Fiesta looking as good as ever
THERE is an old adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ and thankfully Ford has taken heed from those wise words with the arrival of an all-new Fiesta whch is better than ever.
The Fiesta has topped the UK sales charts for the past eight years and, having experienced the latest generation model, it is likely to remain in that elevated position for some time to come.
Admittedly, the Fiesta was well overdue an update with older models looking quite dated and jaded round the edges and in that time superminis such as the Suzuki Swift, Citroen C3 and the SEAT Ibiza have all upped their game in an attempt to attract sales away from the blue oval badge company.
Yet the new Fiesta ups the ante once more with ultra-modern styling, bundles of innovative onboard technology and driving dynamics which are the envy of the industry proving again it will be the car to aspire towards.
The new Fiesta has grown a little and is now 70mm longer, 13mm wider and 20mm lower, which helps give the car a more dynamic stance.
Other eye-catching highlights include 16-inch alloys, halogen headlamps with LED daytime running lights, front fog lamps with cornering lights, powered door mirrors with puddle lamps, LED rear lights, rear privacy glass - and this one was in a Shadow Black shade which added a touch of menace to its appearance.
Move inside and this is the area Ford has addressed with the most conviction and it needed to be.
The outgoing 2008 Fiesta had survived the test of time but was looking quite out of touch compared to some newer rivals - but not anymore.
The new Fiesta has an eightinch touchscreen similar to an iPad and the car, which was in Titanium trim, featured Ford SYNC 3 navigation, a DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six speakers, automatic climate control, keyless start-up, cruise control and a three-spoke steering wheel with audio controls.
The five-door car was priced at £17,295 although a number of optional extras such as special paint, upgraded alloys, rear parking distance sensors and a comfort pack which introduced heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, bumped the cost up to £18,865.
It was powered by the company’s award winning 1.0-litre 125ps EcoBoost petrol engine and could sprint from 0 to 62mph in 9.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 121mph.
According to official figures the vehicle can deliver combined fuel economy of 65.7mpg.