The ‘new’ Ford Fiesta has been around for just over a year now and created quite a buzz with its edgy design when it arrived. Although the hype may have subsided, it’s still a supermini that’s lost none of its appeal, looks-wise at least. With the arrival of the newest VW Polo, Citroen C3 and Hyundai i20 we decided to take a closer look and see how it stacks up amongst the equally refreshed competition.

Firstly, it must be noted that the six generation Fiesta marks a revolution rather than evolution of the model it replaces. The Fiesta has been designed to perform on the world stage and not purely for select markets in Europe or the Africa/Asia regions. To this end the Fiesta has been a success in terms of its ‘world car‘ status, with over half-a-million units sold by January this year, around 8 000 of those being in South Africa.

The Fiesta is certainly one of the better looking compact hatchbacks on our roads and just as well, because the Fiesta will inspire the look of future Fords – as seen with the new Focus launched in Detroit last year. The top of the range Titanium model we sampled features chrome accents, 16-inch alloy wheels, halogen projector headlamps, front fog lamps with chrome bezel and a partial body kit that includes a bold front grille and rear spoiler. In three door body style the Titanium model benefits from the addition of a full body kit. If the rakish headlights and whale shark grille are too bland for you, there is always the choice of Fords ‘Vision’ blue or ‘Squeeze’ lime green colour options to guarantee you get noticed. Overall, the edgy design offers a fresh and sporty look that will appeal to the 20-somethings and young at heart.

The interior also features a brand new design and marks a significant jump over the previous generation Fiesta. The front seats are supportive and comfortable, although the backrests could prove a tad narrow for bigger South African’s. Unlike the Mk5 Fiesta before it, the latest model features a height adjustable drivers seat in addition to the reach and height adjustable steering wheel. Standard on all Titanium spec models is a leather wrapped steering wheel, including satellite controls for the sound system that also features bluetooth connectivity for your phone and voice command recognition. The centre stack houses controls linked to a 3.5-inch LCD display mounted on top of the dashboard.

Ford call this their Human Machine Interface (HMI), which may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but really all it does is provide easy access to the in-car entertainment functions, on-board computer information and settings such as the ambient lighting. The HMI has been designed with a mobile phone in mind, the idea being to achieve a globally recognised and intuitive way to access the functions mentioned. On the whole it proved easy to use, although we did find ourselves searching for the odd button on occasion. To the Fiesta’s credit, the bluetooth connectivity to our iPhone was the quickest and simplest we’ve ever used. Below the HMI reside the climate control dials – funky, but with a more traditional layout.

The rest of the dashboard has a fashionable soft touch to it and is characterised by a strong horizontal line with a soft edge, dividing the dash in two. Different textures feature above and below this design element, while ‘brightwork’ surrounds the centre stack and drivers instrumentation. A nice touch, although some may find it a bit garish, is the ambient lighting that emits a red glow over the centre stack, gear lever and glove box.

The Fiesta 3- and 5-door models are built upon the same chassis. This means that the rear of the 5-door may feel somewhat cramped in terms of legroom, but headroom won’t be a problem for the majority of adult passengers. Something we noticed that was missing from the current Fiesta were grab handles for front and rear passengers, not that we use them all that often, but nonetheless they were conspicuous in their absence. Behind the rear seats you’ll find a useful 284-litre boot, expandable by folding the rear seats flat.

On the road the Fiesta offers a quiet ride, with acceptable levels of wind and road noise. With a 5-speed manual gearbox the Fiesta’s engine is busy while cruising – just under 4 000 r/min at 120 km/h – and could do with a 6th cog to reduce consumption and engine noise. Having said that, fuel economy is already an agreeable 5.9 l/100 km overall and CO2 emissions are 139 g/km – figures which carry ever increasing importance as fuel prices increase and the emissions tax draws closer. Around town the Fiesta drives well. There’s enough visibility all around, the steering is light, the car has a good turning circle and the ride is comfortable if a little firm. Which brings us on to our next point, the handling.

Fiesta’s have always had good underpinnings and proved fun to drive. Admittedly our expectations were a bit low with the latest generation, because the idea of a Euro-centric hatch turned ‘world car’, aka now including America, brought visions of marshmallow like ride quality for highway cruising at 55 mph. After a few kilometers in the new Fiesta we can say that thankfully our assumptions were completely unwarranted. The Fiesta has a superb chassis – well balanced and plenty of perceived grip as a result. The Fiesta takes road imperfections in its stride. Where other similar sized cars may be ushered off line, the Fiesta remains planted. The car changes direction well and remains stable under heavy or emergency braking. All these attributes make for a safe and confidence inspiring drive. Best of all though is that with the 1,6-litre engine under the bonnet, the Fiesta 1.6 can be fun to drive when you want it to be.

The engine produces 88 kW at 6 000 r/min and peak torque of 149 N.m at 4 250 r/min – enough grunt to haul the Fiesta to a 193 km/h top speed and from zero to 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds. On your computer screen these figures may not seem like much, but in the real-world the 1,6 engine offers adequate performance. And, with a free-revving nature, provides just enough verve to tickle the speed demon in you through a set of twisties. Mated to the 5-speed ‘box via a light action clutch and positive shifting gear stick, the Fiesta offers a comfortable and positive driving experience.

We Like…

• Fantastic chassis, which we expect will make the upcoming Fiesta ST a little firecracker.
• Ford’s new ‘Kinetic Design’ philosophy, which forms the basis for future models.
• The ‘vision blue’ colour of our press car!

We Would Like…

• A mute button for the radio – we couldn’t find one anywhere.