Fiesta ... frugal, fast, fancy

Quality all the way, and with fuel prices going through the roof, less likely to break your bank than thirstier vehicles might.

It's been a while since a newcomer has caused so many ripples in the big B-Segment pond and in the case of the new Ecoboost International Engine of the Year, today's ripples can easily turn into tomorrow's waves - for this little tyke is an amazing car with star qualities.

It delivers the sort of punchy power one would normally expect from something like a 1.6-litre engine and it is a more than worthy successor to the 1.6 TiVCT engine it replaces; not only more powerful and more economical, but also easier on the fuel bill and friendlier to the polar bears.

A mere sipper

At 4.3-litres/100km it would have won overall first place for petrol engines in last year's Total Economy Run. The engine benefits from advanced technology probably easiest explained as "downsizing and boosting". This technology has, up to now, only been available in C-segment cars and it's going to become the afterburner that will point the Fiesta sales graph steeply northwards.

There's a long list of safety features to put your mind at rest.

We drove different variations of the new Fiesta on the introductory drive in the Boland and it is this "baby" engine that impressed the most by far. Its zippy performance is absolutely mind-bending. It kicks out 92kW and 170Nm which is miles better than the 88kW/149Nm of the 1.6 engine it replaces - and it does it with the minimum of fuss. Stamp on the fun pedal and off it scoots to 100kmh in 9.4 seconds and then on to a top speed of 196km/h.

When driven in EcoMode, emissions are down to 99g/km. Its turbo-charged three-cylinder engine produces a very pleasant guttural growl when the whip is out and it slips through the 6-speed manual cog-swapping quickly and smoothly.

It's quality, pure and simple

It also has the kit and glamour looks of a classy car. The build quality is excellent. The cabin is comfortable and spacious and the car handles like a dream.

Things to like about it include 16 inch alloys, front fog lamps, a cheeky derriere and a nicely - sloped front end, all neatly balanced by an eye-catching chiselled side slash that runs across the side doors.

A cheeky derriere.

Not surprisingly it comes with stop-start technology and a long list of safety features that includes hill start assist, 'follow me home' lights, traction control and anti-locking brakes as well as a zillion airbags. Sexy body colour choices include mustard olive, midnight sky, moondust silver, copper pulse, blue candy and hot magenta.

As is par for the course these days hordes of comfort and convenience features, some standard, some optional, are part of the deal when buying one of the six new models. Also standard are a four-year/120,000km warranty, a four-year/60,000km service plan and three years of roadside assistance.

Now this is clever

But what really places the fancy little Fords ahead of the pack are two new smart technologies: Ford SYNC with Bluetooth and a package called Ford MyKey which enables Fiesta owners to programme a key (usually for young and inexperienced drivers) so that it restricts top speed and the maximum sound volume of the audio system. It also prevents the driver from deactivating safety technology such as the electronic stability programme and it delivers an earlier than standard low-fuel warning.

The Ford MyKey package allows Dad (or Mom - we must be PC) to set parameters so when young Johnnie (or Julie) borrows the car, it won't be used to imitate Schumie or deafen fellow road users at the traffic lights thanks to a booming racket.

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The Microsoft-powered Ford SYNC sees the introduction of a system that brings digital media players and Bluetooth-enabled phones together and enables functions via voice-commands and steering-wheel controls.

Ford says the system will recognise 150 voice commands (even delivered in rather poor Afrikaans or in different accents) to connect with mobile phones, retrieve text messages and read them aloud. It even allows the driver to select and play his favourite music via voice commands. How cool is that?

The new Fiestas are not cheap run-arounds and in the case of the new 1.0-litre Ecoboost Titanium you will have to fork out R231,500 to own one. But with its pace-setting engine technology and intelligent features such as Ford SYNC and MKey the hot new Fiesta is way, way ahead of the pack. Watch as the "followers" and "likes" convert into "sales" .......

Specifications

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