Ford WT Fiesta: first drive

• 
  
  Refinement is a word used to describe gentlemen’s etiquette, not usually light-car handling and ride comfort. Yet the Ford Fiesta manages to add the word to its vocabulary. Photo Gallery

Neil Dowling road tests and reviews the Ford Fiesta.

Getting into a small car has never been so difficult or as rewarding.  The good news is that the light and small car segment are now red hot with value - the bad news is that you have to choose which one suits you best.

There’s choices of diesel and petrol and sedans and hatchbacks. There’s a five-speed manual and a new six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The new auto replaces the previous four-speed unit that was only available with a 1.4-litre engine.  And just quietly, there’s room for an XR4 model in the future.The task today just became harder as Ford unveils its nine-car Fiesta range that is jam-packed with models that are great drives, great value and pretty good to look at.

Value

Prices start from as low as $16,990 (CL petrol manual hatch) and climb through the list to the specialised - and very popular - ECOnetic diesel hatch that costs $24,990 and remains Australia’s most economical car.

In between there is the mid-range LX in either automatic or manual and diesel or petrol from $18,990 to $21,490, and the sports-oriented Zetec that officially gets here in January and is very appealing at $20,990-$23,490.

Ford says pricing is on par with the outgoing models yet extra kit is valued at $600-$1000, indicating just how competitive the baby-car market has become and how serious Ford is to climb back up the sales ladder.

Safety

Standard equipment includes electronic stability control that’s linked with traction control and electronic brake assist.

The base model CL has two airbags but the other models have seven. Ford says the optional safety pack that restores seven bags in the CL costs $600 and lifts its ANCAP crash rating to five stars from four.

However, Ford has taken away the spare wheel. All Fiestas - now built in Thailand after the change from Germany - have an aerosol “mobility kit” in the boot’s vacant wheel well. A spare wheel is an option.

“It’s one of the trade offs,’‘ says Ford Australia’s general marketing manager, David Katic.  “We’ve chosen deleting that ahead of adding features - such as ESC and Bluetooth, for example - which buyers want ahead of a spare wheel.’’

Technology

In the move from Germany to Thailand, the small car has had a big increase in noise reduction - a factor of concern in the previous model.  It gets substantial underbody sound dampening that, combined with improvements to the suspension, give the Fiesta a level of ride and comfort above its class.

The engine line up is an 88kW/151Nm 1.6-litre petrol and 66kW/200Nm 1.6-litre turbo-diesel rated at 6.1 litres/100km and 4.4 l/100km respectively.

The six-speed dual-clutch automatic is only available in the petrol models. Ford says “we’re working on’’ an auto-diesel combo but there’s a lot of resistance from the drivetrain suppliers in Europe.  Ford won’t talk sales numbers with the new Fiesta. But is expects a healthy rise in interest.

The sales split is expected to be 20 per cent sedan and 80 per cent hatch, with an overall 15 per cent swing to diesel.  “This is a car that will change people’s perceptions of Ford,’‘ says Katic.  “We are seen as a big-car company. This Fiesta will bring a lot of people into Ford showrooms.’’

Sales

Ford won't talk sales numbers with the new Fiesta. But is expects a healthy rise in interest.  The sales split is expected to be 20 per cent sedan and 80 per cent hatch, with an overall 15 per cent swing to diesel.

"This is a car that will change people's perceptions of Ford," says Katic.  "We are seen as a big-car company. This Fiesta will bring a lot of people into Ford showrooms."

Driving

Refinement is a word used to describe gentlemen’s etiquette, not usually light-car handling and ride comfort.  Yet the Ford Fiesta manages to add the word to its vocabulary.

And it did it on a day that would possibly be the worst in Adelaide’s 2010 calendar. Tuesday.  Storms pummeled the hills of the city, the rain blinded the driver’s view and made the little Fiesta fight for traction. But what a little hero.  Over debris and flooding that coursed over the twisting hills roads, the latest Fiesta handled itself brilliantly and rose above the ranks of many of its rivals.

But it isn’t all highlights for the Fiesta.  It makes a lot of difference which Fiesta model is chosen for the drive.

There isn’t much between the sedan and the hatchback, perhaps the small extra weight making the sedan’s tail sit better and the superior rigidity of the three-box design helping handling.

But there is a big gap in the diesel and petrol. Though smooth and quiet, the 1.6-litre petrol is gasping on the hills. It is very rewarding in the mid-range of the tachometer but feels weak below 2000rpm and breathless above 5000rpm.

That is fine in the five-speed manual version, but even the lauded six-speed dual-clutch automatic has problems getting hold of the powerband and then placing it on the road.

For general driving, the Fiesta petrol auto is fine. But push it a bit and it feels lacklustre.  The diesel, by comparison, is sparkling. Also 1.6 litres in capacity, it is down on power (66kW to 89kW) but stronger on torque with 200Nm against the petrol’s 151Nm. And it is delivered much lower in the rev range.

That translated into a car with manual transmission being such a fun ride. The flexibility of the diesel engine means it can be left in second or third for the really tight stuff, then pulled up to fourth and fifth as the road straightens.

The basic Feista that was first introduced in January 2009 remains. But in the move this month to the Thailand plant, changes were made to key areas of sound deadening.

That, combined with the new diesel-dual clutch auto drivetrain option, creates a light car with small to mid-size ambitions and refinement.  It rides with surprising compliance. Noise levels from the suspension and tyres are low.  Even the electric-assist power steering is responsive and not overly vague.

The CL and LX models get standard suspension and seats while the Zetec model - on test here but not in showrooms until early 2011 - has sports suspension (tighter springs, retuned steering rack and 195/50R16 tyres) and front seats with more side bolsters to enhance the ability of the Fiesta’s chassis.

The Zetec does this without compromising the ride qualities and, as such, deserves attention by buyers who enjoy driving. In fact, the best model of the range is the diesel-manual Zetec ($23,490) or the LX sedan diesel-manual ($21,490). Such a shame the diesel can’t be mated to the dual-clutch auto.

Ford Fiesta

ECOnetic 5-door hatch: 66kW/200Nm 1.6-litre turbo-diesel, 5-speed manual $24,990.
CL 5-door hatch: 89kW/151Nm 1.6-litre petrol, 5-sp man (opt 6-sp auto)...$16,990.
CL 4-door sedan: 89kW/151Nm 1.6-litre petrol, 6-speed auto....................$18,990.
LX 5-door hatch: 89kW/151Nm 1.6-litre petrol, 5-sp man (opt 6-sp auto)...$18,990.
LX 4-door sedan: 89kW/151Nm 1.6-litre petrol, 5-sp man (opt 6-sp auto)...$18,990.
Zetec 5-door hatch: 89kW/151Nm 1.6-litre petrol, 5-sp man (opt 6-sp auto).$20,990.

Origin: Thailand 
Engines: 1.6-litre turbo-diesel; 1.6-litre petrol 
Power/torque: 66kW/200Nm (diesel); 89kW/151Nm (petrol) 
Fuel economy: 4.4 litres/100km (diesel); 6.1 l/100km (petrol) 
Transmissions: 5-speed manual; 6-speed dual-clutch auto 
Suspension: MacPherson struts/torsion beam 
Steering: electric-assist 
Brakes: disc/drum, ESC, ABS, EBD, brake assist 
Wheels: 15-inch steel (CL); 15-inch alloy (LX); 16-inch alloy (Zetec); no spare 
Length (hatch/sedan): 3950mm/4244mm 
Width: 1722mm 
Height: 1485mm 
Wheelbase: 2490mm 
Weight: 1022kg-1062kg 
Boot (seat up): 281 litre