The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Fiesta gets a major boost
With more than four million Fiestas sold in the UK since 1976, it’s a fair assumption that Ford knows what it’s doing when it comes to developing small cars for a demanding clientele. The latest Fiesta is no exception.
Certain realities exist in the supermini market. The additional cost of diesel engines rarely makes them big sellers, so this is where the state of the art in petrol engines is often played out.
Right now, Ford’s 1.0-litre Ecoboost three-cylinder unit is looking like it might just be in the box seat.
It’s available in both 100 and 125PS guises and it’s already been a big hit in the Focus, winning the 2012 International Engine of the Year award along the way.
The Fiesta has long been one of the very best superminis to drive.
It lets you know the bumps are there but even on the most tarnished tarmac, allows very few of them into the cabin, skipping across the poorest surfaces with grip and with composure through the tightest corners, all the while offering unrivalled driver feedback that’s complete but not intrusive.
That massive trapezoidal front grille might have a few people looking twice and wondering whether an Aston Martin Cygnet is attempting an overtake. So yes, it’s distinctive – but not an unattractive feature and something that works well with the Fiesta’s shape.
Inside, Ford has relocated electric window switches, heated seat switches and interior door handles in the new Fiesta. A full leather-rim steering wheel is offered for the first time and a smart five inch central colour display supports the model’s first integrated navigation system.
You’ll need to be budgeting in the £13,000 to £14,000 bracket for a Fiesta with the 100PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine.
This version returns some excellent figures with both variants returning a stellar 65.7mpg on the combined cycle and registering just 99g/km.
The Ford Fiesta has always been a vehicle that the British public has warmed to.
That should remain the case.