What's the news?
The latest generation of Ford's small car, the Fiesta, has been revealed ahead of its 2017 launch, with some big changes. Four distinct variants will be available, comprising of the Fiesta Titanium, sporty Fiesta ST-Line, upmarket Fiesta Vignale and a new crossover-themed Fiesta Active, which features additional body cladding and a slightly raised ride height.
Exterior
Still recognisable as a Fiesta, the all-new model features more rounded styling with smoother headlights and more contours along its sides. It is a well-judged evolution of the current design and one that seems to equally suit its three- and five-door body styles. Physically, the car is now 71mm longer and 12mm wider than its predecessor. The wider look is further emphasised when viewed from the rear, where new lights add to the broader appearance.
Interior
If there was one aspect of the outgoing Fiesta that drew criticism in recent years, it was the interior. Ford has reacted by creating a much better-looking cabin with closer attention being paid to the materials used throughout. The centre console is dominated by a free-standing eight-inch touchscreen system that uses the company's latest SYNC3 software. In this size of car, the eight-inch screen looks particularly impressive, though it won't feature on all models in the range.
Passenger space has been increased, too, with Ford claiming an increase of 16mm in rear passenger knee room, helped by new front seats that are slimmer. Access to the boot has also been improved.
The overall look of the interior will be decided by the model you choose. The sportier ST-Line Fiesta will get flashes of red inside that extend into matching stitching on the steering wheel, in addition to a metallic finish on the manual gear selector. Range-topping Fiesta Vignale models will have seats swathed in leather with that sub-brand's signature honeycomb design. Contrasting cross stitching and gloss piano black trim panels add to the more premium finish.
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Mechanicals
The Fiesta has long been regarded as one of the best handling cars in its segment, a trait that continued through to the high-performance Fiesta ST and Fiesta ST200 models. For the new car, the front track has increased by 30mm and the rear track by 10mm. The modest stretch of 4mm in the wheelbase adds to the interior space, but also allows for larger 18-inch wheels to be fitted.
It is claimed that the new chassis now offers 10 per cent more lateral grip when cornering thanks in part to its Electronic Torque Vectoring Control. This can apply some braking to the inside wheels to aid traction and stability when cornering.
"A fun driving experience is central to the Fiesta's appeal, and our next generation Fiesta remains true to the character that has delighted generations of drivers, with the sharpest, sportiest and most balanced performance yet," said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe.
Ford's claim that this new Fiesta will be the most technologically advanced small car is backed up by the numerous driver assistance systems that will be offered. Many of the now-common features such as Forward Collision Warning, Front and Rear Parking Aid and Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection will be available. Also on offer will be tech that is more common to larger cars. These include Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Information System, Lane Keeping Aid and Alerts, Cross Traffic Alert, Traffic Sign Recognition and Auto High Beam. Useful systems like Hill Launch Assist, Active Parking Assist with Perpendicular Parking and an Adjustable Speed Limiter will also be offered.
Fiesta buyers will have a good selection of diesel and petrol engines to choose from. Many will be drawn to the low emissions and motor tax friendly diesel engines. The 1.5-litre TDCi unit will be offered in 85hp guise (an increase of 10hp over the outgoing version) and will have CO2 emissions of just 82g/km. Ford has employed stop-start and its Active Grille Shutter technology to further boost this engine's efficiency. Manual versions of the Fiesta range will also feature an Eco button that will dull down throttle response and slightly reduce power to further boost mileage.
A more powerful 120hp version of the 1.5-litre TDCi diesel will be offered. The additional torque output from this engine in a car the size of the Fiesta should make for punchy performance. Even so, Ford says that it will have a CO2 output of just 89g/km in the manual version. It also features Smart Regenerative Charging, which engages the alternator to charge the battery when coasting and braking to reduce the load on the engine at other times.
On the petrol side, there will be a total of five engines available, starting with a new naturally aspirated 1.1-litre three-cylinder with either 70- or 85hp and a five-speed manual gearbox. Three versions of the turbocharged 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine will also be offered, with 100-, 125- and 140hp outputs. In addition to the standard six-speed manual gearbox, there will also be an automatic six-speed transmission offered with the 100hp engine. All petrol EcoBoost engines will have CO2 emissions no higher than 102g/km (no figure is available for the automatic version as yet.
Anything else?
Despite its small size Ford has made safety a significant aspect of the Fiesta. Greater use of high-strength boron steel in key areas is said to increase the amount of side impact energy absorption, for example. Additionally numerous active and passive safety systems work to ensure passenger and pedestrian safety.
The new Fiesta will launch in Ireland in spring 2017.