The new Ford Fiesta is one of the best handling superminis around. The Fiesta has all the right strengths for the light-car segment, with a great-looking body and a perky engine. It's not as enjoyable as the Honda Jazz or the Mazda2, but it has a lot to offer.
The car is available in 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, and 1.8 liter turbo diesel engines. The gearbox choices are the traditional five-speed manual or four-speed automatic for the front-wheel drive Fiesta, but Ford has created a self-shifting gearbox with multi-mode electronic controls. The mid-level car is the sporty Zetec three-door model, which comes with anti-skid brakes, alloy wheels and fog lamps; the flagship model is the five-door Ghia, which has a six-stack CD player, with optional side and curtain airbags.
The interior is one of the Fiesta’s best features: it is clear and classy, with an up-market feel suggestive of a much larger car. There is plenty of space in the Fiesta; the dash is simple but attractive. You will like the column-mounted sound controls. There is some extra storage space in front of the gearstick, with an extra stowage area added where the ashtray used to be in earlier models. There are also clear dashboard graphics, an electronic odometer and LED warning lights.
The ride and handling of the Fiesta is outstanding, with great grip in curves. It doesn't bump like many of the other Euro-made cars. Whilst the Fiesta is not the most spacious supermini on the market, it is one of the most entertaining cars around.
