at 9.9 seconds, while the shorter gears meant it was the fastest car on test going up through the ratios from 30 to 70mph, recording a time of 10.1 seconds. Having more intermediate ratios meant it was punchier than its competitors in gear despite being 5Nm down. For example, the Fiesta took 6.9 seconds to accelerate between 30 and 50mph in fourth, while the Polo and Ibiza posted times of 8.0 and 7.6 seconds respectively.
Away from the test track the Ford’s performance advantage is marginal, and given how these cars will be driven most of the time, there’s not much in it.
Practicality
THE Fiesta loses out when it comes to boot space, because the 292-litre load bay is down on its rivals’. There’s still more than enough capacity for most people day to day; it’s just that longer trips loaded up with four occupants’ luggage will stretch the Fiesta’s ability further than in either the larger Polo or the Ibiza.
There’s not too much to split the trio in terms of cabin space, though. Legroom is again slightly tighter in the Ford, but it’s certainly fine for shorter journeys. Visibility is good, helped by that lovely driving position, and there’s enough comfort to spend a good few hours behind the wheel without any aches and pains. But ultimately, the Fiesta does lack a little bit of usability compared with its rivals.
Ownership
FORD fared poorest of these three brands in our Driver Power 2017 survey, taking 19th place in the makers’ charts and 24th in the dealer rankings. Yet given the number of previous-generation Fiestas sold and the fact that this car shares much of its tech, for it to be voted the 50th best vehicle to live with in our rundown means there shouldn’t be too many problems.
Disappointingly, autonomous braking isn’t fitted as standard and is part of a £400 pack that also adds pedestrian detection, distance alert and adaptive cruise. While this is all useful kit, it would be better if the core AEB system was standard. Still, the Fiesta earned a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating.
Running costs
ALTHOUGH it’s predicted to suffer the worst depreciation here, the Fiesta is best for company car tax thanks to the lowest-ontest CO2 emissions of 97g/km. Lower-rate earners will pay £566 per year. Owners of the 101g/km Polo stump up £598 per year. But the taxman will take £633 a year from those running the 106g/km SEAT.
The Ford loses out on servicing costs. Two check-ups will set you back £530, compared with £378 on the SEAT and £288 on the Polo.