Fiesta offers triple appeal
direct injected and turbocharged EcoBoost triple that has twice been named International Engine of the Year.
Fiesta is also available in New Zealand as a Trend which is powered by a 1.5- litre normally aspirated Duratec engine, and as a rip- roaring ST powered by a 1.6- litre EcoBoost four cylinder engine.
You’ve got to feel a bit sorry for the 1.5- litre Duratec, an all- new unit that was under the bonnet of the facelifted Fiesta when it first arrived on our shores back in September last year.
It’s a fine engine in itself, developing 82 kilowatts of power and 140 newton metres of torque, which is sufficient to give the entry model Fiesta Trend sound performance credentials for the $ 23,990 and $ 25,990 asking prices for the manual and automatic models.
But it’s just that the Duratec engine has now been completely overshadowed by those of the 1.0- litre EcoBoost engine which arrived here earlier this year.
This little three- cylinder engine might be small – in fact it is so small Ford claims it could be stored in the overhead compartment on a passenger jet – but it offers the same power per litre as the 16- cylinder 8.0- litre engine of a Bugatti Veyron, and it develops the most torque per litre of any engine that Ford builds.
The EcoBoost engine is so much superior to the Duratec. It develops 92 kilowatts of power and 170 newton metres of torque, sufficient to give it smart performance while at the same offering average fuel economy of 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres when matched to an automatic transmission ( 4.9L/ 100km with manual) which is superior to the Duratec’s 5.8L/ 100km average.
Fiesta also comes standard with a feature called EcoMode, which is a software application that measures how the driver is driving, and congratulates the person behind the wheel for fuel- efficient motoring by way of leaf icons displayed on the instrument cluster. It’s a bit naff, but I suppose it’s fun.
What is fun though, is driving a vehicle with a three cylinder engine. Unlike a four or six- cylinder engine it is inherently unbalanced so has to have balancer shafts or an unbalanced flywheel to compensate, and as a result such an engine
Front- driven 1.0- litre EcoBoost turbocharged direct injection three cylinder petrol engine, with six- speed PowerShift automatic transmission.
92kW at 6000rpm, 170Nm at 1400- 4500rpm, 5.3L/ 100km, 121g/ km CO2.
McPherson strut front suspension with stabiliser bar, torsion beam setup at the rear. Suspension has sports tune. Electronic power steering.
Five- star Euro NCAP rating. Front, knee, side and curtain airbags, ABS with brake assist, dynamic stability control, hill launch assist, rear parking sensors.
SYNC hands- free, voice- activated in- car connectivity.
L 3982mm, W 1722mm, H 1467mm, W/ base 2489.
$ 28,840. That lovely engine, sports tuning of suspension.
I prefer Tiptronic- style manual operation of an automatic, not by way of buttons.
Arrival of the EcoBoost triple elevates this facelifted Ford Fiesta to New Zealand Car of the Year material. It’s that good.
to always thrum.
This Fiesta is no different. It’s almost like the engine is having a conversation with you from the moment you press the start button, and the conversation intensifies and becomes more cheerful as you accelerate away, almost as if the little EcoBoost is trying to remind you that it is a member of a special family of engines that will power an increasingly large selection of Ford product in the future.
Our test vehicle was a $ 28,840 automatic, equipped with Ford’s PowerShift twin- clutch six speeder. It’s an efficient unit, and a feature is that it can be operated manually by pressing a rocker switch located on the side of the shifter – up to upshift, down to downshift.
When Fiesta was facelifted last year it was the first Ford to receive a new corporate nose that is dominated by a trapezoidal grille that looks very much like it has been pinched from Aston Martin
diesel- like
seems
have
a which Ford part- owns.
It looks nice though, and the grille combines with expressive headlights to give the little Fiesta a more substantial look. Expect to see the same grille design on the new Mondeo and Focus when they are launched in coming months.
The Sport’s interior features wellbolstered sports seats with partial leather inserts, and there’s good use of brushed alloy highlights on such items as the steering wheel, centre console and interior door handles to help set off an appealing environment.
Fiesta’s interior also offers the new Ford SYNC system which offers hands- free, voice- activated connectivity with mobile phones and media players including Bluetooth handsfree and music streaming.
Driving the new Fiesta Sport is a fun experience. It’s a lovelyhandling little car anyway, and in this case the suspension has been tuned so it is more sports- oriented than normal. The ride isn’t as firm as the hard- riding ST with its 17- inch wheels and very low- profile tyres, but it certainly isn’t soft.
It all adds up to what I think is one of my outstanding drives of the year so far.
In typical Ford of Europe style, engineers have taken an outstanding little hatchback and turned it into something special via that excellent EcoBoost three cylinder engine.
It’s not surprising therefore that the world’s female motoring journalists have immediately recognised this and made the Fiesta Sport their car of the year. Not the Trend or the ST – but the Sport. And that’s all about the engine.
I’m picking Sandy Myhre would be very pleased. engine of a Bugatti Veyron, and it develops the most torque per litre of any engine that Ford builds.
The EcoBoost engine is so much superior to the Duratec. It develops 92 kilowatts of power and 170 newton metres of torque, sufficient to give it smart performance while at the same offering average fuel economy of 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres when matched to an automatic transmission ( 4.9L/ 100km with manual) which is superior to the Duratec’s 5.8L/ 100km average.
Fiesta also comes standard with a feature called EcoMode, which is a software application that measures how the driver is driving, and congratulates the person behind the wheel for fuel- efficient motoring by way of leaf icons displayed on the instrument cluster. It’s a bit naff, but I suppose it’s fun.
What is fun though, is driving a vehicle with a three cylinder engine. Unlike a four or six- cylinder engine it is inherently unbalanced so has to have balancer shafts or an unbalanced flywheel to compensate, and as a result such an engine always seems to have a diesel- like thrum.
This Fiesta is no different. It’s almost like the engine is having a conversation with you from the mo- ment you press the start button, and the conversation intensifies and becomes more cheerful as you accelerate away, almost as if the little EcoBoost is trying to remind you that it is a member of a special family of engines that will power an increasingly large selection of Ford product in the future.
Our test vehicle was a $ 28,840 automatic, equipped with Ford’s PowerShift twin- clutch six speeder. It’s an efficient unit, and a feature is that it can be operated manually by pressing a rocker switch located on the side of the shifter – up to upshift, down to downshift.
When Fiesta was facelifted last year it was the first Ford to receive a new corporate nose that is dominated by a trapezoidal grille that looks very much like it has been pinched from Aston Martin which Ford part- owns.
It looks nice though, and the grille combines with expressive headlights to give the little Fiesta a more substantial look. Expect to see the same grille design on the new Mondeo and Focus when they are launched in coming months.
The Sport’s interior features wellbolstered sports seats with partial leather inserts, and there’s good use of brushed alloy highlights on such items as the steering wheel, centre console and interior door handles to help set off an appealing environment.
Fiesta’s interior also offers the new Ford SYNC system which offers hands- free, voice- activated connectivity with mobile phones and media players including Bluetooth handsfree and music streaming.
Driving the new Fiesta Sport is a fun experience. It’s a lovelyhandling little car anyway, and in this case the suspension has been tuned so it is more sports- oriented than normal. The ride isn’t as firm as the hard- riding ST with its 17- inch wheels and very low- profile tyres, but it certainly isn’t soft.
It all adds up to what I think is one of my outstanding drives of the year so far.
In typical Ford of Europe style, engineers have taken an outstanding little hatchback and turned it into something special via that excellent EcoBoost three cylinder engine.
It’s not surprising therefore that the world’s female motoring journalists have immediately recognised this and made the Fiesta Sport their car of the year. Not the Trend or the ST – but the Sport. And that’s all about the engine.
I’m picking Sandy Myhre be very pleased.
would