2011 Ford Fiesta: Mission Accomplished

For nearly a year, Ford has led a fervent ad campaign promoting its Fiesta. Even before it hit the market, the manufacturer took every opportunity to send its message: "The Fiesta is coming". Not just that, but they brought in twelve European versions to show off to the public and have journalists tried out. Kudos to Ford for putting so much effort into hyping a sub-compact, a category that is generally not a favourite in North America (especially not in the U.S.). This campaign benefits all other cars in this category, which is another step in the right direction, given that these cars consume less fuel and pollute less.

Last year, we had the opportunity to test drive a European Fiesta, and our conclusions were very positive. The final version of this car has just rolled into North America, and it will be interesting to see if it meets our expectations.

A sedan and a hatchback

Considering that American buyers are generally not enthralled by hatchbacks (for reasons that would be too long to explain), Ford had the wisdom to produce a sedan version of the Fiesta. The sedan doesn’t have the same front grille and, for obvious reasons, its rear design is also different. As for the hatchback, it’s as elegant and well-done as the 2010 Fiesta. Hats off to the stylists. The headlights and taillights give the vehicle an exclusive look.

The interior features quality materials – something you don’t usually associate with sub-compacts. But that’s the point: Ford wants bring a little class into the segment with the Fiesta. The dashboard is elegant and the audio control unit’s controls are numerous but easy to use. The same can be said for the three sizeable climate control buttons located under the control panel. Hanging overhead is good-size LED screen, but it can be hard to read when the sun shines on it. The speedometer and rev counter are housed in a reasonably elegant and stylishly designed module. Between these two gauges is a screen indicating fuel consumption, trip distance, odometer and distance left before having to refuel. The front seats are comfortable and the fabric covering them is of good quality. However, the seat-incline control is not easy to find. As for the back seats, they can accommodate average-sized people without any problem. The 60/40 split seatback folds down, but it doesn’t get quite flat.

Sophisticated mechanics

The only engine available for this car is a four-cylinder 1.6-litre engine producing 120 hp, and it’s a little weak at low revs. It features Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT), which offers a good performance/fuel consumption ratio. That said, it’s noisy on accelerations, generally due to air intake sounds. This engine is technically advanced, but it’s definitely nothing to look at. While most other engines in this category come with a plastic cover to protect them from anything flying up from the road, this Ford engine is uncovered. And since it’s got countless wires and pipes, the lack of a cover is almost worrisome. It’s like a flash back to the 1970s. It may be just a small detail, but this small detail could deter some buyers.

Two transmissions are offered: a manual five-speed and an automatic six-speed. The latter is a dual-clutch transmission, the first in the category on our market, which is proof that Ford wants to offer a technically advanced product for the B Class. In the past, sub-compacts have been offered with mechanical components that were practically retro. Not this time!

As for the rest, it’s pleasantly average with drum brakes in back and a semi-independent rear suspension. The factory-standard equipment will do the job just fine. The SE version with automatic gearbox comes with alloy wheels, heated side view mirrors, cruise control, heated seats and a SYNC system.

Civilized

Once inside, you really don’t feel like you’re in a sub-compact. The presentation is great and the attention-to-detail gives you the impression that you’re in a higher category car. It’s also worth mentioning that the driving position is good and a small control on the upper part of the door makes it easy to adjust the large side view mirrors. 

Our first contact with the final version of the Fiesta was with the five-speed manual transmission. After a few up shifts and downshifts, our conclusion is that the gear shifting trajectory could be more precise. But that’s relatively minor. We had a much harder time with the gear ratio of this transmission, which features two overdrive gears. In order to pass, you practically have to shift down to third. Many will find this annoying. And since the engine is relatively noisy, the subsequent increase in revs gives makes it seem like the engine is working particularly hard.

The dual-clutch automatic is a lot more user-friendly. Paired with this gearbox, the engine is really able to give its all. Shifting is also very fast. It’s just too bad that this transmission won’t allow manual shifting. This transmission jerks somewhat in first or second, especially when you’re running at low speeds.

Road handling and suspension comfort levels fall into the average, though some people may find the suspension a little firm. But in everyday use, the Fiesta holds its own on the road, and is really quite comfortable for its category. While the electronically assisted steering could receive a little less assistance at low speeds, it features a very sophisticated EPAS control system that compensates for lateral forces, wind or poorly inflated tires. To a certain extent, it actually cancels wind forces. That said we didn’t have the chance to verify these promises during our test drive.

All in all, the Fiesta is a well-crafted car with good technical sophistication and an appreciable comfort level. It does not, however, offer the sporty and direct handling that some of the competition boasts. Many people will not consider this a fault and will prefer the Fiesta over other models with poor soundproofing and a less comfortable suspension. With this vehicle, Ford was looking to balance the most acceptable qualities for the majority of buyers. And in that regard, they have been successful.