Ford names the design theme ‘Kinetic’, and the same elements are now incorporated into almost the whole of the European Ford lineup. No such harmonization within the U. S. range though, where the Fiesta’s dart-like profile will look out of place. It’s an aggressive and emotional shape with strongly three-dimensional surfacing, but look closer and it’s also very neatly finished and detailed. That reflects the whole car’s personality—it’s zippy and a ball of fun, but equally it’s thoroughly refined with a sense of depth to the engineering.
At 156.6 inches for the five-door (a three door version is also available for Europe and is eventually expected for the U. S.), the hatchback is half a foot longer than key price rival the Toyota Yaris liftback. Yet it weighs almost the same—2250 pounds with representative equipment and full tanks.
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This represents a 90-pound cut compared with the previous-generation Fiesta in Europe, despite the fact it now matches the best small cars anywhere for crash test integrity. It also comes with up to seven airbags and, on most versions, ESP.
Crucial weight-reduction elements included widespread use throughout the bodyshell of high-strength steels, and some ultra-high-strength types previously unavailable. A vigorous mass-cutting program was also applied to the chassis (though aluminum parts were generally ruled out on cost grounds), cooling system, and seats. For example, the rear seat doesn’t slide and has a simple backrest-only folding mechanism. The logic was that most owners seldom use anything more complex and so would rather spend the weight and cost elsewhere in the vehicle.
The interior design was previewed almost exactly by the Verve concept, though of course that was dressed up in all sorts of fancy materials. The Fiesta’s fascia is busy looking, with bold shapes and lines that hold your interest. It’s well put together, too. The stalks and switches click with precision, the pedals and gearlever all travel through their arcs with a well-damped, oiled glide.
The 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine has dual variable cam timing and makes 120 horsepower and 112 lb-ft, numbers that sound adequate for a car this light, but little more—the 0-62 mph time is claimed at 9.9 sec. But there’s joy to be had from making the best of them. The rev-counter numbers are admonishingly red from a none-too-ambitious 6000, but the cut-out lurks at 6600 and was frequently visited during the drive, because it’s such a sweet and smooth motor. Your ears never call for an early upshift, so you can pelt through strings of curves without having to let the engine come off the boil.
That ride comfort adds to the Fiesta’s portfolio of talents as a surprisingly capable highway machine. The steering holds a straight line well, partly thanks to electric power assistance that programmed to nudge back toward the center if it detects uneven road camber forces are tugging you off line. Tire and suspension noise is impressively low, too. So is wind roar at speed. Overall highway comfort really is close to far more expensive stuff like, say, an Audi A3.
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