Ford Australia has expanded the Fiesta range by adding a four-door sedan to the Fiesta range. More conservative in its appearance than the striking looking hatch, it’s likely to attract more mature buyers, though it must be said many of the baby boomers still enjoy trendy vehicles.
The introduction of the Fiesta four-door sedan is an interesting move with most of Ford’s competitors in this market segment sticking to the tried and true hatchback formula that is so popular with younger buyers.
Looks are obviously subjective, but we prefer the appearance of the hatch over the sedan, chiefly because the ride height at the rear that suits the hatch, looks a little ungainly on the sedan. The hatch and sedan are identical at the front which means they have the latest European look with elongated headlights flanking a wide, sporty grille.
On the positive side, the Ford Fiesta sedan has an impressive 430 litres of lockable private boot space, compared to 281 litres in the hatch. A 60/40 split rear seat backrest further increases the usefulness of the sedan when compared to the hatch. The seat back is quick and easy to use by pressing on button on the top of either seat. This gives significantly more room for luggage as well any long items that need to be transported.
A fair bit of that boot space is achieved by not having a spare tyre of any description. Both the Fiesta hatch and sedan come with what Ford call a Temporary Mobility Kit, comprising sealing compound and a small air compressor. A spare wheel is available as an extra-cost option.
The standard engine across the WT range is Ford’s 1.6-litre petrol, although the range now boasts a 1.6-litre diesel alternative for those who want more grunt and better economy. Our test car was the mid-range Fiesta LX 1.6-litre petrol model with a five-speed manual gearbox.
The 1.6-litre petrol engine can be a little breathless, but performs well in this class with minimal noise intrusion into the cabin. Yes, it could be quicker off the mark, but this is easily off-set by Fiesta’s mid-range performance through the five-speed manual.
The diesel engine in the standard Fiesta model is the same as that in Ford’s green halo car, the Econetic, although without a number of economy features that bring the latter’s fuel consumption down to just 3.7 litres per 100 km. Still, at 4.4 L/100 km, the Fiesta TDCi is right there with the most fuel-efficient cars on the market.
Fuel consumption will usually be around six to seven litres per hundred kilometres in country driving, rising to a still reasonable seven to nine litres per hundred kilometres in town.
Three model variants are offered. The entry-level CL comes with either hatch or sedan body but only with the petrol engine and only the hatch gets manual transmission. The mid-specced LX has the widest range of options, with both body styles, both engines and both transmission with the petrol engine, but only manual with the diesel. The top-of-the-range Zetec is available only as a hatch, again with the choice of engines but with manual only in the diesel.
Importantly for its youth audience Fiesta ticks most of the boxes in terms of sound and communications technology with MP3 capability, steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth compatibility, auxiliary input and voice activation for a number of the car’s functions. Only the Zetec gets USB input. The LX and Zetec variants get alloy wheels, 15- and 16-inch respectively as well as cruise control, power rear windows and leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Ford took a significant step forward in the safely stakes with the new WT series Fiesta when it decided to include Dynamic Stability Program as a standard feature, this previously having been an option on CL and LX models.
The steering wheel only has tilt adjustment and could do with reach also. The seats are comfortable, the instruments easy to read, there’s audio and cruise control buttons on the steering wheel and the cabin is light and airy. A reason for this is the broad, sloping windscreen which gives great visibility, but also creates a problem with reflection and in Queensland’s hot climate means the air conditioner needs to work extra hard to cool the car.
The Fiesta’s rear seat is also comfortable, even in the middle position. Legroom in the back depends on how far the front seat passengers have their seats adjusted. Fortunately, there’s good legroom in the front which means the front seats can usually be pushed forward to improve rear seat comfort. Head and shoulder room in the rear are tight.
The steering has good road feel with no hint of understeer.
Ford Fiesta is now built in Thailand to keep costs down in this ultra-conservative market segment. Thailand also builds the majority of Japanese dual cab utes including Ford’s own Ranger. We found some build-quality issues in other Thai-built vehicles, but that’s not uncommon in the budget segment of the market, whether the car is built in Europe, Korea and even at times Japan.
Ford’s latest addition to its Fiesta range is stylish, well-priced and has better handling dynamics than many in this class. Having just spent a week with one we anticipate Ford Australia selling plenty of them.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
CL 1.6-litre five-door hatch: $16,990 (manual), $18,990 (automatic)
CL 1.6-litre petrol four-door sedan: $18,990 (automatic)
LX 1.6-litre petrol five-door hatch: $18,990 (manual), $20,990 (automatic)
LX 1.6-litre diesel five-door hatch: $21,490 (manual)
LX 1.6-litre petrol four-door sedan: $18,990 (manual), $20,990 (automatic)
Zetec 1.6-litre petrol five-door hatch: $20,990 (manual), $22,990 (automatic)
Econetic 1.6-litre diesel five-door hatch: $24,990 (manual)
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer charges. Contact your local Ford dealer for driveaway prices.
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in CL sedan, not offered in LX diesel hatch or Econetic, $2000 option in other models
Cruise Control: Not offered in CL, standard in all other models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Electronic Stability Program: Standard in all models
Rear Parking Sensors: Not offered
Reversing Camera: Not offered
USB/Auxiliary Audio Inputs: Auxiliary standard in all models, USB standard in Zetec only
Bluetooth: Standard in all models
Steering Wheel Mounted Controls: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Ford Fiesta LX 1.6-litre petrol four-door sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.596 litres
Configuration: Four cylinder in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Bore/Stroke: 79.0 mm x 81.4 mm
Maximum Power: 88 kW @ 6300 rpm
Maximum Torque: 151 Nm @ 4300 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Five-speed
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed dual clutch
Final Drive Ratio: 3.37:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 3950 mm
Wheelbase: 2489 mm
Width: 1722 mm
Height: 1471 mm
Turning Circle: 10.2 metres
Kerb Mass: 1099 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 43 litres
Boot Capacity: 430 litres
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: MacPherson struts
Rear Suspension: Twist beam and coils
Front Brakes: Ventilated discs
Rear Brakes: Drum
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: 91RON-98 RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/02): 6.1 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 7.5 /10
Air Pollution Rating: 6.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years / 100,000 km |
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