Ford Fiesta 1.4 Review

In the fascinating and, often, confusing world of English language, certain words have various definitions. "Hot", for instance, according to the dictionary, means "having or giving off heat; having a high temperature", or also "sharply peppery or pungent". Or it could also be one of the other 35 explanations, according to the thick old book.

There are several ways to use that word, like when describing a person's looks. And if you're someone who'd bore your friends to death with endless car chatter (like myself) and repeated debates on whether turbo-charging or super-charging is better, chances are, you'd use "hot" to refer to cars as well - something which the dictionary didn't seem to define.

In this case, I'm referring to hot hatches - specific cars which hold that title for a good reason. These little things can easily scorch the roads with just a few seconds' worth of throttle input. And they are even more attractive because most look like regular cars, like wolves in sheep's clothing. Five doors, four-wheels, engine at the front (unless you're a bit mad, like Renault) and enough seats for at least four - they look just like any other on the road. Then, the lights turn green and they're off like a bat out of hell.

And because they are humanly affordable, people love them for their bang-for-buck.

The term originated around the 1970s, the era when many considered cars like the Renault 5 Alpine and the Volkswagen Golf GTI to be the first hot hatches. More importantly, it's their attitude that earned them their reputation. They were the Davids amongst the Goliaths, able to outperform many other cars.

It's an endearingly respectful term which was given to those automobiles, with "hot" highlighting their performance.

So, with titles like that pegged to such cars, is it possible to add another definition to "hot hatch"?
Possibly.

Enter the new Ford Fiesta. It comes in colours like "Squeeze" (a sort of metallic olive green) and "Hot Magenta". And it looks fantastic.

Continuing to evolve Ford's kinetic design philosophy from the Mondeo and Verve concept, the new Fiesta's front is styled with sharply-angled feline-like headlamps and a large inverted trapezoidal grille beneath its bonnet.

Along its side, the wheel fenders hint at sporty driving dynamics, but the gap is large and it stands like a high ceiling over the tyres and 15-inch rims. Pinch lines which begin from under the headlights continue to run along the sides, where they meet the mid-corner of the rear lamps.

The final product is 3,950 mm long, 1,722 mm wide and stands at 1,433 mm tall.

It has a relatively low weight of just 1,100 kg - 20 kg more than a Honda Jazz. Paired with the Ford Durashift four-speed automatic, its acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes a leisurely 13.9 seconds. That's because the 1,388 cc engine produces only 95 hp at 5,750 rpm and 125 Nm at 4,200 rpm. And it's hardly euphonious either.

There is a better powerplant for the Fiesta - the 1.6-litre Duratec. That gives out 118 hp, twists with 152 Nm of force and spreads its power across the rev range more evenly. Sadly, that won't be available here - the 1.4-litre block is the only choice.

The Fiesta sits on a MacPherson-type front suspension, while its rear utilises a torsion-beam. Nothing space-age about it, but Ford's engineers have made the best of it. The result is something which takes corners nearly as well as Beckham.

It's hardly nervous even through mid-corner bumps, though its electric-power assisted steering could do with more feedback. However, grip levels, thanks to the Eagle LS2000 tyres, didn't instill much confidence.

On average, the seats will hold you in place better than its tyres will the car. Even though the Fiesta's market segment doesn't necessitate pairing it with high-performance tyres, a better set of rubbers would undoubtedly result in a far more impressive overall package.

Despite that shortcoming, we can safely bet that this American-badged, German-built hatch (yes, it's built in Cologne) has handling capabilities which most of its buyers here will probably never fully exploit.
Still, it's a looker. And it's not just the splendid angles outside that appeal to the eyes. Thank goodness the designers haven't forgotten the interior. The dash presents a clean, pleasing layout and the "V" layout of buttons on its centre console matches the car's rakish looks. Everything is sensibly positioned and an information-readout screen sits at the top of the fascia.

There's no doubt that the new Fiesta will attract many second-looks. Not just because of its class-leading aesthetics, but look to the left and there stands the mighty Honda Jazz, while at the other end, it's the Swift Sport.

Buyers looking for something endlessly reliable and supremely practical would probably want the Jazz, while the Swift Sport offers the best for sporty preferences in that price range. The Fiesta sits in the middle, with its outstanding qualities being super-cool looks and remarkable handling, but shies away when "performance" is mentioned.

With a starting price tag of S$64,888 (with COE), the Ford Fiesta 1.4 automatic comes with features like 15-inch alloy wheels, split folding rear seats, iPod connectivity, two front airbags and foldable door mirrors.

It may not have made it to the traditional list of hot hatches, but thanks to its gorgeous guise and poise, it's added another new meaning to the term.