7 It has to beat some ace rivals

EVEN LEAVING the threat of crossovers out of the equation, the Fiesta isn’t short of competition. The ageing Corsa is perennially popular, the new Skoda Fabia and its Seat Ibiza sister are on †ine form, and cars like the Suzuki Swift, with its strong packaging and zippy turbo engines, are snapping at the heels of the established players. But perhaps the biggest threat of all comes from the new Polo. Like the Fiesta, the old car was a consistent sales hit even in its twilight years, but the new one promises to leave its rival in the shade, in terms of space and quality. There’s 94mm of extra wheelbase to improve interior space, the boot is 48 litres bigger than the Ford’s, and the interior is high quality and high tech. It’ll be one hell of a battle.