Stirling Observer

In black or white

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with a choice of engines and in three or five-door body styles and I recently tried out the White Edition with the excellent 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine under the bonnet and discovered that the Fiesta still has the fun factor.

The peppy little engine is ideal for the Fiesta providing fine performanc­e and decent economy. It is good enough for 100PS in the test car and delivers its power without stress. It sprints to 62mph in 11.2 seconds and can reach 112mph if conditions are right.

With help from stop/ start technology to improve economy the White Edition has a claimed combined figure of 65.7mpg. You won’t get that in the rear world but you should comfortabl­y be able to average over 50mpg.

The Fiesta has always provided an entertaini­ng drive and it is still as good as anything in the class. The steering is light and direct, while the handling is agile and the five-speed box has a nice sporty feel.

This makes it ideal for town work but it is also very good on longer motorway journeys where it delivers a smooth and refined ride at cruising speeds.

In five-door form the Fiesta is relatively spacious and four adults can travel in comfort and five for shorter journeys. Open the tailgate and you have a 290-litre boot which can be increased to 974 litres with the rear seats collapsed.

I found it easy to select a good driving position thanks to good adjustment on the seat and steering wheel and the Fiesta offers good visibility. Sadly parts of the cabin are now quite dated, especially the tiny screen and some scratchy plastics.

That aside the White Edition is really well equipped and includes rear privacy glass, power-foldable door mirrors with puddle lights, air conditioni­ng, trip computer, ambient lighting, hill start assist, day time running lights, fog lights, a quickclear heated windscreen and all the latest safety aids.

For an extra £400 you can add the Ford Navigation System which also comes with a DAB radio and Ford SYNC.

The Fiesta still feels fresh and thanks to its attractive styling, fun drive and low running costs it will probably still be at the top of the charts until it is replaced sometime next year.

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 ??  ?? Ford’s winner the Fiesta is Britain’s most popular new car
Ford’s winner the Fiesta is Britain’s most popular new car

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