All-new Ford Fiesta EcoBoost 1.0 Titanium Auto

Henry would be very pleased.

It’s been a while since I drove a Ford Fiesta, and I have to say that I was surprised by how much it has grown up, and not just in dimensional terms. In its fetching shade of Blue Wave paintwork which positively gleamed. Decently- close and consistent panel gaps enhance the quality perception and the rear end re-design with horizontal lamp clusters, gives the car a more upmarket look with a broader stance. The smart alloy wheels wrapped with sporty 205/45R17 Michelin rubber gives you a compact hatch which visually at least more than holds its own in this segment. An extended rear roof spoiler continues the sporty theme while up front, the light clusters incorporate HD units plus LED daytime running lights. Fog lamps with cornering capability are also incorporated in the lower regions of the front valance which is topped off with a simplified version of the “Ford grille,” all of which adds up to a neat and tidy face that could only belong to one manufacturer. It also did not escape my notice that all the doors opened and closed with pleasing precision, always a sign that the basic structure of the car is absolutely square.

The question is: does the quality look extend to the interior where Fords in the past have floundered a tad with fussy fascia designs and lots of hard plastics on display?

Again the answer is yes! Gone is that awful arcade-like centre panel and in its place is a tablet-like free-standing 8-inch touch screen that makes up the infotainment centre, so to speak. The Ford MP3 Audio System is linked to seven speakers while SYNC111 is on board along with full sat nav, Bluetooth, voice control, and steering wheel audio controls backed-up by two USB ports and iPod connectivity. The inclusion of all this equipment is unusual in the class and happy to relate, functionality was first class.

The driver is confronted by an adjustable leather-bound steering wheel which also includes cruise control functionality and directly in line of sight is a beautifully clear and simply-marked white on black instrument display with contrasting blue pointers. A little higher up is a photo-chromatic (auto-dipping) rear view mirror above which is a receptacle for spectacles. The equipment fest continues in the form of keyless entry/start, all-electric windows with one-touch facility, effective air con, rear park sensors, Thatcham alarm and dual front and curtain airbags plus ISOFIX mountings.

Oddments space is acceptably generous and consists of unlined door pockets, a cubby with separate documents holder, cup holders in the centre console and a lidded centre armrest. Most importantly, the front seat occupants will find generously-proportioned sports front seats swathed in good quality self-patterned black fabric set off by contrasting off-white piping and stitching.

These heated seats proved accommodating and endowed with good adjustability. Space in the back is fair for two adults. Knee-room, even allowing for scalloped front seat backrests, is acceptable but headroom is good and the seat backrest, with its 60:40 split, offers a comfy angle of recline. The carpeted and expandable luggage area is surprisingly generous at 303 litres with all seats in use and sits over a175/65R14 steel spare.

The much-simpler upper dash area is soft-moulded and along with the excellent quality fabric roof lining, looks and feels pleasant but the plastics used on the doors and in lower regions are hard and scratchy, but no worse than class average, having said that. Oh, and one little point that I wish other manufacturers would insist on – the lights are operated by a simple, clearly-marked rotary switch that’s so much better than the fiddly, confusing stalk switches widely used in other quarters.

I’ve dwelled for longer than usual on equipment levels for the simple reason that in this Titanium version of the Fiesta, there is so much on-board that is part of the base price. This will give readers a better idea of the inherent value of the package when making comparisons with competitors especially as there may be a distorted perception at play arising from the fact that this model is powered by a diminutive 998cc engine.

That little engine is boosted by a turbo such that the three cylinders hiding within the compact block muster a useful 74kW from 4 500 rpm, but even more importantly, a generous slug of torque, all 170Nm of the stuff, manifests itself all the way from 1 500 to 4 000 rpm.

The engine hums away very quietly on the cruise and takes on a harder-edged but unobtrusive thrum when put under the whip. It really is an unexpected delight, so much so that I repeatedly found the Fiesta scuttling along at 140km/h on the motorway and having to be reined in. Now who would ever have thought that of a mere 1.0 litre engine? For the record, all-out performance means 0-100 in 12.2s with a top whack of 180km/h but it’s not these on-the-limit figures that matter nearly as much as the usability of the engine in all driving conditions, especially when mated to the slick 6-speed torque converter auto complete with paddle shifters.

This gearbox suits the application perfectly, keeping engine revs unobtrusively within the peak torque plateau and shifting smoothly and with alacrity and lack of obvious slip. The manual version of this model produces a more exciting 92kW and sprints to 100 in just 9.9s on its way to 195km/h. Whether it’s as pleasant to use as the auto in an urban environment is s till to be discovered.

All Fords traditionally excel in the ride and handling department and this Fiesta proved to be no exception, offering a fine balance between decent ride comfort and responsive handling. It feels like a bigger car altogether and along with perfectly weighted steering, it delivers class-leading driving characteristics. Isolation of wind noises, thanks to the unusual-for-the-class fitment of dual door seals all round, is very good as is exclusion of road roar except on the coarsest of tar. It all adds up to unusually good refinement levels not just for this class, but for the class above, too.

If you’ve mustered the energy to read all the way, you will have gathered that this latest Fiesta proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable driving companion which meant I was reluctant to hand it back. The model has grown up beyond recognition such that it’s surely trampling in Focus territory but more importantly perhaps, it really does provide a serious challenge to the class leader, the VW Polo. It does this though offering a level of finishing detail that’s improved hugely along with pleasing driving characteristics and a very generous standard fitment level.

Article & Photos: Richard Wiley