1.1L Ti-VCT 85ps Zetec Nav 5dr

Possibly all the car you’ll ever need?

I think I’m a convert. Sixteen years since I last owned a Ford, my two week stint in the (rental) Fiesta has made me see the blue oval in a new light.

So why just the three stars? Well, spec’d differently the Fiesta is definitely worth an extra star. My first port of call on the options list would be the engine. The 1.1L lump is neither particularly refined, economical or powerful. The spec sheet says it delivers 84bhp but it feels like less and requires a great deal of encouragement to gain speed. Once eventually up to motorway speeds it is however quiet and smooth. If I were reaching into my own pocket I would be looking at one of the 1.0L turbos.

Another minor irritation that cannot be so easily rectified by fishing through the parts bin is the instrument cluster that seems to be curiously angled not at my eyes but at my chest making me feel like I am constantly bowing my neck to read the display. This may be an issue unique to the tall (I’m 194cm).

That aside I am rather taken with the Fiesta. It comfortably swallows the weekly shop, the dog and our family of four (albeit not at the same time), the infotainment feels upmarket and, as I suggested in my review’s title, it may be all the car anyone realistically ever needs.

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