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Ford Fiesta – Which one for You?

2017 Ford Fiesta: Which spec is best?

Spoilt for Choice.

Ford’s light hatch is a little dated but still looks sleek and is a one of the better handling light cars with sharp steering and comfortable ride. A new Ford Fiesta has been launched in Europe, however, Ford Australia is yet to announce if or when it will be available here.

VARIANTS

There are four Fiesta specification levels starting Ambiente (above) with an entry-level price of $15,895 with a smooth shifting five-speed manual transmission. It’s powered by an 82kW/140Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that’s coupled with the manual gearbox or a six-speed dual-clutch auto for an extra $2000.

The Fiesta Ambiente (interior below) comes with Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio operation but no touchscreen, cloth trim, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, cruise control, power mirrors, hill launch assist and 15-inch steel wheels with hubcaps.

Like all Fiestas, it also comes with Ford’s Emergency Assist, which uses your mobile phone to contact emergency services if the car is in a crash severe enough to trigger the air-bags. This subscription-based service is provided for the life of the car.

The Fiesta Trend (below) has the same powertrain options as the Ambiente but gains front fog light and 15-inch alloy wheels which doesn’t seem like much for the extra $2000.

The Fiesta Sport is a true step up the range, and comes with the 92kW/170Nm 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost turbo petrol engine which, as well as being more powerful than the 1.5-litre engine in the Ambiente and Trend, is more fuel efficient. It sips fuel around 5.0L/100km compared the 1.5’s 5.8L/100km.

The Sport also gains 16-inch alloy wheels, partial leather trim, scuff plates in the door sills, ambient lighting, a better stereo and chrome highlights around the windows.

Climate control, rain-sensing wipers, dusk sensing headlights, a perimeter alarm and keyless start can be added as a $1000 Sport Executive Pack.

The range-topping Fiesta ST has a range of performance add-ons including disc brakes on all four wheels, red brake calipers, sports body kit, torque vectoring for better grip while cornering to help it deal with its 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo engine that produces 134kW and 240Nm torque and is coupled with a six-speed manual gearbox with no automatic option.

Other ST gear includes 17-inch wheels with wider and lower profile tyres, sports front seats and puddle lights that illuminate the ground near the front door. It’s also the only Fiesta variant with a 5.0-inch touch screen and reversing camera, which was added last year.

The variants in the Fiesta range which have the dual-clutch ‘powershift’ transmission are currently embroiled in an ongoing saga over reliability.

  • Fiesta Ambiente, manual – $15,825
  • Fiesta Ambiente, auto – $17,825
  • Fiesta Trend, manual – $17,825
  • Fiesta Trend, auto – $19,790
  • Fiesta Sport, manual – $20,525
  • Fiesta Sport, auto – $22,525
  • Fiesta ST, manual – $25,990

OUR PICK

The Fiesta ST is the absolute stand out of the range with smile-inducing hot hatch performance without compromising its ability to be a handy daily driver around town.

The Sport is well equipped and provides a nice drive too if you prefer fuel economy to searing acceleration and the Sport Executive Pack adds some useful functions.

AVAILABLE OPTIONS

  • Sport Executive Pack – $1000
  • Premium paint $500
  • 15-inch CSA alloy wheels (Ambiente and Trend) – $1007
  • 15-inch 15-spoke alloy wheels (Ambiente) – $1377
  • 16-inch CSA alloy wheels (Sport) – $1095

 

By David Bonnici, 25 Sep 2017 Car Advice
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