Ford Fiesta 2008 Review

OVERVIEW
It's upon cars like the latest WS Fiesta that Ford's global and local futures rest. The first truly global car under the 'OneFord' ethos installed by ex-Boeing-man, now Ford supremo, Alan Mulally, and chief car guy, Derrick Kuzak, the Fiesta will be built on three continents and sold around the world. It should end up Ford's largest selling nameplate by a margin.

In Australia, its goals are humbler in number but equally important. To date the Fiesta, first sold Down Under in 2004, has underachieved in the burgeoning Light car segment. This model must change that situation. Along with the new locally assembled Focus, the Fiesta must transform Ford Australia from the Falcon Motor Company to a more rounded manufacturer/importer.

Yes, you've read it all before, but this time it's serious. With Falcon and Territory destined to sell half of what they did in their most recent heydays (at best) in the medium and long term, the company's livelihood will rest on its four-cylinder models.

Ford's small cars have traditionally been hailed among Europe's best. Though they have struggled to compete in sales terms against the likes of Toyota and Mazda Down Under, in Europe they have been lauded against Volkswagen and Peugeot.

The good news for fans of the Blue Oval is the company's expertise in the Light and Small car segments is as strong as ever. The new Fiesta is a cracking car -- one that's deserving of any Light car buyer's attention.

Ford says the car traditionally attracts a "bi-modal" buying group (we'll skip the jokes on bi-polar at this point!): that is young and 'with it' at one end, old and 'lost it' at the other. The new Fiesta, the company claims, is designed to deliver to both groups.

For the sweet young things, there's the availability of Bluetooth, MP3, USB and full iPod compatibility and a HMI (Human Machine Interface) that screams mobile phone. For the crusties, Ford says it's delivered a level of comfort and amenity that has not been seen in the mass market Light car segment before -- steering-wheel mounted audio and cruise controls; voice activated audio and mobile phone functionality; a small or medium car level of finish and choice of interior colours; plus unique to segment features such as capless refuelling.

For both groups, and us in between, there's high levels of inherent safety (see SAFETY below), well thought out and commodious storage and fuel efficient 1.4 auto and 1.6-litre manual petrol powertrains all wrapped up in that very modern, very attractive and deceptively spacious body.

Ford Australia allows Aussies to access this new cutting-edge Light car via three trim levels -- CL, LX and Zetec. Get used to the model walk. You can expect the same sort of consistent terminology across the Ford Light, Small and Medium car range for the longer term.

Fast Fiesta fans will lament there's no replacement for the XR4 in the new line-up. According to Ford insiders, the European ST model upon which Ford Australia bases the XR4 is yet to be confirmed. We can't believe there will not be one, but as noted, it could be quite a wait.

Down Under Fiesta will be priced from $15,750 for the entry-level three-door CL variant -- slightly under the current car's base price of $15,990.

For that price, the CL features the 1.6-litre Ti-VCT Duratec engine (see MECHANICAL below) and five-speed manual transmission. The 1.4-litre/four-speed auto combination is an extra $1500 ($17,250). Buyers preferring the five-door version of the CL will need to find $16,490 for the 1.6 manual or $17,990 for the automatic. Premium paint (most of the 11 colours offered) is a modest $320 extra.

In terms of the Light car segment, even CL buyers are rewarded with a well equipped package. The entry-level model will make up around 45 per cent of Fiesta sales and comes with the choice of two interior two-tone finishes and standard equipment includes: antilock brakes (with electronic brake distribution), dual front airbags, 15-inch steel wheels, four-speaker single-disc MP3-compatible audio (with wheel mounted controls), aircon, front power windows (rear are wind-up on the five-door) and follow-me-home lighting (a system that delays the switch off of headlights).  As noted above, capless refuelling is standard across the range.

You'll note at this stage stability control and side airbags are not standard on the CL. These are available, along with a driver's kneebag, in a safety pack Ford is selling at a reasonable $1000.

We'd always argue such equipment should be standard, but such are the recommended retail price wars in this segment, that no manufacturer is going to 'hamstring' itself by including the features as thus, until they become mandatory. At least Ford offers the option -- neither Yaris nor Jazz can deliver stability control at all at this time.

Next model up the Fiesta tree is the five-door-only LX. Priced at $18,490 for the 1.6 manual or $19,990 for the automatic variant, the LX adds a substantial level of standard equipment, though not stability control -- that's still part of the $1K safety option at LX level too.

LX should account for 35 per cent of Fiesta sales, says Ford. Its standard complement includes 15-inch alloy wheels, leather steering wheel and power windows and mirrors. The audio system steps up to a six-speaker system, a multi-function display is standard, as is a trip computer, Bluetooth with voice activation and cruise control. For a sub-$20K five-door this is a serious level of kit.

The hero Fiesta is the Zetec available in a manual-only three-door from $20,250 or $20,990 for the five-door manual and $22,490 for the five-door auto.

This is the Fiesta with the lot. The full safety equipment is standard and the Zetec rides on snappy 16-inch alloys. The car gets an attractive and not too lairy bodykit with larger rear spoiler (even the base CL gets a hatch top spoiler) while up front there are projector-style halogen headlamps and standard fog lights.

Inside the Zetec features a unique interior trim level with "sporty" seat facings and a special choice of colours. In addition to the MP3 and iPod capabilities of the audio system, a USB port is added. A perimeter alarm is also standard.

It wasn't that long ago that this level of equipment wasn't even offered in the medium car segment. It's little wonder Ford Australia sees Fiesta tempting buyers away from small cars -- its own Focus range included.

MECHANICAL
The mechanical packaging of the Fiesta is largely shared with its Mazda2 classmate and as such is purely conventional mass-market front-wheel drive hatch. The four-cylinder engines are transversely mounted and front suspension is via MacPherson struts. Front brakes are ventilated discs measuring 258 x 23mm.

At the rear, the suspension comprises a conventional torsion beam and the brakes are drums. The rack and pinion system is electrically-assisted with a servo on the steering column, rather than the increasingly popular rack mounting.

If that sounds ho-hum, then so be it. The Fiesta's strength is the fettling of conventional componentry, not platform complexity for its own sake. Examples of the detailed changes in the new car include a stiffer, better located rear torsion beam (28 per cent stiffer with 20 per cent larger diameter pivot bushes) and redesigned front suspension geometry.

Engines are petrol-only at this stage. It seems unlikely that the diesel engined Fiesta offered in Europe will come Down Under any time soon.

The 1.6-litre engine is Ford's latest Duratec powerplant and features Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing -- hence the Ti-VCT tag. It develops 88kW of power at 6000rpm and 152Nm of torque at 4050rpm. This is 14kW and 6Nm up on the engine it replaces and Ford claims Light car class-leading torque and equal top power for the new Fiesta.

Driveability is improved thanks to the fact Ford's powertrain engineers have tuned the engine to deliver at least 85 per cent of max torque across the 2000-6000rpm rev range.

The 1.6 Ti-VCT engine is coupled to a new five-speed gearbox.

So equipped, fuel consumption on the combined cycle is 6.1L/100km and CO2 emissions total 143g/km. These stats are 0.5L and 13g/km improvements over the last model Fiesta.

The auto Fiesta makes do with four-speeds (the Jazz now has five) and a 1.4-litre Duratec powerplant. With 71kW of power at 5750rpm and 128Nm of torque at 4200rpm, the engine is 3kW but almost 20Nm shy of the outgoing Fiesta's powerplant. Ford claims performance is on a par and quotes positive consumer clinics when quizzed on whether the smaller engine auto combo will turn off buyers.

One benefit of the 1.4 auto is improved fuel consumption -- at least on paper. Ford says the smaller engine consumes 6.9L/100km of fuel and emits 164g/km of CO2. This compares to 7.5L and 177g/km for the superseded Fiesta auto.

It should be noted that at the Australian launch only manual Fiestas were available to be driven. We'll do our best to park our backsides in an auto as soon as they arrive Down Under come Feb/Mar 2009.

As mentioned above, the Fiesta CL is fitted with steel wheels. These measure 6.0 x 15 and are fitted with 195/50 R15 tyres; the same specifications as for the Fiesta LX with its 15-inch alloys. Fiesta Zetec is fitted with 6.5 x 16 alloys shod with 195/45 R16 tyres.

Despite being larger than the previous model Fiesta, the new car (built at Ford's Niehl plant in Cologne in Germany) is around 40kg lighter, thanks to increased use of high-strength steels in the car's construction (up to 55 per cent of the body structure). Weights range from 970 to around 1120kg depending on engine, trim and bodystyle.

It's worth noting that Ford has paid particular note to improve the refinement of the new Fiesta. The company claims the car's improvements in Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH) are quantifiable and the result of "component level investigation".

Detailed areas of improvement include the use of twin-element door seals, fully encapsulated glazing, improved sound absorption material and the incorporation of a secondary front bulkhead. Ford also says the car's better base structure also yields benefits in this area.

Certainly to the lay ear and seat of the pants, the new Fiesta was impressively smooth and quiet -- even on the occasionally coarse chip surfaces of the Adelaide Hills drive route Ford Australia laid on for the launch.

PACKAGING
We first drove the Fiesta at its international launch in Europe in September. As we detailed the car's packaging at length, we won't regurgitate it here save for a few experiential comments. You can read our international launch coverage here

Ford Australia is bullish with its sales targets for the Fiesta -- not in terms of volume but rather in the buyers it expects to attract, including many traditional small and medium car customers. In a large part this confidence stems from the big car look and feel of the Fiesta's cabin.

Though the car retains its swoopy concept car styling, the space both the three and five-door variants offer is quite impressive. Yes, it's officially still a Light car, but it's a little big car and more commodious than the last Fiesta -- if not by the tape measure then certainly by the eye.

The front seats offer stacks of adjustment -- almost 290mm of fore and aft adjustment and a 55mm range of height. With reach and rake adjustment on the wheel, it's going to suit all but the most extreme of human shapes.

The front seats are firm and a touch flat -- even in the top of the range Zetec model. Can't complain about the cabin fit or finish, however. It's a classy set-up with a stylish centre stack and separate driver-focused instrument panel. It would be even better if Ford cleaned up a couple of the 'modular' sections of the centre unit below the main audio controller. And while we're not completely convinced by the 'dot matrix curtain' style dashpad graining, those small items aside, it's well executed.

The high, rising window belt line and sloping rear roof give the impression that access to the rear seats would be problematic in the five-door, but it's not the case. We had a tame six-footer jump in and out without worry. That same six-footer will have trouble sitting behind another basketballer, but with a touch of compromise from the driver, it's well and truly possible to seat four properly-sized adults in reasonable comfort.

The same rising window line may not suit those with small children to cart around. Though the writer's offspring are well past the rug-rat stage, we're reliably informed that wee ones like to see out and not just the treetops flashing past. With the window line at almost shoulder level for an adult this could be problematic.

Oddment storage has been well thought out and there are nooks and crannies about the cabin for mobiles, iPods and such (though no ashtray). The door bins are large enough to take 1.5-litre soft drink bottles Ford claims.

Boot space is generous (281L with the rear seat in place 965L with it folded), but the unfinished rear seat backs (even in the Zetec version) clash with the high level of the rest of the interior detailing.

SAFETY
Ford has already gained a five star EuroNCAP rating for the Fiesta in its Zetec or safety pack-equipped form. In this respect, the car is at or close to top of the Light car class, matching its Mazda2 combatant and bettering the likes of Barina, Yaris, Jazz and so on.

As noted above, the car does not come standard with stability control, nor side/curtain airbags. The former is offered as part of the well-priced ($1000) Safety Pack which adds "head-protecting" side airbags and a driver's kneebag. To the best of our knowledge the kneebag is a segment first. Also note the Fiesta's side airbags are not curtain bags and do not offer rear passenger side impact protection.

The new Fiesta is both lighter and stronger than the outgoing car and offers good active safety thanks to surefooted handling, solid brakes (though rear discs would be nice one day) and standard antilock brakes.

All seatbelts are of the three-point (lap/sash) type and the Fiesta is fitted with seatbelt reminders for both front seats. Break-away pedals are a legacy of the work Mazda has done on this platform.

COMPETITORS
Fiesta will target the usual suspects in the Light car segment. Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Getz, Mazda2, Suzuki Swift, Holden Barina and Honda Jazz are all a given. What's interesting is Ford's belief that the new car will also poach sales from the small car segment -- traditionally, in Ford terms, the hunting ground for Focus.

Speaking at the Australian launch of Fiesta, Ford Australia Vice President Marketing, Sales and Service, Beth Donovan, said the latest model moved the Fiesta "up".

"Everything else in the Light car segment is an A-to-B, it's an appliance -- not something you want to be seen in and you certainly wouldn't tell your friends you have it. To be able to move to this positioning -- that says it's stylish, it's got great features and capitalises on lifestyle technologies and connectivity -- it moves [Fiesta] up." Donovan opined.
 
According to Donovan, Fiesta is only fractionally smaller (in total cabin capacity) than Australia's top-selling small car, the Corolla. She therefore is comfortable Ford may cede Focus sales to the new Light car.
 
"We knew physically we were moving up in size but I actually think you're going to have some customers that will buy Fiesta [mainly] because of its style. The Focus is more conservative. On the other hand we might have other people who have had a Focus and want more choice. We didn't have that opportunity before because maybe Focus and Fiesta were too similar," she explained.

Much of how the public perceives and therefore shops for Fiesta will be determined by Ford's marketing campaign for the car. We'll reserve our final judgement, but are probably in agreement with Donovan. We see many eventual Fiesta owners being attracted by the car's looks, style and equipment offer, rather than any arbitrary size grouping.
 

We drove the full model walk of five-doors during the local launch of the car, but were limited to 1.6-litre/manual cars only as production of the 1.4/auto variants did not commence until after the first shipment of cars had left for Down Under.

We can report the 1.6-litre engine is smooth, free-revving and willing. It's active from 2500rpm and well into the swing of things by the time the tacho needle passes 3500rpm.

At the open road limit (110km/h) the 1.6 is turning at around 3250rpm, so while no V8 it feels like it has plenty in reserve. Around town there's enough urge to potter around in third and four gears with a snap change to second enough to cut a swathe through sleepy Adelaide traffic as required.

On the brilliant roads of the Adelaide Hills, the Fiesta needed a few more revs to really get going but it quickly revealed itself as the driver's pick of the Light car bunch. The steering, while light at parking speeds, weights up nicely when you start to push on and there's barely a hint of kickback even at sporting speeds over badly surfaced corners.

Turn in is tidy and the car has very little body roll. That doesn't mean it's tied down like a go kart, however, the overall ride handling balance is excellent and seemed to suffer little from the Zetec's lower profile rubber. In extremis, the chassis defaults to mild understeer.

All versions of the Aussie Fiesta get the same suspension settings and steering calibration -- some may lament the absence of a special set-up for the Zetec model, but we're not among them. Indeed, sporting drivers will appreciate the high levels of grip the Fiesta exhibits in all its variants.

This also benefits the quieter steerers among us. For the record, even some more extreme manoeuvring required little intervention from the Zetec's standard stability control. The threshold of activation seems quite high. This is a plus given it is not switchable -- if you opt for stability control you get it 24/7.

Over a hard-driven 200km-plus launch loop our trio of Fiestas recorded a high of 9.8L/100km. When we toned down the enthusiasm and cruised back into Adelaide we quickly dropped the average into the high-6.0 to low-7.0L/100km range. Frugal owners could probably manage a low 6.0 on the highway, though the spirited nature of the Fiesta would surely goad them into an occasional 'fang'.

The fact we're mentioning Fiesta and 'fang' in the same sentence, when there's ne'er an XR or ST badge in sight, should be proof positive that Ford has moved its baby car on. What we don't want to do is suggest that this real world brio comes at the expense of amenity or comfort.

The new Fiesta is an energetic car that manages to combine enthusiastic driving characteristics with a real level of refinement. This means it should not only suit a wide variety of buyers but that it is now the Light car of choice -- by a margin.