Ford Fiesta Zetec 2008 Review

A couple of cars of the year within two weeks; winner of the V8 Supercar championship . . . now for the Fiesta.

Among all the doom and gloom in the automotive industry Ford Australia has something to celebrate.

The Ford Falcon G6E was named carsguide Car of the Year, the Falcon XT carried off the Australia's Best Cars Family Car of the Year title and Jamie Whincup piloted his Ford to the V8 Supercar championship and Ford has just released its new small car challenger, the Fiesta.

And from what I experienced on the launch, the German-made Fiesta could keep the Blue Oval boys and girls celebrating well into the new year. Ford is hoping to shake up the light car segment and it could well do so with the new Fiesta that has all the hallmarks of a 21st century small car - sharp looks, first-class driving dynamics and the latest in human-to-car connectivity.

Not that the Fiesta has been a shrinking violet.

Beth Donovan, Ford Australia's vice-president of marketing, sales and service, said the sixth generation car was on target around the world to continue a 32-year history of being a best-seller boasting 12 million customers.

“Now it's time to leverage that success in Australia. Our research has shown that it is a car for the world that Australia wants. It is also a blueprint for future Ford product,” she said.

On sale in Australia from January 1, the new Fiesta comes in three variants - CL, LX and Zetec. Prices will start at $15,750 for the CL, $18,490 for the LX and $20,250 for the Zetec, excluding dealer delivery and statutory charges.

A 1.6 litre petrol engine with manual transmission is standard across the range, while an automatic transmission, matched to a 1.4 litre motor is an option on all models except the three-door Zetec.

The 1.6 with manual transmission delivers 88kW of power at 6000rpm and 152Nm of torque at 4050rpm. Claimed fuel consumption is 6.1 litres/100km (46 miles per gallon), while the carbon emissions are 143g/km.

The smaller engine, mated to the automatic transmission, produces 71kW of power at 5750rpm and 128Nm of torque at 4200rpm. Fuel economy is 6.9 litres/100km (41mpg) and carbon emissions 164g/km. Ethanol-10 can be used as an alternative fuel.

The CL will be available as a three-door or five-door, with manual transmission or optional automatic, and rides on 15in wheels.

The LX is five-door only, available with manual or optional automatic, and is standard with 15in alloy wheels.

The sporty Zetec, is offered in both three-door and five-door configurations, the latter on offer with manual or optional automatic, while the three-door is sold only as a manual.

The Zetec stands out with 16in alloy wheels and a body kit with a unique front and rear bumper, a bumper grille and a larger rear spoiler. The three-door model also features sports rocker panel mouldings.

All new Fiestas will be fitted with anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution plus driver and passenger airbags as standard. A driver's knee airbag is standard on both of the Zetec models.

Additional safety equipment, optional on CL and LX and standard on Zetec, includes front seat head and thorax side airbags, a driver knee airbag and dynamic stability control with traction control and emergency brake assist.

The previously mentioned connectivity, which includes Bluetooth with Voice Control (available on LX and Zetec) and USB connectivity, allowing MP3 player integration (Zetec), plus a 3.5mm aux jack, put the Fiesta in a class of its own.

Capless refuelling, which is unique to Ford and found only on Mondeo, is standard on all models.

Cruise control is standard on LX and Zetec models, and these vehicles are also fitted with a leather trimmed steering wheel adjustable for rake and reach.

There are 11 fresh exterior paint colours available, while the Fiesta options include a Safety Pack for CL and LX, which includes DSC, for $1000 and prestige paint $320.

In a test drive through Adelaide and the surrounding hills the Fiesta's extremely light steering at low speeds took some getting used to (it came into its own, however, while parking the car, which is larger than its predecessors).

However, it weighted up nicely for excellent road feedback when the vehicle was travelling at a greater speed.

The Zetec DSC produced a well balanced ride on the twisty and steep roads in the hilly areas, while the car's brakes were up to any hard use when bends tightened unexpectedly.

The cabin turned out to be spacious and comfortable and insulated well enough to carry on a normal conversation.

Ford is putting a lot on the Fiesta, including optimistically a great deal of TV advertising during the show Australia's Next Top Model.