Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost Review: Britain’s Best Made Better

Under the hood

Guess what? Yup it’s that downsizing word again, and this time we’re riding in Britain’s favourite car courtesy of three-pot power. But this isn’t any old underpowered triple. This is the same engine you’ll find in the Ford Focus 1.0-litre, which means a meaty 125bhp and a top speed of 122mph. Shift through the five-speeder like Schumacher and you’ll see 62mph in 9.4sec. Impressive.

Behind the wheel

Us UK buyers have been gobbling up Fiestas by the KFC mega-bucket load for years, so we clearly know a thing or two about what makes a truly sublime supermini. And this new, slightly rehashed Fiesta will continue to follow that popularity trend.

We’ve already touched on the Fiesta’s new engine (more on that later), but there are two more things you need to know. Firstly, there’s the Fiesta’s new design (including that striking front-end, which makes it look like an Aston Cygnet according to some) and secondly, this new supermini features a clever system called MyKey. What this does is enable the owner of the car’s master key to programme certain vehicle settings, ranging from top speed to radio volume; this is great for parents who want to keep their kids out of danger and trouble, not so great for boy racers who want to hoon everywhere at a million miles per hour with Bieber pumping out at full chat. We’re all for it.

Now the houskeeping’s done and dusted, on to that new Fiesta and three-pot pairing. Put simply, it’s all the engine you’d ever need. The little 1.0-litre EcoBoost unit has more than enough shove to make the 1091kg supermini entertaining and rapid in town and it also works perfectly on motorways, providing enough power to pick up pace quickly, with plenty of turbocharged torque to keep it cruising at 80mph effortlessly.

Speaking of turbocharging, the 3-pot’s blower isn’t the smoothest, however. Instead of linear acceleration, the 1.0-litre lunges the Fiesta forward in one big wallop, which is fun, if a little difficult to moderate.

As we know already, the Fiesta is a dynamic diamond. The electric steering (slightly altered for this new triple model) feels weighty, quite sporty, and directs the Fiesta’s lightweight front-end through corners like a champ. The car’s gearbox is notchy and nice and the brakes are strong too.

Splash the cash?

You bet. Not only is the Fiesta worthy of your love for its great dynamics, bold looks and brilliant ride, its 99g/km CO2 figure means it’s a car that’s also as frugal as your Nan, free from London’s gluttonous Congestion Charge and a brilliant all-rounder.