This car hardly needs any introduction, because the Ford Fiesta is Britain’s best-selling
model, finding its way on to more than 130,000 driveways last year alone.
Why is it so popular? Well, not only is the Fiesta a national institution dating back
to the 1970s, the sixth generation is stylish, great to drive and cheap to run. But, it was
launched back in 2008, so is this supermini still at the cutting edge, or has it been
overtaken by rivals like the latest Vauxhall Corsa?
Well, this car might be getting on a bit, but the Fiesta’s fun handling certainly
hasn’t dated, it’s still the sharpest supermini. There’s so much feel through
the steering, you can practically tell what’s been used to mix the tarmac, giving you confidence
to make use of its agile chassis. Even entry-level versions have taut responses, but this firmness
rarely makes bumps uncomfortable. Engines range from a 59bhp 1.25-litre to the
123bhp 1.0-litre Ecoboost petrol, while special edition Red and Black Edition models get 138bhp.
Diesel fans are catered for by a 1.5 or 1.6-litre Duratorq engine with 75 or 95bhp, while hot
hatch fans can get their thrills driving the award-winning 180bhp ST.
We’re testing the 99bhp 1.0-litre EcoBoost with a Powershift automatic gearbox, which
gets to 62mph in 10.8 seconds. Not having to change gear could be a real positive if
you spend most of your time in the city, but we’d prefer the interaction of the manual
gearbox, which also improves fuel consumption from the 58mpg of this car to 66mpg. Saying
that, this transmission is very smooth, even if its manual mode is a little fiddly to use.
Despite its small size the Fiesta is comfortable enough to make long motorway trips pretty
relaxed, thanks in the main to its great driving position. The steering wheel adjusts for reach
and rake and there’s also a fair bit of seat travel.
It’s fairly attractive in here too, even if the mobile-phone style buttons are now
looking rather dated. We expect the next Fiesta will get a touch-screen, but for the moment
your only way to avoid pressing these is to use Ford’s SYNC voice activation system.
Three-door and five-door bodystyles are available, and while this five-door doesn’t look quite
as sporty, it’s certainly a good idea if you often carry more than one passenger.
The boot can hold 276-litres of luggage if a spare wheel is fitted, or 290-litres with
a tyre repair kit, so it compares well to the 285-litre Corsa and 280-litre Polo. But,
none can match the 330 litres of the class-leading Skoda Fabia.
After driving the Fiesta, it’s not hard to see why so many owners sign on the dotted
line after a test drive. It feels remarkably grown-up for a small supermini, with excellent
handling and impressive refinement. The interior is starting to show its age compared to the
latest Corsa and Polo, but it still functions well enough and the quickclear heated windscreen
is a real selling point. With low running costs and a Ford dealership
in almost every town, the Fiesta should be a simple and affordable car to own. We’d
just avoid the basic entry-level versions, as they could prove tricky to sell on, and
go for a mid-spec model with the fantastic EcoBoost engine. You’ll enjoy it more, and
hopefully get more come trade-in time.