Cars with a higher entry are incredibly popular in the Netherlands, that's one of the reasons the crossover is just as popular here.
Besides the looks, people think it's nice to have a higher seating position,
and that they don't have to go all the way down to get in.
Ford isn't doing a particularly good job with their EcoSport, but that says more about the quality of the car.
It isn't as bad as before the facelift, but I wouldn't exactly call it the benchmark.
That's why Ford is making a second attempt, with the new Ford Fiesta.
You've got four Fiesta-versions. You've got the Titanium, which is the basic Fiesta,
the ST-line for the sporty Fiesta, the Vignale for the luxurious Fiesta,
and this brand new Fiesta Active. Active is meant for people with an active lifestyle.
Ford aims at people who ride mountain bikes, but in reality, it's the elderly who like this sort of car.
So what are we talking about with this Active? Well, it's 1,9 cm higher up.
It's only been heightened by 19 mm, and that sounds like nothing,
but actually, it's the difference it needs for its entry.
It's peculiar how little is needed to create lots of room, or that's how it feels.
The same goes for the legroom in the rear. If there's two additional centimetres of legroom,
there's a lot more room in the back, and it's the same when it comes to height.
Remarkably, that's not the case with the seating position. Compared to a normal Fiesta, the seating position hasn't changed.
It's exactly the same, but the body has moved a little.
Because of that, you've got a slightly clearer vision of the road, and like I've already mentioned, the entry is easier.
With this, Ford thinks it has enough higher cars in the B-segment.
Together with the already facelifted EcoSport, which isn't a very good car,
these cars replace the Ford B-Max, which isn't going to get a successor.
That's in line with the trend of disappearing MPV's, which get replaced by SUV's or crossovers.
This won't be the last Active Ford is going to make however. They intend to release Active-versions of other cars as well,
and there's most defintely going to be a Focus Active, which is a little bit higher up and has nice plastic edges.
Besides the heightening, it's been widened as well.
The track width has been increased by one centimetre, and that's because the car is now higher.
That means the center of gravity is higher up as well, so if you make it a little wider, it becomes more stable.
So what do you notice when you're driving it? Well, the springs have more travel.
With that, Ford has made this a tad more comfortable. They didn't keep the springs incredibly sturdy,
so it's a tad smoother than the normal Fiesta. Do you miss sharpness because of that?
On a track, or with a stopwatch, or a G-force indicator,
but when you're just driving along, you won't miss anything.
I absolutely like the new Fiesta. I said that the ST-line feels like a hot hatch from ten years ago.
The normal Fiesta however, and even the Active with smoother springs, is such a pleasant drivers car.
It's all so smooth, it's reactions feel incredibly good. It's amazing how Ford has been able to do something in this segment...
which they do perfectly. For twenty years now.
Just like before, the Fiesta is a pleasant and dynamic drivers car, and the Active-version is nothing different.
Right now, I'm driving the turbocharged 1.0-litre 3-cylinder engine,
producing 100 horsepower. It has enough power in lower revs,
it feels smooth and there's no power defecit. Especially if you shift down when overtaking.
The biggest disadvantage is the space in the back, because it's not very spacious on the rear seat.
Other cars in this segment do a better job...
Then, the pricing. It's actually pretty interesting.
Fords idea around the globe is to use the same pricing for the ST-line, Vignale and Active.
So it doesn't matter which Fiesta you want, it'll cost the same. They've all got the same trim and such.
However, that causes a problem for Ford in the Netherlands. If you heighten and widen a car,
it's a tad less economical, and a higher CO2-emission means a higher price in the Netherlands.
That's why Ford has applied a different strategy in the Netherlands. They knew the Active would be more expensive,
so they stacked it with all kinds of extra's. That said, the Active has a lot of features,
which creates a little bit more distance between a normal Titanium.
On the other hand, extra's aren't very expensive at Ford. Keyless entry costs €250, just like adaptive cruise control.
A heatable windshield will set you back only €200.
The comparison is a little hard, because it's all about if you think it's worth it or not.
However, Ford thinks that if people want a higher car, they'll choose between the Fiesta Active of another brand.
If you think it's high enough and you like it, you'll get a lovely driving car with a smooth engine.
I'm happy with it...