I want decent performance, great handling, best-in-class fuel economy, and I want it all wrapped up in a stylish package which won’t send my bank manager into cardiac arrest. Oh, and if possible, I’d like to be able to park in those little gaps too small for most other vehicles. Now is that too much to ask?
So, on that note, let’s say a big hello to the new 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost.
It’s a looker!
The new face of Ford appears just as glamorous on this vehicle as it does on the new Ford Fusion. Choose the right exterior color, and this car can go from sporty hatch to up-market runabout in a heartbeat. This is something manufacturers seldom manage to achieve with small vehicles. It’s what I call “the car of many colours” phenomenon whereby this could well become the in-town runabout of the wealthy Mercedes/BMW/Jaguar owner (much like the MINI, Fiat 500, Golf GTI, and perhaps one or two others I can picture).
The interior of the 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost is certainly worthy of such comparisons and, although my test vehicle came with cloth seating, its stylishly sculptured design was eye-catching and added a certain element of sportiness to the vehicle.
All in all, the interior of the new 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost is a pleasant place to be, and there are enough thoughtful little touches to please just about anyone. Without a doubt, it’s my favourite in its class, and I had a hard time finding fault with it.
Of course I eventually did, and that would be the fact that although the vehicle boasts a start/stop button, the designers clearly forgot to mention this to the company making its steering cowling, as this still housed the flat area where the key switch used to be. A minor irritant, I know, yet all the more noticeable due to the strong 9/10 interior surrounding it.
It’s a mover!
The new 1.0L 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost is powered by a compact 3-cylinder engine, and this is perhaps where some of you may wander off. Yet you’d be wrong to confuse this with one of those power-lacking 3-pots of the past. EcoBoost, or what is basically the modern interpretation of turbocharging, has transformed powerplants to the point where a V6 is now a V8, a 4 does the job of a 6 and (believe it or not) a 3-cylinder is now a rather peppy 4-cylinder.
This lightweight and surprisingly smooth motor in the achieves 123 hp and a startling 148 lb-ft of torque. While these numbers might not sound huge to some (perhaps Mustang owners), it is actually 3 hp more than the base 4-cylinder 1.6L model; and, perhaps more importantly, a whopping 36 lb-ft of torque increase over the same vehicle.
Torque is the figure which truly matters here, as it’s this that gives a car its get-up-and-go. Add to this the weight saving gained from utilizing the smaller 3-cylinder and this becomes a playful vehicle which handles surprisingly well.
It’s a shaker!
I have to term it this because the 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost is going to shake up a few people and make them realize that they should have been paying more attention to what I've been telling them. For years, I’ve been saying that everyone should learn to drive stick-shift because you may need to in an emergency, and because certain fun-to-drive cars only come with a standard transmission.
So, you know what’s coming next! Yes, the 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost is only available with a 5-speed stick. Obviously, this will disappoint a few potential buyers, but with the company predicting fuel economy figures of over 40 mpg (that’s diesel territory), it may finally encourage some to learn how to slap gears!
No word on pricing as yet, but we can expect it to be competitive in its category.
So, on that note, let’s say a big hello to the new 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost.
It’s a looker!
The new face of Ford appears just as glamorous on this vehicle as it does on the new Ford Fusion. Choose the right exterior color, and this car can go from sporty hatch to up-market runabout in a heartbeat. This is something manufacturers seldom manage to achieve with small vehicles. It’s what I call “the car of many colours” phenomenon whereby this could well become the in-town runabout of the wealthy Mercedes/BMW/Jaguar owner (much like the MINI, Fiat 500, Golf GTI, and perhaps one or two others I can picture).
The interior of the 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost is certainly worthy of such comparisons and, although my test vehicle came with cloth seating, its stylishly sculptured design was eye-catching and added a certain element of sportiness to the vehicle.
All in all, the interior of the new 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost is a pleasant place to be, and there are enough thoughtful little touches to please just about anyone. Without a doubt, it’s my favourite in its class, and I had a hard time finding fault with it.
Of course I eventually did, and that would be the fact that although the vehicle boasts a start/stop button, the designers clearly forgot to mention this to the company making its steering cowling, as this still housed the flat area where the key switch used to be. A minor irritant, I know, yet all the more noticeable due to the strong 9/10 interior surrounding it.
It’s a mover!
The new 1.0L 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost is powered by a compact 3-cylinder engine, and this is perhaps where some of you may wander off. Yet you’d be wrong to confuse this with one of those power-lacking 3-pots of the past. EcoBoost, or what is basically the modern interpretation of turbocharging, has transformed powerplants to the point where a V6 is now a V8, a 4 does the job of a 6 and (believe it or not) a 3-cylinder is now a rather peppy 4-cylinder.
This lightweight and surprisingly smooth motor in the achieves 123 hp and a startling 148 lb-ft of torque. While these numbers might not sound huge to some (perhaps Mustang owners), it is actually 3 hp more than the base 4-cylinder 1.6L model; and, perhaps more importantly, a whopping 36 lb-ft of torque increase over the same vehicle.
Torque is the figure which truly matters here, as it’s this that gives a car its get-up-and-go. Add to this the weight saving gained from utilizing the smaller 3-cylinder and this becomes a playful vehicle which handles surprisingly well.
It’s a shaker!
I have to term it this because the 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost is going to shake up a few people and make them realize that they should have been paying more attention to what I've been telling them. For years, I’ve been saying that everyone should learn to drive stick-shift because you may need to in an emergency, and because certain fun-to-drive cars only come with a standard transmission.
So, you know what’s coming next! Yes, the 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost is only available with a 5-speed stick. Obviously, this will disappoint a few potential buyers, but with the company predicting fuel economy figures of over 40 mpg (that’s diesel territory), it may finally encourage some to learn how to slap gears!
No word on pricing as yet, but we can expect it to be competitive in its category.
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