Ford Fiesta Review

Ford’s Fiesta is one of the best superminis, so all the more disappointing that Ford has recently announced it’s being discontinued.

It has recently had an update with a revised front end, including a more prominent grille and repositioned badge, as part of its mid-life facelift.

The ST-Line X trim is essentially the standard ST-Line grade with added spice.

Eighteen-inch alloys are included, along with sports suspension, sports seats, a rear roof spoiler, a touchscreen with SatNav, automatic temperature control, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, LED lights, electric door mirrors and a panoramic roof.

It is the mid-range 1.0-litre 125PS engine under the spotlight here, which, thanks to its mild hybridity, comes with a bigger turbo. While it’s nothing to get excited about regarding performance, it makes steady progress off the line, masking its small size. It even sounds halfdecent, too.

The seven-speed automatic (fitted in the car supplied for the appraisal) is smooth. However, changing down can be a bit sluggish when you press hard on the accelerator.

The handling is superb, thanks to a welltuned chassis, which delivers agility in spades due to tonnes of grip in the corners and excellent steering.

The Fiesta is great fun to drive - and, despite the sharp handling, it retains an excellent level of ride comfort, too.

Inside, the cabin is nice enough but a bit plain and too dark for my liking. It lacks the sophistication of some of its rivals, but at least it’s comfortable.

Headroom isn’t all that great in the Fiesta, but legroom in the front is plentiful for a small car. Those in the back will struggle if they’re above six feet, though.

The infotainment screen is easy to use, but it’s not a class-leading system and lacks the responsiveness of rivals.

You get 292 litres of boot space, more than some superminis but less than the Seat Ibiza. Cargo capacity expands to 1,093 litres with the back seats folded down. You’ll also get 50mpg out of it, with the hatchback producing 126g/km of CO2 in the process.

Overall, I really like the Ford Fiesta. There is no supermini quite like it to drive.

But if you want interior sophistication, equipment and practicality, alternative cars are worth considering.

Fast Facts - Ford Fiesta (1.0 MHEV STLine X 7-speed auto) as tested:

• Max speed: 124 mph

• 0-62 mph: 9.6 secs

• Fuel economy: 50.4 mpg

• Engine layout: 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol mHEV

• Max. power (PS): 125PS

• CO2: 126g/km

• Price: £25,755

By Tim Barnes-Clay. Follow on Instagram: @tbarnesclay