Ford Fiesta 2013 Review

Two all-new petrol engines are on offer and the Fiesta presents a redesigned snout described by one colleague as "Aston Martin-esque". Along with a handful of cosmetic changes, the new Fiesta brings some cool tech to the table too, including the premier of Ford's SYNC voice command system on the light car.

Promoted as a high-tech, stylish and frugal compact car, the updated Fiesta is pitched at tech-savvy younger drivers and fashion conscious empty nesters, but the best thing about the car is way it drives. With reworked suspension the new Fiesta is, to quote Shakespeare: “Totes amazeballs”.

The previous WT Fiesta's CL, LX and Zetec grades have been replaced by Ambiente, Trend, Sport and ST models in line with Ford's global naming conventions, with the Ambiente kicking off proceedings at $15,825, a rise of $335.

On top of the new look, the extra $335 buys cruise control, Ford SYNC voice control, Bluetooth connectivity and a hill holder clutch (manual models) on entry-level variants. Other features standard across the range include front and rear power windows, air-conditioning, trip computer, a six-speaker stereo and a multi-function leather-wrapped steering wheel, which is a good amount of gear.

On balance, the new base model Fiesta represents good value for money.

Fiesta Trend models are priced from $17,825, upgrading the steel wheels to 15-inch alloy wheels, while also adding front fog lamps. Ambiente and Trend models are powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine.

Then there's the Fiesta Sport model arriving December 2013, priced from $20,525. It rolls on sporty 16-inch alloy wheels, gets sports suspension, adds roof and front lip spoilers, stainless scuff plates, plus partial leather sport seat inserts, an eight-speaker Sony stereo and a 4.2-inch colour screen.

It's powered by the new EcoBoost three-cylinder 1.0-litre turbo engine, which is the main reason for its delay.

The Ambiente, Trend and Sport variants can be optioned with a six-speed dual clutch 'PowerShift' gearbox for $2000. Ford reckons about 70 per cent of buyers will choose the auto, and in this instance it's the right choice -- it's a great little cog swapper.

Fiesta Sport models can also be bundled with a Sports Executive Package for $1000. It adds keyless entry with push button start, climate control, rear parking sensors, auto wiper and headlights plus a perimeter alarm.

At the top of the tree is the Fiesta ST, pegged at $25,990. It gets a whizz-bang 1.6-litre 134kW turbocharged engine and heaps of extra features, which we'll cover in a separate review.

Minor interior changes have also been effected across the Fiesta range in the form of new seats, repositioned window controls and door handles, and improved interior plastics. A new colour, Celestial Blue, is also offered.

In fact, the new 1.5-litre Duretec engine is a plucky little four-pot that feels at home both in cut and thrust urban traffic and open country roads. It's also a more refined engine than its predecessor and doesn't get breathless or raspy at higher revs, making it a lot of fun to zip around in.

We tested the five-speed manual and six-speed dual-clutch auto models. Although generally I lean towards manual gearboxes, in the Fiesta's case, the auto transmission is hard to fault, holding gears downhill to improve deceleration, snapping back a gear or two when you want acceleration and responding rapidly and smoothly to driver input.

Indeed, the auto is certainly worth the $2000 premium and is a smoother, more competent operator in urban scenarios than Volkswagen's sometimes staccato DSG.

Ford has ditched its turbo-diesel Fiesta (citing slow sales) meaning only one other engine is offered, the 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol EcoBoost.

The bad news is that it doesn't arrive until December. The good news is that it generates a healthy 92kW/170Nm, while consuming diesel-like levels of fuel, rated at 4.9L/100km. Stay tuned for our first drive in this model later in the year.

All updated Fiestas get an EcoMode function, which encourages drivers to save fuel by providing gear shifting advice while monitoring the driver's smoothness. It also 'rewards' drivers with leaf icons the smoother they drive.

The new WZ Ford Fiesta weighs 1100kg and regular models benefit from suspension revisions designed to improve ride and handling, with new shock absorbers, recalibrated electric power steering and a 15 per stiffer front anti-roll bar.

The new shock absorbers deliver better ride quality and Ford's claim of "better cushioning over bumps" is no exaggeration. While there's more give in the dampers, the car is still loads of fun to drive, whether navigating a twisty ribbon of road in the country or scything through a roundabout in town.

The overall design of the cabin hasn't really changed. Ford has repositioned the window controls and door handles, and claims to have improved interior materials. The dashboard is still not soft touch but there is a sense of quality in the interior, from plastics used to flush fitting panels.

That rear seat passengers get reading lights is also a nice touch, and I also really liked the capless fuel filler system.

There's decent room for driver and front passenger in the Thai-built Fiesta and (surprisingly) rear seat room is admirable for a car that measures less than four metres long. I jumped into the back behind driver's seat after adjusting it to my usual position, and my knees were just brushing the seat in front, while I had an inch of head room.

Boot space of 295 litres is not class leading, but is enough room for a massive grocery shop or a couple of big suitcases, but would probably struggle with a pram. Thankfully the splifold rear seats fold down, opening up space to load larger items.

Perhaps the most important update to the Fiesta's packaging is the addition of SYNC -- a voice-recognition program that drivers can use to access their phones, for phone calls and audio selections (down to artists and tracks detail).

Pairing a Bluetooth phone takes about 15 seconds, and the SYNC voice operation is effective. It will be a key part of the upcoming AppLink smart phone integration system, which is still not ready for production and won't be until early 2014, says Ford.

Holden already has the jump on Ford here, its impressive MyLink car-based app system launching in late 2012 with the Barina and now offered several more vehicles including the Australian-made Commodore and Cruze.

The car also has a strong safety cell claims Ford, made for "ultra-high strength steels", helping it achieve a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. All models are fitted with anti-lock brakes, stability control and brake assist.

The top-selling car in the segment is the Mazda2 followed by the Toyota Yaris then the Hyundai i20, and other popular models include the Nissan Mirca, Mitsubishi Mirage, Kia Rio and Holden Barina Spark.

The new 1.5-litre Duratec engine is refined, eager unit and the auto gearbox a pearler, capable of deducing when the driving is get cracking and holds gears instead of looking to save fuel by dropping ratios. The engine doesn't have the guts to propel the car out of corners assertively but the suspension is so good that it's easy to maintain mid-corner speeds. The result is a very frisky, very entertaining hatchback.

The tweaks made to the new Ford Fiesta's suspension have improved the car's ride quality, evidenced while cruising around inner urban Melbourne. The car's new shock absorbers provide the car with smoother, more controlled and comfortable ride that soaks up bumps and patchwork road surfaces with ease.

This softer suspension approach also improves the car's stability when tracking through corners as it can soak up ruts without unduly affecting its intended direction. Granted, there is touch of body roll as the car leans over entering a corner, but it grips beautifully and feedback through the seat of your pants is impressive for such an affordable car.

It's small size and large side mirrors make Fiesta easy to park and except for the indicator on the left-hand side, all the controls are where you'd expect them and seats have improved too, with slightly better side bolsters.

Cruise and audio controls are intuitive and become second nature after a day in the saddle, and I really liked the small contoured leather-wrapped steering wheel. It just felt good.

On the freeway at 100km/h the Fiesta didn't feel underpowered or nervous and had little difficulty overtaking large trucks on country B-roads. It seems takes everything in its stride while maintaining a fun-to-drive, sunny persona.

Ford has already sold more than 15 million Fiesta's worldwide and this highly-accomplished mid-life update will certainly help add a few more to that tally.

Capped price servicing fixed for seven years costing around $1900 in total and lower fuel consumption reduce the car's running costs, and with an impressive standard feature list, good interior space, a strong safety suite and Fiesta's charming dynamics, Ford's smallest car is now one of its best.