Ford Fiesta Metal 'warm hatch'

Ford has released a warmed-over Fiesta limited-edition that will mark the return of a three-door body style to the line-up of its smallest model and provide a tantalising taste of what’s to come from the new Fiesta ST hot-hatch next year.

Now on sale at $22,990 plus on-road costs before the first of just 250 examples begin arriving in September, the Fiesta Metal offers both more performance and standard equipment than the European Zetec model upon which it’s based.

The Fiesta Metal is powered by a feistier version of the 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT four-cylinder petrol engine seen in the five-door Fiesta Zetec, which costs $20,990 plus ORCs.

It features a different intake, exhaust and engine management system to produce 10kW more power (98kW at 6700rpm – up 300rpm) and 9Nm more torque (160Nm at 4250rpm).

Matched as standard with a five-speed manual gearbox, the Euro-spec model accelerates to 100km/h in 8.7 seconds, making it slightly faster than the Zetec variant.

Wearing only Panther Black Metallic paint, the German-built WS-series Fiesta Metal (as opposed the Thai-built WT model) rides on 17-inch black alloy wheels with 205/40R17 tyres and features lowered sports suspension, twin chrome exhaust outlets and a unique bodykit comprising a silver grille surround, front aero spoiler and foglight bezels.

Standard features will include privacy glass and a piano black centre stack, air-vent rings and door pulls, plus Ebony Black leather-trimmed heated sports seats with silver contrast stitching.

Sports alloy pedal cover are also included, as are stainless steel door scuff plates, unique floor mats with silver piping and a leather-wrapped reach/rake-adjustable steering wheel, gearshifter and handbrake.

Also standard will be single-zone climate-control, keyless entry/starting, an electrochromatic rear-view mirror, automatic projector headlights with follow-me-home lighting, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control and rear parking sensors.

Like all Fiestas, the Metal will also come with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS), Intelligent Protection System (IPS), anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Bluetooth with Voice Control.

As with the LX and Zetec, the Fiesta Metal has side curtain/thorax and driver’s knee airbags as standard.

Ford first revealed the Fiesta Metal in the UK last September, when it said it would build 1000 examples in black, blue and white paint colours.

It represents the hottest Fiesta sold in Australia since the WQ-series XR4, which was discontinued in 2008, but doesn’t match the performance of VW’s 132kW/250Nm Polo GTI, which comes standard with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto and is priced from $27,790 in three-door form.

“The Ford Fiesta Metal gives the enthusiast customer something extra - great handling with an enhanced performance engine,” said Ford Australia General Marketing Manager David Katic.

“Our customers already love the sporty Zetec and with the Limited Edition Fiesta Metal, we’re providing additional performance and styling features for the enthusiast customer.”

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