The Fiesta Red And Black Editions Are Boisterous Bundles Of Fun

We adore the Ford Fiesta ST. Pound-for-pound, it’s one of the best performance cars out there, so when we heard about the hot new Red and Black Editions joining the Fiesta ranks, we were itching to try one out. This week, just around the corner from the Goodwood Festival of Speed, we got our wish, and had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of one of these new fast Fords; specifically, the Black Edition.

Other than the paint - you get a predominantly red or black colour scheme depending on which you go for - the pair are identical underneath. Compared to a standard Fiesta, you get stiffer suspension that’s lowered by 10mm, contrasting red or black trim and some splashes of red on the seats, but the biggest news comes from under the bonnet. Ford’s dinky 1.0-litre three-pot Ecoboost engine - which used to max out at 123bhp in the Zetec S - has received a good fettle. With tweaks to the little unit’s boost control, valve-timings, intercooler and throttle management, it now kicks out 138bhp and 155lb ft of torque.

Want an interesting nugget of information? This small but mighty engine makes more power per litre than a Bugatti Veyron’s 8.0-litre W16 (138 vs. 125). It’s a terrific little unit, and it comes as no surprise that it’s just won International Engine of the Year for the third time running. It pulls strongly throughout the rev range, and makes a superbly fizzy noise that’s reminiscent of a six-cylinder. This is the kind of downsizing I can get onboard with.

The 0-62mph time for the Red and Blacks - nine seconds dead - suggest sprightly rather than properly quick acceleration, but it feels a touch faster than you might expect. Ford has opted for shorter gear ratios in the five-speed box, but a six-speed with even closer ratios would have been nice; there are times when the climb to the red line seems to take an age. Max the car out, and you’ll hit 125mph.

The small but mighty 1.0-litre Ecoboost makes more power per litre than a Bugatti Veyron

The suspension may be stiffened, but it’s not as hard as the ST. As such, if you pitch it into a bend, there’s noticeably more body roll, but with the lower power output the extra lean isn’t something that’s likely to get you into trouble - if anything it adds to the entertainment value. The steering has been sharpened but a touch more speed to it wouldn’t go amiss. Overall, it’s a hugely fun thing to drive, and if one of these fails to put a smile on your face, there’s something wrong with you.

Everything else is as per the regular Fiesta, which means you’re lumbered with the supermini’s foibles as well as the good points. There’s that dreary, button-festooned lump of dashboard to contend with, and the outside isn’t entirely successful either; from the rear three-quarter view the seventh-gen Fiesta looks positively porky. I’m nit picking, though, as the Fiesta is a great all-round car, and the Red and Black editions are stonking versions of the huge-selling little hatch.

The thing is they really do need to be stonking - prices for the Red and Blacks start at £15,995; throw £1250 more into the pot and you can bag yourself a base-spec ST. If you’re paying by finance, the difference of the installments will be barely noticeable. For my money, the lure of the ST - which is in another league in terms of drivability - is just too strong. However, a Red or Black edition Fiesta will be a damn sight easier to live with. The softer suspension makes them substantially more comfortable compared to the ST with its stiffer, crashier setup.

And then there are the benefits for your wallet. The claimed combined fuel economy figure for the car sits at 62.8mpg, and it’ll puff out just 104g/km of C02. With such a tree-hugging emissions figure, you won’t pay a penny of tax in the first year, and then just £20 per annum thereafter.

So, it’s a much better every day car than the ST, and far cheaper to run. And let me tell you, after belting a Black Edition and an ST up Goodwood’s hillclimb at the Moving Motorshow this morning, the 1.0-litre car is closer to its big brother than you might expect.