2009 Ford Fiesta Reviews

The baby Euro car sets a new style direction for compact blue-oval models as well as promising class-leading driving enjoyment.It is also priced from $15,750 for a three-door hatch with fuel economy as good as 6.1 litres/100km with a 1.4-litre starter motor.The Fiesta is a five-star NCAP success in Europe but, for now, ESP stability control is only an extra-cost option for Australia at a time when all five-star contenders for 2009 must have ESP. It is part of a $1000 'safety pack' on the basic CL and mid-range LX models, bringing front side airbags, a driver's knee airbag and stability and traction control, as well as Emergency Brake Assist.Ford Australia says it is giving Fiesta buyers the choice on safety and is hoping for a 15 per cent up-take on the safety pack.The Fiesta - the sixth generation to wear the badge and available as either a three or five-door hatch with 1.4 and 1.6-litre engines - is currently built for Australia in Germany, but the supply line will be switched to Thailand after the first 12 months. That could bring a price advantage thanks to a Free Trade Agreement but there is no commitment to any future change.It's the same with the Fiesta sedan, which is in the medium-term plan for Ford Australia but with no firm introduction date.The sportier XR4 and Ghia models are also missing, leaving the Fiesta Zetec - which differs only in wheels and tyres from a mechanical perspective - as the sports flagship for now.The new entry-level CL three-door kicks off the range at $15,750 and will be available with both three and five doors. The middle-level LX models start from $18,490 but only with five doors, upgrading from the CL's 15-inch steel to the same diameter in an alloy wheel.The Zetec sports model is a three or five-door car from $20,250, but the three-door is manual only. It is mechanically identical but gets 16-inch alloy wheels and a sports body kit.The drivetrains are a 88kW/152Nm 1.6-litre with five-speed manual or the optional $1500 automatic transmission - available from February - which is only mated to a 71kW/128Nm 1.4-litre engine and available on all but the three-door Zetec.The 1.6/manual combination has claimed economy of 6.1 litres per 100km while the smaller, less-powerful engine with the automatic pushes the fuel use up to 6.9.The Fiesta has a range of technology including voice-controlled Bluetooth (standard on LX and Zetec), a USB slot for an MP3 or the 3.5mm audio jack standard range-wide.Also standard is the capless refuelling set-up first seen on the Mondeo and cruise control is standard on all but the CL.The first local drive was done in the manual models as Ford has not landed any autos.Ford talks a lot about the work done to keep the interior quiet and it has paid off, as the cabin is well-insulated from most noise and the 1.6-litre engine is quiet and smooth.It is also a flexible powerplant, thanks to variable valve timing systems, pulling through the steeper sections of the Adelaide hills launch drive in a gear higher than expected for a sub-2-litre car.The little German-built light car also has good road manners, with a well-executed compromise between ride and handling on offer.The Fiesta is composed in corners and has body roll well under control, with a firm but decent level of ride compliance.At above-average height I could find a decent driving position in the supportive and comfortable seats and had good forward visibility - rearward is less open given the C-pillar and high rear waistline.The partial leather-wrapping of the steering wheel, a little too much power assistance, air-con that blew cool rather than cold air on a low-30s Adelaide day and the absence of an automatic transmission with the larger engine were the only complaints.

So confident, in fact, that it plans to launch the car in North America in 2010, a continent mostly known for its love of gas-guzzling pickup trucks.Both three-door and five-door Fiestas arrive here in January with either 1.4-litre or 1.6-litre Duratec four cylinder engines driving the front wheels.Three models will be available, the entry CL, mid-range LX and range-topping sports Zetec model with the 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT four cylinder.The LX will only come as a five door while the CL and Zetec will be available in both three and five-door guises.The 1.4-litre Duratec four develops 71kW at 5750 revs and 128Nm at 4200 revs while the 1.6-litre Ti-VCT gets 20 per cent more power than the outgoing engine.It now develops 88kW at 6000 revs and 152Nm at 4050 revs.Zetec models are expected to get sports seats and suspension, body kit, 16-inch alloys and front and rear spoilers.Other standard equipment may include keyless entry and a start button, Ford's human machine interface, air conditioning, anti-skid brakes and CD stereo with MP3 compatibility.A `safety pack' including electronic stability control, knee and curtain airbags is expected to be optional on the CL and LX.Ford Australia spokesperson, Sinead McAlary, says prices should be close to the outgoing model, which should mean a sub-$16,000 price for the CL three-door and about $20,000 for the Zetec five-door.At launch the Fiesta will come with a five-speed manual.A four-speed auto arrives about March.Based on the Verve concept car shown at last years Frankfurt Motor Show, the seventh-generation hatch shares about 20 per cent of its hardware with the Mazda2, as part of Ford's global product development system.But Ford engineers modified the suspension, steering and dynamics.Although both cars were developed side-by-side, the Fiesta gets Ford's DNA.Like the current crop of Aussie and European Fords, the Fiesta uses Ford's kinetic design language, with the signature bulging wheelarches, trapezoidal grille and slimline headlights.The interior also gets a classy, European feel.Designers have taken inspiration from the latest mobile phones for the car's centre console and upper dashboard controls.Apart from the two side air vents on the dashboard, its hard to pick any visual commonality.Both the Fiesta and Mazda2 share the same MacPherson strut front suspension and twist-beam rear suspension suspensions but the Ford is tuned differently.Even the rear muffler has been re-engineered to provide a sportier exhaust note.Ford vehicle engineering manager, Dieter Schwarz, says the bushings, spring and damper rates at the rear have been retuned.“As the car is stiffer than even the Mazda2 we've been able to provide a more compliant ride without any handling tradeoff,” he says.The car is stronger than the previous model, using more than 55 per cent of the car uses high-strength steel and is 10 per cent stronger, which not only contributes to a solid feel, but helps the suspension work more efficiently, Schwarz says.The Fiesta has shed about 40kg but added in 10kg in sound insulation and extra safety features, like the knee airbag, one of seven available in European cars.Australia-bound Fiestas will initially be built at Cologne in Germany.However, Ford plans to transfer sourcing to Thailand from late next year, which should drive some pricing and equipment benefits because of the Free Trade Agreement. Delivering refinement and a big-car feel in a light car is virtually impossible.But Ford has managed to refine the new Fiesta to a point where rides like a French car but has the quality, quietness and ambience of a German car.The air of sophistication carries over to the cabin too. The newest Fiesta looks and feels more expensive than it really is.From the driver's seat there are distinct cues that let you know this little Ford is a cut above.The steering is both reach and height-adjustable, which is unusual in the light car segment.There is an up-market look and feel to the switchgear and the overall interior ambience suggests the Fiesta should be in a segment above.Ford has skilfully used slush-moulded soft-touch plastics for the top of the instrument panel but the lower surfaces still use hard plastics.The seats are supportive and comfortable, particularly in the Zetec and while you sit some distance back from the steeply raked windscreen, visibility is excellent.The prominent C-pillars do hinder over the shoulder rear views out the back though.In the centre of the dash, the mobile-phone inspired design works well for the audio controls.Likewise, the switchgear for the heating and other ancillary features are of a high quality.That was not always the way with the current car, which looked and felt a little underdone in the cabin.On the road, Ford has managed to make the Fiesta both smooth and quiet while delivering a reasonably energetic driving experience.It may not be as sharp as the current car but many more buyers will appreciate the car's higher levels of suppleness and refinement.The trade off in previous crispness in the chassis has been the development of a big-car ride.The electronic power steering is sharp and accurate, and Ford's claims of better low-speed maneuverability more precise high-speed stability seem on the money.The five-speed gearbox is slick and the handling is beautifully.The three-door Zetec's, with its slightly sportier suspension tune, could be adopted right across the range without complaint because it remains supple while allowing more sportier handling. It's that good.We can only wonder how good the new Fiesta could be with a 2.0-litre four in XR4 guise...The early production cars we sampled, the Titanium five-door and Zetec three-door had excellent fit and finish and there is a palpable sense of the depth of engineering integrity in the cars.The 89kW 1.6-litre four is smooth and revvy. To get the best out of it though liberal use of the silky five-speed manual is required.We got 7.8 litres/100km in spirited driving over the winding Tuscan roads near Siena. Ford says the 1.6 is good for 5.9 litres combined fuel economy.Interior space up front is good and while rear passengers get plenty of headroom, legroom is best described as snug. Boot space is reasonably good.The rear seat spit-folds 60/40 and there's room for 295 litres with the rear seats up and 979 with the seatbacks folded.The only sour note on the car's overall quality was the exposed, black-painted seatbacks, which we suspect will scratch easily.Ford's McAlary says the company is hoping to sell about 600 a month, about the same rate as the current car.We suspect that once word gets out about how competent the new Fiesta is, it could seriously the supremacy of the likes of the Mazda2, Honda Jazz, Suzuki Swift, Toyota Yaris and Hyundai Getz in the sales race.It may just have what it takes to be a class leader.