Ford Fiesta 1.6 Zetec-S Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Ford Fiesta 1.6 Zetec-S
Prices: £13,995 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-6
Emissions: [1.6 Ti-VCT] 139g/km
Performance: [1.6 Ti-VCT] 0-60mph 9.9s / Max Speed 120mph
Fuel Consumption: [1.6 Ti-VCT ] (combined) 47mpg
Safety: Twin front & side airbags, driver’s knee airbag, ABS, ESP.
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 3950/1973/1481

WATCHING THE ZETECTIVES

Our Rating: 7.6 / 10

Ford’s Zetec-S Fiesta looks to capitalise on the sharp dynamics of the standard car. Steve Walker reports.

The market is constantly edging forward but at the moment and for the foreseeable future, it’s probably safe to assume that around 200bhp is the requisite amount of power for a proper thoroughbred hot hatch. With 150bhp, a supermini is in warm hatch territory but where does that leave the 119bhp Ford Fiesta Zetec S? Ford is relying on this model to come up trumps against the zillions of other sporty flavoured superminis on the market but in terms of outright grunt, it looks a little underdone. Surely there’s more to the Blue Oval’s offering than that.

This is Ford we’re talking about and the marque didn’t conjure its reputation for great fast small cars out of thin air. The Zetec-S brand may only trail-in a creditable third behind Ford’s ST and the fabled RS model designations in the potency stakes but bronze medals in that glittering company are definitely keepers. There’s no doubt that the power the Zetec-S is generating places it alongside some pretty mediocre supermini fare but this is a car that prioritises guile over brute force.

The petrol engine responsible for the power supply in the Fiesta Zetec-S is a clever 1.6-litre variable valve timing unit called the 1.6 Ti-VCT. It manages without the assistance of a turbocharger despite its suggestive T-studded title. Peak power hits at 4,000rpm but there’s quite a bit going on from around 2,500rpm helping make flexibility a strong suit. The engine responds sharply to tweaks of the throttle and should you give it everything, the 0-60mph sprint is over and done with in 9.9s.

The Zetec-S never feels massively fast in a straight line but even a brief stint in it should be enough to dispel the idea that power is the major determiner of fun in a small hatch. Flowing down a twisty road on its sports suspension, the Zetec-S Fiesta works a treat. The variable power-assisted steering weights up with speed, instilling confidence, the car a model of pert agility. It takes some quite boneheaded driving to unsettle it at which point, a sensible amount of wheel slippage is allowed before the stability control safety net is unfurled.

The Zetec-S never feels less than safe and predictable, the power is deployed without a hint of fuss and grip is plentiful. When you’re not in fun mode, the ride isn’t too firm and the suspension copes very well with surface blips as well as undulations and peculiar cambers. The 1.6-litre engine is loud at motorway cruising speeds but general refinement is not a problem. At low speeds, the steering becomes super light allowing you to twirl through tight turns, the engine profile is even changed making it more difficult to stall the car. Rear visibility in this three door-only model is hampered by the thick C pillars and rising belt line but most will happily crane their necks a little in the knowledge that passers by will be doing likewise in a bid to take in the car’s dynamic styling.

The Fiesta is quite a dramatic thing to clap eyes on. Ford’s ‘Kinetic’ design themes as seen on the Mondeo, S-MAX, Focus and others are put to work again but the signature features seem to gain cohesion in closer proximity on a smaller car. The eye is led along the creases, across the cutaway surfaces and the multi-angular effect is highly dynamic in total. That’s just the basic design. The Zetec-S model tags on a substantial rear spoiler, a body kit and 16" alloy wheels but the result is well integrated and doesn’t prove too intrusive on the essential look of the car. The interior reprises the edgy and angular themes of the outside, the fascia contrasting soft-touch materials with hard silvery plastics. The car feels modern and is very nicely executed in terms of quality with a pronounced modern feel.

Living with a Fiesta Zetec-S is likely to call for fewer compromises than you’d imagine with a small sporty hatch. In profile a striking wedge shape is revealed with the lower edge of the side windows lifting towards the rear as the roofline falls away. This doesn’t bode well for the rear seat passengers in the three-door car but the Fiesta surprises with decent legroom and headroom