Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars Road Test Parts 3

Zetec S TDCI

Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars Road Test Parts 3

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Zetec S TDCI

Zetec S TDCI

Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars Road Test Parts 3

Once on the open road, the spritely Fiesta Zetec S Road Test displays an impressive amount of courage for one so small. You can throw it into corners with something that borders wild abandon, and most of the time you'll stay on the road. To put it more succinctly, the Zetec Model Fiesta's bigger tyres and stiffer underpinnings make this vehicle a lot of fun to punt through corners, giving the underpowered vehicle a tenacious personality that begs to be driven hard.

The revisions to the suspension give the Fiesta a more direct feel through the steering wheel, which gives you a bit more confidence to stuff it deeper into a corner, and it feels more closely tied to the road than any of its progenitors. The thing does seem to teeter a little on its outside wheels through really fast corners, and the rear end doesn't always track as faithfully as the front end (perhaps due to its semi-independent twist-beam rear suspension), but in general FoMoCo's feisty supermini is more than happy to spend a day carving its way through winding forest roads.

Compared to its rivals, the Fiesta Zetec is hard to beat. There's nothing in the Holden Barina line-up to challenge the Fiesta Zetec after the demise of the European-sourced SRi models, and vehicles like the Mazda2 aren't quite as sporty to drive, and while the Renault Clio Sport is a quicker and more accomplished vehicle in almost every respect, it's also a good $15,000 more.

Acceleration is taken care of by a 1.6-litre DOHC engine, which is detailed below, and though it's not going to win any land speed records (especially in automatic guise) it's got enough poke to void your driver's license without having to try too hard. And on the other side of acceleration is deceleration, which is taken care of by hardy 258mm ventilated discs up front, and while drum brakes live at the rear, you never really get a sense that the aft anchors are dropping the ball.

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Related : Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars Road Test Parts 3 By Guide ~ Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars Road Test Parts 3, Zetec S TDCI

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Used New Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars Road Test Parts 2

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Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars

Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars

Ford Fiesta Zetec S Parts 2

While there's nothing quite as pleasing as laying a pair of rubber lines from the rear end of a large Aussie V8 sedan, I always get a bit of thrill driving small performance cars, and along with the Clio Sport this is one of the smallest I've ever driven that purports to offer spirited driving.

Like all other Fiesta models, the Zetec features a 1.6-litre engine with a modest 74kW of power, and it's shame that Ford couldn't have whacked on some high lift cylinder heads or at least a modified exhaust for an extra couple of kilowatts, because this is the sports model after all.

Instead, Ford's European branch decided to give the Zetec a boost in cornering performance rather than straight-line speed, and in hindsight I reckon it was a good choice, because this little tacker is quite a tenacious vehicle, and well within reach for many new car buyers.

Though nothing's been done to the engine, the chassis has been tweaked, and one of the biggest contributors to the car's impressive handling ability are the larger wheels. Equipped with attractively-styled 16-inch alloy wheels shod with 195/45 R16 rubber, the Fiesta has scads of mid corner grip.

Now, 195/45s may sound meek in the face of the Ford Focus XR5's rather expansive 225/40 R18s, but the Fiesta is considerably lighter. Tipping the scales at 1059kg, it's a good 378kg lighter than the Focus XR5 Turbo, which means it doesn't need as much rubber to keep its contact with the road and can even be picked up and moved by three or four burly gents.

As well as the sticky tyres, the Fiesta Zetec gets a tuned suspension system. The suspension has had the most attention out of any of the Zetec's revisions, including modified spring settings at the front and rear, which drop the ride height slightly and help give the vehicle a flat cornering attitude. The front and rear dampers (shock absorbers) have been tuned to be stiffer and not as spongy, and together with a thicker front anti-roll bar and updated suspension bushed all round, the vehicle exhibits far less bodyroll than its more pedestrian stable mates.

Zetec S Cars Limited editions Parts 2
Used New Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars Road Test Parts 1

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Used New Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars Road Test Parts 1

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Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars

Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars

Ford Fiesta Zetec S Parts 1

Small cars Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars are making big profits at the moment. In the last few years they've taken over from the large cars in the Australian new cars marketplace to be the most popular type of vehicle, and for good reason.

They're cost effective.

Buying a car is one thing, but the day-to-day costs to motorists - maintenance, petrol, insurance - are becoming more and more exorbitant, and small cars are almost always cheaper to drive, insure, and maintain than larger models. There's less weight to wear the tyres and suspension, and together with smaller engines they consume less fuel, which costs less both monetarily and environmentally. And the days when drivers had to make a number of sacrifices to own a small cars- performance, practicality, style - are now things of the past.

In Australia there are a number of light cars that are vying for the buyer's dollar, including the Mazda2, Toyota Yaris, Holden Barina, Renault Clio, Volkswagen Polo, and the Ford Fiesta, the latter of which is the car in review today.

The last time we tested the Ford Fiesta was in April 2004 and we liked the way the European-built tiddler went about it's business. This updated model has a more refined character with new styling cues, and the current 2006 Ford Fiesta range begins at $15,990. The model we're testing fetches just under $20,000, but features a number of sporty additions that people like me love to see - larger wheels, stickier tyres, close ratio gear sets and performance suspension systems.

Though the automatic model we tested doesn't benefit from the manual's close ratio gear set, it's not a complete bucket of bolts despite its ageing gearbox, and makes city driving a totally agreeable prospect. With the new Zetec S Cars model, Ford Fiesta has added more spice to its small car offering, but is it the best vehicle in its class? There's no doubt it wants to be, and has plenty of neat features to convince all and sundry of such a feat, but there's only one way to be sure

Zetec S Cars Limited editions Parts 2

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Used New Ford Focus Zetec S Cars model in Europe Parts 1

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Ford Focus Zetec S Cars

Ford Focus Zetec S Cars

Ford Focus Zetec S Parts 1

We're still ga-ga in the C1 Ford Focus Cars, but it moves the needle on the "meh"-o-meter. The Ford Focus Zetec S Cars badged and fitted body, but otherwise a standard-issue Ford Focus Zetec S Cars. In fact, while there is no RS, the Zetec Cars and Zetec S Cars are fine small cars, which would be a wide choice of engines, three or five door body styles that we are very pleased to cruise around in. Maybe we should use the optional WRC Pack that adds checkered flag sticker to the rear side panels, but the 18-inch wheels on the Sport Pack might get our dollar ... skip uh, euros. The Zetec S Cars package is a good deal, bundling a number of optional stuff together for less than half the price of selecting each item individually. While the Ford Focus Zetec S Cars is mostly a poseur, it's a very attractive if we can not choose that our solid-but-aging (not to mention weird) U.S. Ford Focus. Follow the jump for Ford Focus Cars UK press release and see more angles in the gallery below.

Zetec S Cars Limited editions Parts 2
Used New Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars Parts 1

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Used New Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars Parts 1

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Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars

Ford Fiesta Zetec S Cars

Ford Fiesta Zetec S Parts 1

Ford reckons the new Fiesta really is the very best small car that money can buy, so read our review to find out if they're right

Us Brits love fast Fords, so it’s a bit disappointing that company bosses claim there are no plans for an ST version of the new Fiesta. The sportiest model is the Zetec S Cars – so I had to make do with driving that instead.

And the car’s performance figures aren’t mega-inspiring. The sprint from 0-62mph takes 9.9 seconds, and the top speed is pegged at a modest 120mph. Really the 1.6-litre engine’s 118bhp simply isn’t enough to make the most of the Fiesta’s totally brilliant chassis.

Thanks to the use of some über-techy, ultra high strength steel for the bodyshell, the new model is 40kg lighter than the outgoing car yet a whole lot stiffer, too. Despite the fact that the Zetec S Cars is specced with sports suspension and rides on 16inch alloys, its low speed ride is well balanced. In fact it’s better than some executive cars I’ve driven! The damping is really progressive, allowing potholes and sunken manhole covers to be breezed over around town, but it’s out on tight and twisty roads where the Fiesta excels.

For a normal supermini it really is great fun to drive. The steering is super sharp, there’s massive levels of front-end grip, and body roll is almost non-existent. Dynamically this car humiliates its main rivals. And on the Zetec model you can even turn the ESP stability control off, which means you can start to enjoy some proper lift-off oversteer fun.

It’s a bonus that the body which surrounds the sparkling chassis is seriously good looking – both inside and out. Zetec S cars get a bodykit, and this includes a cool rear wing, which subtly apes the whale-tails of the legendary Escort and Sierra Cosworths. The interior’s design makes that of its peers seem like they were styled by the Victorians.

But not everything is perfect. The new Fiesta does have a few downsides... I could moan that some of the plastics used inside the cabin feel as cheap as those used in microwave meal packaging, and I might also whinge about how there is no clever seating – as in the Honda Jazz. But I’m not boring so I won’t. However, there is one thing that does annoy me – the fact there won’t be an ST model. Let’s hope Ford is lying. After all it did about the Focus RS.

Zetec S Cars Limited editions Parts 2

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Ford unveils Fiesta Zetec S Celebration in UK Model

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Ford keeps throwing fiestas in honor of the Fiesta. It started back in March with the release of the yellow, checkered-flag-roofed Fiesta Zetec S Cars Anniversary edition. That 400-car limited run apparently went over well, so Ford's doing it again with the Fiesta Zetec S Cars Celebration edition. Again, it's limited to 400 cars, and yes, it receives the flag roof, leather seats, black mirrors and accents, sport appearance, 16" wheels, and 100 PS (98.6 HP) 1.6L four good for 43.5 mpg (Imperial) in the combined cycle (that's 36 mpg US, if you were wondering). The only difference this time around is that the new car's painted Celebration Green. Sorry, folks: as before, only UK customers get invited to the party. So, is it redundant to have a car called the Fiesta Celebration, or is it just us?

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Ford bites MINI's flavour with UK model

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So, the Brits have made the Ford Fiesta a force on the sales charts for 30 years, and to celebrate, Ford's cooked up a loaded Zetec S Cars "Anniversary" edition. The limited run of 400 cars is equipped with a 100-horsepower 1.6L Zetec, radian yellow paint, black mirrors, and some creature comforts like leather, A/C, and an MP3-ready auxiliary input jack. The icing on the cake, however, is the rooftop checkered chequered flag decal. Seriously.

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Ford Fiesta Zetec S Anniversary Edition New Car Road Test End Part

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The driving position is fairly good, with light pedals and a height adjustable driver's seat. The way that Ford have raised the gearlever onto a pedestal places it quickly to hand. On a practical note, the seats are easy to fold down, those integrated rear headrests making the operation simplicity itself. Where the Fiesta falls down is in the lack of clever cubbyholes and the singular lack of any cup holders. Grab a takeout from KFC and you'd better get used to the Colonel's Hot Wings tasting of Fanta.

Picture Of Zetec S Cars Anniversary

If news that the Ford Fiesta has been on our streets for 30 years makes you feel a little long in the tooth, the Zetec S Anniversary edition could be just the elixir you need to stave off a midlife crisis. It's certainly fun and the tight pricing means there should be plenty left over for that new set of dentures. If the first Fiesta was well before your time, then this energetic 30th Anniversary model is pitched directly at you. Enjoy it, but remember, old age comes to us all, even cars, and there'll be a 60th Anniversary Fiesta along before you know it.

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Ford Fiesta Zetec S Anniversary Edition New Car Road Test Part 4

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Where the Fiesta really scores is in the handling stakes. Its road manners have been elevated to a position to challenge any existing supermini, whilst its ride and refinement is comparable with the class best - cars like the Renault Clio and Volkswagen Polo. The steering was obviously engineered by somebody who understands the needs of keen drivers, being nicely weighted and rich in feedback without becoming a wearing distraction. The seats are a different matter altogether, lacking lateral support at the sort of cornering speeds the excellent chassis routinely coaxes you into. The Fiesta shrugs off mid-corner bumps well and has a genuine big car feel. If there's one complaint about the Fiesta's handling, it's that it may almost be too clever for its own good. The verve and pizzazz of the old car's handling has been smoothed out. In making the car more competent, a little of the fun factor has been excised.

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With the current facelifted Fiesta, Ford haven't gone too overboard. The grille is now of a diamond mesh design, the headlamps are pointier and the side mouldings grow thicker as they progress rearwards. The rear lights have been reshaped, as have the bumpers and the overall effect is a slight move away from the Fiesta's inherent chunkiness in a sleeker, more dynamic direction. Dramatic the changes are not. If you liked the look of the sixth generation Fiesta, and the sales charts suggest that plenty of people did, you'll like today's version of it.

Picture Of Zetec S Cars Anniversary

Get comfortable in the narrow driver's seat and you'll be greeted with a dashboard that adopts many of the quality conventions of the Mondeo range, and that's good news. On the current model, there are more of the in vogue soft-touch surfaces but, happily, the uncomplicated layout and the durable feel remain. Nice touches include a digital display in the instrument cluster which gives the radio station name and other handy titbits that you'd otherwise have to divert your eyes from the road to obtain. The volume on the stereo is speed sensitive, so as wind, road and engine noise increase with your velocity, so does the volume of your favourite song.

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