Fridae

Few cars have so rich a history as the Fiesta. This is the seventh generation since its launch in 1976 and more than 12 million have been made during the past 32 years. But one could tell immediately that the latest Fiesta is Ford's make or break model. And Ford is determined to make this car a global sales success.

And it is all immediately very apparent. They threw the kitchen sink into designing the exterior. This is probably the best example of Ford's 'kinetic design' language yet. The Fiesta spots a dramatic nose and ends with a tapered rear. Every line is purposeful and the proportions are spot on. The transition from the Verve concept car to the production car is remarkably slight. And in the 'Hot Magenta' coloured press car, the Fiesta looks sensational.

What you gain in form, you would lose some in function. The shapely exterior does rob that bit of space away from the interior. Obviously one could get a more spacious offering from some Oriental makes, but most Fridae members shouldn't be only hung up about how much space you can get from a supermini. That is not to say that the Fiesta is being short changed in terms of utility.

The Fiesta is actually more than capable of ferrying four full sized Asian male adults in comfort. Dull and uninspiring Ford interiors are a thing of the past. The extremely intuitive sporty maroon coloured interior is highlighted by the center console that resembles a Nokia phone. Which Ford calls this a Human Machine Interface, HMI�ahem.

Since 1998's Ford Focus (Mark I), Ford Europe has been placing sweet driving machines on the roads. And in the new Fiesta, I was left gasping for air. It was the way the car handled and rode. The steering is weighty and direct. The car responses with no hesitation to the driver's input. Critically, such good handling traits is not at the expense of the ride comfort. The Fiesta irons out every road imperfection. This supermini bears a staggering fine balance of handling finesse and ride comfort.

While the Fiesta is punching way above what it's charging for in terms of driving manners and comfort, the 1.4 litre engine can be a letdown. It's not powerful enough to exploit the capable chassis. Regardless, there is a fair deal of refinement, with the exceptions of the few moments under hard acceleration. Perhaps a sportier variant could arrive to tempt speed junkies like me.

And here's the deal sealer; it costs only $62,888, prior to haggling and launch promotion discounts. Both three door and five door variants cost the same. These days, dealers do go out of the way to make that sale. And I am certain that the Fiesta would be popular in America (if they can fix bigger and deeper cup-holders).

Kiss that jazz goodbye.

	Ford Fiesta 1.4 Auto Trend
Engine	1,388cc 4 cylinder 16V, DOHC
Transmission	4-speed Automatic
Wheels Driven	Front
Max. Power	96BHP @5750rpm
Max. Torque	125NM @4200rpm
0-100 km/h	13.9 secs
Top speed	166 km/h
Fuel Economy	6.5 L/100km (combined cycle)
Dimensions (L x W x H)	3950mmX1722mmX1433mm
Price with COE*	$62,888

*Prices quoted are indicative of prices in Singapore. Please contact your local distributor for prices in your country.

Read this week's AutoClub Newsletter .

Or try these:
Peugeot 207 1.4 Peugeot 207

Fiat Punto Grande Grand Mini: Fiat Grande Punto