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.
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.
