2014 Ford Fiesta: Personality Goes A Long Way
Canada is currently enjoying a small car renaissance, as companies big and small have poured hundreds of millions of development dollars into their entry-level platforms. The result is a glut of excellent choices for buyers on a budget, making it an excellent time to be shopping for a compact or subcompact model like the 2014 Ford Fiesta.
The 2014 Ford Fiesta - available in both sedan and hatchback editions - proves that an inexpensive car doesn't have to be a cheap car. This holds true in terms of both how it drives and how it presents itself and its owner to the world. Completely revised for the current model year, the 2014 Ford Fiesta line-up is one that should surprise buyers who might have been wandering the import wilderness long enough to have forgotten just how good a North American car can be.
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Three Different Flavours
The 2014 Ford Fiesta comes with three different drivetrains that themselves embody a trio of distinct driving personalities. The entry-level Fiesta features a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder unit that produces 120 horsepower and 112 lb-ft of torque, and it can be matched with either a five-speed manual or a six-speed 'Powershift' automated manual transmission. Fuel economy for this unit, which is largely a carry-over from 2013, checks in at a respectable 7.0 l/100 km in city driving and 5.0 l/100 km on the highway with the autobox installed.
Efficiency fanatics, however, are going to want to pony up for the Fiesta's new- and optional - 123 horsepower, 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost motor. This turbocharged engine makes a hefty 148 lb-ft of torque, and although it hasn't had its fuel consumption officially rated yet, Ford is making big promises that it will clobber the larger base mill.
What if you don't really care about how much gas your Fiesta is sucking down, but instead want to beat the guy in the lane beside you to the next stoplight? The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST has arrived fresh from Europe to follow in the larger Focus ST's footsteps. Available exclusively in hatchback form, the Fiesta ST turbocharges the car's 1.6-liter four-cylinder to produce 197 horses and 214 lb-ft of torque (thanks to an overboost feature). A six-speed manual is the only transmission available with the Fiesta ST, and 100 km/h arrives in just a few ticks under seven seconds when the car is launched from a standing start.
Personality Goes A Long Way
Specs are specs: the real question is, how does the 2014 Ford Fiesta drive? Although the three-cylinder EcoBoost has yet to make its Canadian debut, last week I was given the chance to pilot both the naturally-aspirated 1.6-liter and its turbocharged ST cousin and came away impressed by what Ford has been able to accomplish with the car.
The Fiesta hatchback might not be a speed demon in entry-level trim, with acceleration that could best be described as modest, but it's certainly very liveable on a daily basis. I actually preferred the updated six-speed automated manual to the traditional shift-it-yourself-er, as it did a good job of picking the right gear at the right time. Chassis-wise, the base Fiesta is more than willing to mix it up in the corners, and although its steering isn't all that communicative the car is quite content to engage in rally-style drifts across gravel as well as give you a good time on twisty, rural roads. The Fiesta is far more rewarding to drive than it truly needs to be, and kudos to Ford for not crushing the subcompact's feisty spirit.
Not All ST's Are Created Equal
The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST is the car that one would expect to deliver the most thrills, and in some respects this is true. I wasn't able to sample the Fiesta ST in a real-world setting, as I was restricted to a handling course that had been set up by Ford to demonstrate the hatchback's handling prowess (aided and abetted by a lowered suspension system, anti-torque steer system, and revised steering). I had been anticipating a shrunken-down version of the excellent driving dynamics offered by the larger Ford Focus ST, but I quickly discovered that the Fiesta ST wasn't quite as complete a car as its predecessor.
Unable to completely disable stability control, the subcompact's zig-zag down the slalom was not as lithe as I would have liked, and I found it necessary to drive around the electronic nannies in order to pull as hard as I wanted to out of each corner. More time behind the wheel on actual open roads would undoubtedly improve my estimation of the car, for while the Fiesta ST is undoubtedly very quick for its class, it just didn't deliver the fun I was looking for on that short autocross circuit.
A Great-Looking Entry-Level Option
The 2014 Ford Fiesta is an affordable car that looks great from the outside, and its aesthetics are only improved by the ST's well-conceived hi-po makeover. How often is it that I end up preferring the base model of an economy-oriented car over its high performance stable mate? It's rare, to be sure, but the base Fiesta was just that much better at engaging me as a driver during my day with the vehicle.
Throw in the availability of the love-it-or-hate-it MyFord Touch system as well as the car's excellent soundproofing and ride comfort, and it's easy to overlook the less-than-premium materials that make up the car's headliner and a few of its plastic trim pieces. Ford has pulled off another win in the inexpensive car category, and I am looking forward to the chance to see if the three-cylinder EcoBoost (which should hit showrooms later this year) can keep the ball rolling and give the Fiesta a trifecta of talent to entice buyers on a budget.