Ford Fiesta LX Sedan 2011 Review

Price guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $20,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Nil
Crash rating: Five-star ANCAP
Fuel: 91 RON ULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 6.1
CO2 emissions (g/km): 146
Also consider: Mazda2 sedan, Volkswagen Polo sedan

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Ford's WT Fiesta, launched late in 2010, differs little visually from the WS series it replaces. From most angles anyway – one key difference is in the addition of a four-door sedan alternative to the established hatch.

The other is the replacement of the dated four-speed automatic transmission with Ford's PowerShift dual-clutch unit. Both are important upgrades to the lineup, the latter in keeping the highly regarded Fiesta competitive with Volkswagen's Polo.

In this guise, Ford's Getrag-sourced DCT (dual clutch transmission) is a very different proposition to Volkswagen's DSG. The chasm between the two reflects a clear difference of intention between the makers. Volkswagen's Borg Warner unit isn't so much an auto you can shift yourself as a manual without a clutch pedal.

The Ford's is a pure automatic – so much so they haven't even given it a  manual (+/-) mode. It's been calibrated to function happily in traffic. If it's not as nanosecond-fast in its shifts as the Volkswagen unit, it's slick enough to maintain full momentum between cogs on the way up. And it's not as easily confused – come time to change, it makes its mind up quickly, and gets it right pretty much every time.

The lack of a manual function means it doesn't get you to the engine's sweet spot on demand, although the Grade Logic feature, activated via a switch on the console, goes some of the way by raising the upshift threshold in each gear. A better alternative is to pull the shift from 'D' (Drive) down to 'L' (Low) mode.

Under load and overtaking, the 1.6-litre Duratec four-cylinder engine needs a bit of a poke sometimes, serving up its 88kW of power at 6300rpm. With the transmission in Low, the engine spends more of its time up around its 151Nm peak torque threshold of 4300rpm. It sounds a bit thrashy, but it's surprisingly flexible through sustained runs of twists and turns.

A well-sorted chassis and suspension help the Fiesta make the most of it, too. The ride/handling balance is top-notch for its class, absorbing the rough stuff with unusual aplomb for one so light. Coarser road surfaces can make their presence known, but not unbearably. Perched on Macpherson struts up front and torsion beam at the rear, the sedan feels less top-heavy than its looks suggest. Body roll is minimal through tight corners; it takes more silliness than most will want to throw at it to push it into even mild understeer.

Ford installed the on-demand electrically assisted steering for its effect on fuel consumption, but it steers well, too. With enough weight for a nice meaty feel and plenty of feedback, it feels like more than $20K's worth.

The interior serves up what one expects from a mid-spec model at the better end of the light car segment: remote central locking, cruise control, electric windows all round, a trip computer giving range, and instantaneous/average fuel consumption, a single-CD six-speaker audio system with steering wheel controls and auxiliary input (you have to move up to the Zetec to get USB), Bluetooth connectivity and voice command. Surprisingly, the only sat nav option is a tack-on affair, not integrated.

Trim and gear upgrades from the base LX model include 15-inch alloys, body-coloured bumpers, door handles and wing mirrors, and a leather steering wheel.

The three-box Fiesta shares the trend among baby sedans to put a big backside over little wheels – witness Toyota's Yaris, Honda's City and the Fiesta's Thai-built sibling, the Mazda2. The logic is simple: they figure most buyers prefer booty to beauty. The Fiesta sedan puts 430 litres at your disposal. If that doesn't match the 500-plus of Honda's City, it's still closer to the top of its class than the bottom. It's deep enough to take more cumbersome luggage, although the gooseneck hinges can get in the way if you stretch the friendship.

There's no spare, just a 'temporary mobility kit' – silicon sealant and an inflator pump. The one experience I've had with these, it worked. I'm not sure it's that good an idea for a back road between Mootwingee and Bourke, but for the Fiesta's intended urban habitat it's adequate.

All the important electronics – ABS, EBD, stability and traction control – with front, side and curtain airbags as standard earn the midspec LX a five-star ANCAP rating (the base CL loses a star without the curtain airbags, but you can option it up with them to five-star level). The front seatbelts get pretensioning, and all five seats get headrests.

Some evidence of cost-cutting in the quality of the interior plastics, coming with the change of source from Europe to Thailand, puts the Fiesta at a disadvantage to the Polo, it's most obvious competitor. But there's a modest price advantage in mitigation, and the sedan adds an important option to the body lineup.

But it's the PowerShift DCT upgrade that best differentiates the Fiesta. For buyers looking for a genuine auto transmission, it offers palpable advantages over both Volkswagen's DSG and the conventional torque converter affairs marking the rest of its class.

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