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Quote:Preview: 2010 Ford Fiesta
Style and substance in spades

Graeme Fletcher, National Post 
Published: Friday, September 12, 2008

SIENA, Italy -In 1976, I was but a strip of a lad in the final year of my motor vehicle apprenticeship. It was then that the original Ford Fiesta was launched -- a tinny little thing with barely enough power to push the front bumper out of the way. Fast-forward 30 years (that original Fiesta was sold in Canada until 1980) and the seventh-generation Fiesta, due in 2010, is a wonderful car. It has style and substance in spades and the look is a welcome departure from the typical cookie-cutter blobs that define the segment.



The five-door hatch that was tested is anything but what one expects of an entry-level car. The mid-level Titanium version featured amenities normally reserved for a near-luxury car. Its list of creature comforts included a delightful two-tone interior with exceptional fit and finish, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, leather seats, automatic climate control, cruise control, KeyFree (keyless ignition with push-button start), power windows, locks and mirrors and a handy USB slot. This last is a great idea. Rather than plugging in an iPod and risk having it stolen, one simply downloads music on to a flash drive and the audio system plays the collection. The system is also a cut above the entry-level norm.

The other neat part of the Fiesta's interior design is its centre stack. It can be likened to a telephone touch pad--all of the buttons fall within a hand span. The chosen command is then displayed in a small screen that sits atop the stack. It is a clever design that makes the all-encompassing electronic controllers (iDrive, for example) seem needlessly complicated and outmoded.

The Fiesta is also extremely quiet for an entry-level offering. It is so good, in fact, my driving partner and I had to keep reminding each other we were driving a Toyota Yaris or Nissan Versa competitor and not something aimed at the Camry or Altima. That gives you some idea as to how good this subcompact car is. It even made the European Focus driven the day before seem rather noisy and a tad unrefined -- and it's one of the best compact cars I have driven.

The Fiesta offers up plenty of flexibility and space, including a maximum cargo volume of 34.5 cubic feet). The lone complaint is that when the rear seat is folded flat, it sits above the trunk floor by about 100 millimetres. This means that larger items teeter-totter on the folded seat. True, it is a minor complaint in the scheme of things, but it's one that surprised me given the rest of the Fiesta's excellent execution. The seat backs, for example, are finished in steel, which prevent cargo from crashing through the cushion in the event of a collision.

In Europe, the Fiesta comes with 1.6-litre diesel and 1.6L four-cylinder gasoline engines. When it arrives on this side of the pond it will likely only be offered with the latter, which is a shame because the little diesel has great heart -- 118 pound-feet of torque at just 1,750 rpm -- and it's quieter than most oil burners.

The gas engine, complete with variable valve timing, is no slouch, either. It puts out 120 horsepower and 112 lb-ft of torque, not the stuff of lore but plenty in this application. It's also smooth at idle and it retains this composure right to reline. Teaming it with a five-speed manual (a four-speed automatic will be optional) sees it pull rather nicely. There is ample off-the-line urge and decent mid-range pull, and a quick downshift makes passing slower cars a snap.

Where the Fiesta truly surprises is the manner in which it handles. While the front struts and rear twist beam is a rather pedestrian design, the base suspension manages to deliver great road manners. There is enough compliance that all but the largest frost heave pass unnoticed, yet the Fiesta still manages to feel like a go-kart. There is very little body roll and understeer is far enough out that it takes a lot to induce it. The sport suspension is a little firmer in nature but still manages to retain decent ride quality. I was assured that Fiestas destined for Canada will retain the same suspension calibration. Softening the suspenders will needlessly spoil a great ride.

Response to steering input is equally good -- it's both fast and refined. The latter is somewhat of a rarity as it's an entirely electrically assisted design. Normally, this brings little in the way of feedback -- Hyundai's Elantra is as bad as it gets. In the Fiesta's case, it's light at low speed and pleasantly firm at higher speed. The fact the steering wheel has a hand-filling heft is the finishing touch.

The Fiesta is a great little ride. It is refined beyond it place on the automotive ladder, it has ample power and great road manners. As it stands, it will give its key competition a real run for the money. Pricing has not been announced.