Ford Fiesta 2008 Review - International

Ford Fiesta

What we liked
>> Quality and style beyond compare in a light car
>> Refined and sporty-sounding engine is also frugal
>> Good feel and response from electrically-assisted steering

Not so much
>> Soft suspension of Fiesta Titanium (not coming to Australia)
>> Tiny trip computer read-out
>> Imprecise gearshift

Fiesta Sport
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
Long gone are the days when Ford was the big cheese in the local light car segment. You would have to go back to 1999 for the previous occasion Ford dominated in light cars. That was the last full year of sales for the Korean-built Festiva.

In 2000, Ford introduced the European-sourced Ka and dithered around with that -- overpriced and 'underpackaged' as it was. Fast forward to 2004 and Ford introduced the Fiesta, a nameplate that has adorned small Fords in Europe since 1976, but was more readily recognised in Australia as a brand of washing detergent.

Four more years down the track and Ford is preparing the way for a new Fiesta, a car that wears Kinetic Design down to its bootstraps and is built on the same platform as the very popular new Mazda2.

It's a significant step forward from the old car -- a vehicle that was arguably the class-leader in dynamics. Nonetheless, Ford will be praying that the new car's style and packaging will convert buyers to the blue oval where a sporty driving character failed previously.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Ford is yet to reveal pricing for the new Fiesta, but let's allow for the fact that the Australian dollar has been pretty strong (short of the last couple of months) to offset the rising cost of commodities (including steel for vehicle body-building). Also, the landed cost of the Thai-built car, once production starts there late next year, will be lower than for the current cars, which are built in Cologne, Germany.

Based on the current entry-level Fiesta (the LX three-door) being priced at $15,990 plus the introduction of a new base variant to the new Fiesta range (the Fiesta CL), we would expect the Fiesta LX will rise slightly in price, but the Fiesta CL should provide Ford with a new pricing position to meet Japanese, Korean (and Thai) cars head on.

In Europe, the Fiesta is sold in five grades, but Aussie-spec vehicles will broadly align with just three of them -- base CL, mid-range LX and high-grade Zetec. CL equates to Euro-spec Ambiente, whilst the LX is the European Fiesta Trend and the Aussie Zetec matches up with the European Fiesta Sport.

Fiesta Ghia and Titanium will not be sold in Australia, but Aussie consumers may see some of the high-end features of those cars in the Zetec models sold here.

Fiesta CL and Zetec models will be sold in two different bodystyle variants -- three- and five-door hatchbacks. The LX grade Fiesta will be available as just the one bodystyle, the five-door hatchback. Ford Australia advises that automatic-transmission variants won't be produced for the first three months, but the option will be available for all variants other than the Zetec three-door.

All new Fiesta variants to be sold in Australia will feature standard ABS, EBD and dual front airbags. A driver's knee airbag is also standard for the Zetec models and is a feature of a Safety Pack option for Fiesta CL and LX variants. Other inclusions for the Safety Pack are side-impact airbags and stability control plus Emergency Brake Assist.

Ford hasn't revealed whether all the Safety Pack features are standard for the Fiesta Zetec or whether the option pack is different for the Zetec from the Safety Pack offered for CL and LX variants.

Ford has specified rake and reach adjustment for the steering column, making the Fiesta one of the few cars in the light car (B Car) segment to offer this feature. Cruise control will be standard for LX and Zetec Fiestas, as will Bluetooth connectivity with voice activation. The flagship Zetec will also feature a USB input for iPods and all models will get a 3.5mm audio input jack.

The entry-level Fiesta CL will wear 15-inch steel wheels with covers and 15-inch alloys are specified for the Fiesta LX. As you'd expect from the 'sporty', the Fiesta Zetec boasts 16-inch alloys.

MECHANICAL
In Australia, the Fiesta will be sold with either a 1.6-litre petrol four-cylinder and five-speed manual transmission combination or a 1.4-litre engine coupled to a four-speed automatic. As mentioned above, the 1.4-litre/automatic option won't be available at launch, but will follow within three months.

The 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine features variable valve timing and develops 88kW at 6000rpm and 152Nm at 4050rpm. Driving through the manual transmission, the engine produces 143g/km of CO2 and returns a combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 6.1L/100km.

The 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine in the automatic variants generates 71kW at 5750rpm and 128Nm at 4200rpm. Fuel consumption on the ADR81/01 combined cycle is 6.9L/100km and CO2 emissions are 164g/km.

Both engines are undersquare designs (bore and stroke measurements of 79.0 x 81.4mm for the 1.6, 76 x 76.5mm for the 1.4) and share a compression ratio of 11.0:1. Ford engineers have developed an engine calibration regime they call Stall Prevention, which makes the Fiesta easier to drive at slower speeds, adjusting the engine's torque at low engine speeds, on the fly.

Diesel engine alternatives on offer in other world markets are not coming to Australia, at this stage.

The two transmissions are both overdrive units and the manual has a tall first gear ratio (2.82:1), but relative short top gear ratio (0.88:1) -- with both ratios making themselves felt during driving (see ON THE ROAD below for further information).

Drive is transmitted to the front wheels, which are suspended by MacPherson struts and braked by 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.

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 is actually 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 970-1119kg, depending on engine, trim and bodystyle.

The new car is not only stronger, it's also more rigid (torsionally). That has given Ford the opportunity to find more of a balance in the Fiesta's suspension tuning -- the balance manifested as a compliant ride and a high standard of roadholding.

As standard across the range, the Fiesta will feature capless refuelling, to ensure that the car won't be filled with diesel fuel. Ford Europe insists the Fiesta run on at least 95 RON ULP, but Ford Australia is sticking to 91 RON petrol and E10 (10 per cent ethanol mix).
PACKAGING
Packaging is where we believe Ford is on the right track with the Fiesta. With so many people buying the Mazda2 (including the first generation model) and the Honda Jazz, there's a real 'need' for small cars with big bodies. The Fiesta is certainly a larger car than its predecessor and manages to be airy and open inside without detriment to its exterior style.

Both three-door and five-door models are built on the same wheelbase, 2489mm, and measure 3950mm in length. According to the European specs, the Zetec (Sport) models are 3mm longer. Externally, the Fiesta is larger in every direction than the Mazda2, but despite being built on the same platform, gives away ground to the Mazda in head and legroom.

Subjectively, the headroom was very good in the front and might just be a little tight on for taller adults in the rear. No problem for average-sized adults though.

Ford claims 823mm of rear-seat legroom, based on the front seats in a position that would be comfortable for 95 per cent of the population. In other words, the published figure is not based on the minimum legroom with the front seat pushed as far back as possible. Even so, the Mazda offers an extra 60mm of legroom (883mm).

With the front seats set as far back as possible (outside Ford's 95 percentile range), there was very little kneeroom for adults in the back seats, but with the front seats adjusted to suit adults of typical height, there was good rear-seat legroom for adults also -- which is Ford's point.

That's why Ford can claim class-leading front legroom (1069mm) -- because the designers have cribbed on the rear seat accommodation. Furthermore, the front-seat legroom figure is just one millimetre better than the Mazda's. Where it counts however, is in the shoulder width measure, where the Fiesta actually enjoys a marginal advantage of 10mm over the Mazda, for the front seat occupants.

Boot space seemed relatively deep and about on par with other light cars, but the vehicle we sized up (a Euro-market Fiesta Titanium) had a tyre repair kit and compressor rather than a spare.

There was a recessed hand-pull in tailgate, right of the latch. In the view of this reviewer, the handgrip wasn't quite angled sufficiently to haul the tailgate down without losing grip.

Ford's published luggage capacity figures for the Fiesta range from 295 litres with the rear seats up to 979 litres with the rear seats folded flat. Both those figures better the corresponding capacities for the Mazda2. Also, on the subject of capacities, the Fiesta's door bins will hold up to 1.5-litre bottles.

SAFETY
Ford has built the new Fiesta 40kg lighter than the superseded model, but the new car is stronger and safer, through the use of high-strength and ultra-high strength steel accounting for 55 per cent of the body weight. This boron steel can be found in the car's A and B pillars, the roof, door sills and lateral members in the floorpan and roof.

Safety is further enhanced with a knee airbag for the driver, although this will be part of an option pack for the CL and LX grades. This option pack also comprises side-impact airbags and stability control with Emergency Brake Assist. ABS, EBD and dual front airbags will be standard for all Australian-delivered Fiesta variants.

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.

Ford is expecting the Fiesta to remain a five-star-rated Euro NCAP car, but is also hoping for a higher pedestrian safety score.

We'd like to have seen stability control standard across the range. At least it's available -- unlike the Honda Jazz for instance.

COMPETITORS
Based on VFACTS for August 2008, the Fiesta's competitors in the light car segment -- and in descending order of sales volumes -- are Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Getz, Mazda2 and Suzuki Swift. Other players include Holden's just-been facelifted Barina and Honda's all-new Jazz.

Toyota's lead in this segment might be called 'unassailable' -- although it shouldn't be -- and the Getz sells in large numbers to fleets, but the Mazda and the Suzuki are not beyond reach of the Fiesta, assuming Ford prices the new car keenly and markets the car aggressively.

It's possible that small-car buyers might be swayed to look at the Fiesta, if it offers more kit for the money, in a package that's like a small car from the B pillars forward anyway.

The first car we drove was a Fiesta Titanium five-door finished in Squeeze (which to this colour-blind tester looked like a metallic green with a strong gold tint). While the car gave a general impression of how the Fiesta feels to drive and what it has to offer in packaging and quality, it was otherwise unrepresentative of the Fiestas we'll be seeing in Australia. Neither the Titanium grade nor the Fiesta Ghia will be sold locally.

We subsequently drove the Fiesta Sport, which is line-ball with the Fiesta Zetec we will get. Both the Fiesta Titanium and Sport were fitted with the same 1.6-litre petrol engine and five-speed manual transmission. There were none of the 1.4-litre/auto variants to be sampled during the two-day drive program, so that will have to wait for another day and another continent.

The Fiesta Titanium came with the keyless entry and start/stop button which may or may not reach us here. In Europe, it's only available with the Titanium spec car in standard form.

Virtually the first thing our co-driver noted as we drove off was the air vents have been ripped off from the Mazda2 parts bin. They closed flush and worked well with the air conditioning to keep the cabin cool on the sort of high-20 degree days experienced during the early stage of an Italian autumn.

In other respects, the Fiesta's interior was more like a scaled-down Mondeo's. Ford designers have lavished glossy titanium-look plastic on the instrument bezels, but have sparingly applied chrome to the gearshift knob, handbrake release and Power (start/stop) button.

With the exception of the mobile-phone-mimicking centre fascia, instruments and controls were laid out in a fairly conventional style.

From the driver's seat, the steering wheel felt to be a good size and thickness of rim. The instruments weren't obscured by the steering wheel spokes but the trip computer read-out immediately ahead of the driver was relatively small. Instruments followed conventional ergonomic practices and the indicators provided a two-stage lane-change facility.

Gearshift quality was light, but a little vague. Certainly not the worst in our experience, but doesn't compare with the excellent gearshift of the Mondeo or Focus XR5, for example. The handbrake was near the driver's position and we bet it doesn't get swapped over with Aussie-spec cars in RHD -- but would be happy to be proved wrong.

The footrest for the driver's left foot was wide, comfortable and well-positioned -- which was just as well, since it helped brace the driver during harder cornering in the Fiesta Titanium. With a bit of lateral G-force, the side bolsters in the front seat squab just couldn't carry the weight.

While they were comfortable enough in everyday driving, they lacked support for the thighs and were too short in the cushion. The whole seat felt like it was collapsing during braking and cornering manoeuvres.

Ford subscribes to a view that North American buyers prefer a V-shaped seat cushion, while European buyers prefer a U-shaped seat cushion. In the case of the Fiesta Titanium, the seat cushion was very plainly tailored for North American tastes and lacked the typical Euro hard/flat cushioning.

Since the Titanium-grade Fiesta won't be coming to Australia, we would expect that seats fitted to local cars will more likely be the Euro-U, as in the Fiesta Sport, rather than the Yankee-V of the Fiesta Titanium.

One outcome of the Fiesta being a relatively small car that also happens to be well designed: everything's in easy reach. The USB connection and aux. input jack were located in plain sight in the centre console alongside the 12-Volt auxiliary power outlet.

In spite of the Fiesta's compact dimensions, it felt to be a car built to a high quality standard for a light segment vehicle. As a couple of examples, the dashboard padding was soft but appeared durable with an interesting 'bubbled' texture finish. The Fiesta Sport was trimmed in what appeared to be quite a hardy seat fabric, albeit less plush than in the Fiesta Titanium.

In both cars (the Fiesta Sport was a three-door, with longer doors correspondingly), the doors closed with a quality 'thunk' as promised. The acoustic quality of door-closing is an element of the car's design that has come to prominence within Ford of Europe's R&D section since the boffins 'discovered' that doors are the first point of physical contact for the new-car buyer (more here).

Once on the move, the Fiesta surprised with its refinement. It was very quiet by the standards of light cars and the engine sounded sporty as well as remaining refined right into the higher reaches of the rev range.

The engine seems to be tuned ultimately for economy over performance. It will go reasonably well once it's operating higher in the rev range and it's definitely happiest operating between 3000-5000rpm.

As a sign of the engine's peaky nature, it laboured slightly at 2000rpm, emitting a deeper bass note at that speed if you used as much as 40 per cent throttle. Perhaps this was a sign of an engine that was still a bit tight.

The gear ratios were a reasonably good match to the engine. At 100km/h, the tacho was reading around 3000rpm. If fifth was any higher, it wouldn't be as practical and you would be changing back to fourth on even the mildest inclines. At the other end of the scale, first gear is low enough to provide brisk acceleration from a standing start without undue wheelspin.

After an unrelenting thrash on winding roads in Italy's Tuscany region, the car averaged 7.8L/100km.

Despite making do with rear drums, the Fiesta coped with a fair pounding on a winding, downhill section of road during the test.

That pounding showed up the car's body roll in the case of the Titanium-spec Fiesta, which we won't see locally. The car was well damped, but very softly sprung and inclined to roll more than it should. This body roll was disconcerting and made it a little harder to place on the road.

One wonders whether Ford Australia wouldn't consider offering this suspension tune as a Comfort Pack option for those who don't care too much about driving enjoyment. We can imagine there would be buyers out there who would be very happy with this sort of ride and isolation from the road.

The Fiesta Sport's ride is more appropriate for most Australian consumer's tastes. True, both the Titanium and Sport were consistent and safe -- without any twitchiness or significant sense of weight transfer when lifting off the throttle into a corner -- but we still felt more at home in the Fiesta Sport.

Turn-in was neat in both cars and the steering feedback was as good as Ford had promised, despite the servo for the electric power assistance being mounted on the steering column rather than the rack.

Speaking of promise, the Fiesta as a total package offers plenty.

Whether Ford Australia can convert that promise into sales remains the $64,000 question. It needs to strike hard with a strong marketing campaign for the new car, due next month. The Fiesta deserves nothing less...

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