Ford Fiesta

Overview

Ford Fiesta is one of the most successful products that came out from the American car manufacturer’s production plant. Its first production began way back in 1976, and now it is in its seventh generation. Over these decades Ford has sold over 16 million units of Fiesta across the globe.

Ford Fiesta continues to win hearts in its latest avatar. Ford has learned from the mistakes of the previous generation models of the Fiesta and has tried to implement the learnings in the latest model to deliver a complete package. The looks, interior, build quality, safety features, everything has been improved. The biggest USP of the latest Fiesta is Ford’s award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine.

Interior & Features

Ford has used good quality materials in the cabin of the Fiesta. The seats are covered with leather or partial leather, depending on the variant. It has got a nicely designed cluster for the automatic climate control. The instrument console is also well made and displays various necessary information clearly. The Fiesta also features keyless ignition system with a push button start/stop function.

The Fiesta also comes with Ford’s SYNC technology. Basically, it can perform certain predefined functions by voice commands. For example- when your phone is connected to the car via the inbuilt Bluetooth, you can make hands-free phone calls. You can also use SYNC to enjoy hands-free music, and entertainment. In order to provide a seamless experience of the SYNC technology, Ford keeps pushing regular software updates.

Other exciting features include electronically controlled side mirrors, steering mounted audio controls, leather wrapped steering wheel, electronic power assist steering, aesthetic lighting, etc.

The cabin of the Fiesta is quite spacious. There is ample amount of space to for the front two occupants. But the space in the rear is not that great and is just sufficient to accommodate two people. So getting another one at the back would not be a good idea.

Exterior

The Fiesta is a striking-looking car. It has got these huge headlights that are very modern. They have a unique design. They are stretched all the way to the middle of the front wheel arch. They complement the overall character of the car very well. However, there is no option for a projector unit, but the daytime running lights are available in the top-end model.

Ford has also given its new trapezoidal front grille in the Fiesta. It adds a bit of sportiness to the car and is somewhat Aston Martin-ish. The front bumper is also designed keeping in mind the shape of the grille, and hence, both of them gel very well together. Talking about the dimensions of the Fiesta, it is 3982 mm long, 1722 mm wide, and 1489 mm in height. To aid you to park the car, Ford has provided Rear Parking Sensors.

All the three models of the Fiesta come with silver colour alloy wheels. They are not the best that we have seen in this category, but we do not have anything to complain about them. The tyres on this 16-inch alloy measure 195/50 for both front and rear and the spare wheel is of the size 175/65/R14.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

The Ford Fiesta comes in two engine variants. There is a 1.5-litre Ti-VCT petrol engine that produces 112 PS of max power at 6,300 rpm and churns out 140 Nm of peak torque at 4,400 rpm. It offers a smooth drive with an optimal tuning between performance and fuel economy, thanks to the 6-speed PowerShift Automatic Transmission.

The other engine option is Ford’s award-winning 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine. Ford has done extensive research and development to make this brilliant engine. Ford claims that this is the most technologically advanced engine it has ever made. It has been tuned to produce a max power of 125 PS at 6,000 rpm and generates a peak torque of 170 Nm at 4,500 rpm. This, too, comes mated to the 6-speed PowerShift Automatic Transmission. Ford says that this engine provides 20% better fuel efficiency with outstanding performance.

Braking & Safety

In its quest to offer better safety without increasing the overall weight of the Fiesta, Ford crossed the lines into the aerospace industry. And it found what it was looking for - Boron Steel. It is an ultra-high-strength which offers 4 times stronger than normal high-strength steel. It is used along with low-alloy and dual-phase steels, to help protect the occupants while still passing on fuel savings. The high yield and tensile strength of Boron Steel allow Ford to form complex shapes that can be welded into key areas of the structure of the car, such as pillars and bumpers, to provide a ‘safety cell’ that does not add weight.

Ford has also not compromised in the safety features of the Fiesta. There are a plethora of features which come as standard across all variants of the car. These features include Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with EBD, Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Hill Launch Assist (HLA), Seat Belt Pretensioners, etc. Ford also offers a total of 7 airbags in the top-end model.