Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £11,295 to £15,945
Fun to drive; cheap to buy and run; comfortable and refined; good engines; sharper design.
Rear-seat space not great; no flat-folding/tumbling/sliding rear seats.
The Fiesta is back at the party; a super new supermini that would merit the full five stars if had had a little more load-space versatility.
Though the Ford Fiesta shares its basic platform with the Mazda 2, the two cars feel quite different due to specific retuning - and the Fiesta's even more fun to drive. Ford has finally managed to transfer the talents of the acclaimed Focus into a smaller package; light weight, low centre of gravity, excellent balance and responsive, much-redesigned suspension with thicker anti-roll bars all make for fine handling. Bring on the Fiesta RS: this car has huge hot-hatch potential.
The new electrical power steering is light but offers enough feedback for accuracy at speed, and its assistance feels neither artificial nor counter-intuitive.
Ford may not yet have confirmed an RS version, but in the meantime, the Zetec S is a (more affordable, everyday) hoot to drive. The 1.6 Ti-VCT engine offers 120bhp, 0-62mph in 9.9 seconds and a top speed of 120mph, and while these figures don't sound especially impressive, point-to-point this is a pretty damn quick little thing. The engine is flexible - its 112lb-ft of torque peaks at just over 4000rpm, but it pulls well in all gears and even climbs steep hills in third or fourth - and it sounds great when revved up, yet cruises sweetly and smoothly if you're being less aggressive. The gearbox fitted with this is only a five-speeder, but the ratios are so well-set that a sixth gear isn't necessary.
Likewise the strong, refined 1.6 TDCi (90bhp). It's quiet by any standards let alone those of diesels in this class, and it'll do 0-62mph in 11.9 seconds and 109mph (the economy-modified Econetic will be a little slower, but not by too much). It's an absolute delight to drive, and could convert many a committed petrolhead - read on and check out its economy figures...
We've not driven the other versions yet - 1.25 (60bhp and 80bhp), 1.4 (96bhp) and 1.4 TDCi (68bhp) - but these are carried over from the previous range and should all prove adequate, if not as exciting as the new 1.6s.
New features include a recalibrated electronic throttle and an electronic anti-stall device which anticipates when the driver is about to pull away and primes the engine for a smoother getaway - this'll help learners. Those less concerned about sporty handling can rest assured: the hot-hatch driving dynamics haven't compromised overall ease of operation. You get a good driving position (the seat's multi-way adjustable), good visibility all round, a user-friendly interface for controls and auxilliary functions, and a light clutch to boot.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Ford Fiesta
wrote on 22 11 2008