The Fiesta Story
The Ford Fiesta Story
The Ford Fiesta was designed, from the onset, to appeal to the young and dynamic people who lead an active and involved lifestyle – everything about the car is geared to appeal to this group of people – from the exterior design to the interior, including the features and gizmos.
If you look at the Ford range of cars, you will find a complete range of vehicles from small cars to mid-sized cars, and large cars for those who want size for price. The range includes light trucks, pick-ups, SUVs of different sizes, all designed to appeal to a certain target market. Within the car range, they make cars with both petrol engines and diesel engines, cars for ‘normal’ day-to-day use, and cars with sporty engines for the enthusiasts.
In the days of yore, (when I was a young man), the Ford Escort was every young man’s dream car. Mine was the Ford Escort Sports 1600, but unfortunately never had the chance to buy one. Up till today, I am still keeping my eye out for a good condition Ford Escort Sports, and if I find one, I will buy it, refurbish it, and lovingly keep it. (My wife has other ideas, though, and does not want me to be an old man driving an old car, so that is an obstacle I will need to overcome, if and when I find that elusive Escort). My hero was Ari Vatanen, the world famous rally driver who, amongst others, took the Ford Escort to fame by winning countless world Rally Championship Rallies in the seventies. I had the honour to share numerous drives in a Ford Escort RS (2.0 litre) with my rally mentor and friend, Croc Tang in the late seventies, and we won a rally and several autocross events in Singapore, so the Escort and the Ford brand does bring back great memories.
The Escort is no more in production, but in its place is the Ford Fiesta. The real replacement for the Escort is the Focus, and the Focus has earned its place in the rally world, but in terms of size, the Fiesta is about the same size as the original Escort. In terms of power, the 120 horses under the bonnet of the Fiesta is a lot more than the 80 odd horses that we had in the Escort. For a while the Ford TX3 ruled the roads here with its 1.6 litre, 110 horsepower engine, followed by another 1.8 litre model that had a little more, but sadly, those cars, are not made anymore, and the current, most exciting model is the Fiesta.
With 120 horses, front-wheel drive, and a six-speed direct-shift gearbox, the Ford Fiesta 1.6 is my favourite. There is a 1.4 litre model that fuel economy-conscious people may prefer, but I need the additional power. My preference goes to the hatchback model, for its more dynamic design lines, and the sporty image.
Right now, there is a promotional competition going on (see article on Experience Fiesta, Experience Hollywood), so this is probably the best time to go to a Ford showroom to check out the Fiesta, and perhaps win a trip to Hollywood to see the semi-finals of the Season 10 American Idol show too.
Go check out the unique dashboard of the Fiesta. The dash instrument design was inspired by a handphone, with controls that are very similar, and are easy to use, especially for this current young generation who feel lost without one. Similar to the better handphones, there is even voice-activated controls for several functions. For music lovers, there is a great audio system with USB connectivity for you to listen to your private collections.
The interior design is sporty, with bucket-like seats in the front, and contoured seats in the rear. Seating is for four if you want to be comfortable, but it will take five with a little bit of a squeeze.
The driving experience of the Fiesta is something else. For such a reasonably-priced car, you get the benefits of a powerful engine, a fantastic six-speed gearbox, and great handling. All the other trimming aside, the driving experience is enough to convince, especially if you like driving. The Fiesta shares the same platform as the Mazda2, and is made in the same plant at Rayong, but beyond that, the Fiesta is a different kettle of fish.
The Ford designers opted for a 1.6 litre engine over the 1.5 litre Mazda, and a six-speed over the 4-speed auto for very good and obvious reasons. Add to this a desire to provide excellent driving dynamics, and you might want to know that the suspension of the Fiesta is completely re-tuned for performance. What they told me when I attended the product brief in Phuket last year was that the shock absorber specifications are unique to the Fiesta, and so are the suspension bushes and spring settings – the result is a handling package that makes the Fiesta stick to the road like a leech, allowing one to drive with more fervour. In addition, the frame of the Fiesta is extremely rigid, with numerous structural braces and high tensile steel components built in. The 16-inch wheels also contribute to the handling.
To make it more of a driver’s car, the Fiesta has increased fore and aft adjustments to cater for all sizes of drivers, and also a two-way adjustment for the steering wheel – these are very thoughtful features – I know how difficult it is to find a car that my lovely and petite wife can drive – she needs a car with height adjustment, and a seat that can extend really far forward, or else she cannot see the road or reach the pedals. I think the Fiesta would be perfect for her.
Whilst we all enjoy driving, the cost of running must also be a factor in our purchase decision – Fuel economy is one of the Fiesta’s great strengths. With a rated fuel consumption of 5.9 litres per 100 kilometres, the Fiesta is one of the most economical cars you can get for your money. What you get really depends on how heavily you put your foot down on the accelerator pedal, but if you want fuel economy, and drive accordingly, it is there for you.
