THE Ford Fiesta has been Britain’s favourite car for many years and that is because it has the secret recipe for success.
Since its original launch and throughout the generations, the blue oval badge marque's supermini has always been fun to drive, reasonably priced and very practical.
Now it is even better because it boasts all the latest kit and infotainment equipment. There is a range of models to suit from the very young to the most mature and the Fiesta will always be at the top of the sales charts.
This latest Fiesta is available in a wide range of attractive three and five-door variants with a choice of trim levels and is offered with a variety of petrol and diesel engines – so there really is something for everyone in the mix. Buyers can also choose from manual or automatic transmissions.
I sampled the sporty ST-Line car, which sits below the luxury Vignale model and the hot and racy ST model. As you would expect these days, the petrol engines will be the big sellers and you can choose from three versions of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost powerplants.
The five-door ST-Line car came with the 140PS three-cylinder turbocharged unit, which provided a great blend of performance and economy. It reaches 62mph in 9.0 seconds and can go on to a top speed of 125mph, with CO2 emissions of just 112g/km.
With its slick, six-speed, manual gearbox and stop/start technology, it has a claimed combined fuel economy figure of 47.9mpg and I got reasonably close to that over a week of mixed motoring. The steering is nicely weighted and the new suspension set-up deals well with our bumpy roads.
Slightly larger than the last model, the new Fiesta offers more room inside and four adults can travel in comfort, although if you regularly carry four passengers I would urge you to go for the five rather than the three-door version.
The stylish Fiesta looks good from any angle and the interior of this ST-Line model provides all the features you could want in a supermini.
At £18,890 you get 10-spoke 17in alloy wheels, Halogen projector headlamps with LED daytime running lamps, front fogs with cornering lights, LED night signature rear lights, power foldable door mirrors with puddle lights, rear privacy glass and a Quickclear heated windscreen.
The car also comes with an eight-inch touchscreen with DAB radio and Ford SYNC 3 navigation, two USB sockets and six speakers. In addition you get keyless start, cruise control, Ford Easy Fuel to stop you filling up from the wrong pump and a Thatcham alarm.
In addition the ST-Line also has a tuned sports suspension and a special grille, a full bodystyling kit that also features a large rear body-coloured spoiler, a flat bottomed steering wheel and sports pedals.
The ST-Line is a great-looking Fiesta and is ideal for those who want sporting appeal without the penalty of higher insurance premiums.
Factfile:
- Model: Ford Fiesta ST-Line 1.0T EcoBoost 140PS 5dr
- Engine: 1.0-litre petrol
- Power: 140PS
- Top speed: 125mph
- 0-62mph: 9.0 seconds
- Average mpg: 47.9
- CO2 emissions: 112g/km
- Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles
- Price: £18,890
