Reviews of 2011 Ford Fiesta in the West

• Source: Agencies
• [16:50 December 01 2010]
• Comments

Handling

Egmcartech.com
Our Fiesta was powered by a 1.6L 4-cylinder engine making close to 120-hp. That will get you from 0 to 60 mph in a boring (about) 10 seconds with a top speed of 120 mph. So it’s not that fast – however, it does feel like a bigger and more sophisticated car when compared to rivals such as the Honda Fit. At high-speeds, the Fiesta feels sharp and nimble and fairly quick. Fuel-economy figures for the stateside have yet to be released but the Euro 1.6L 4-cylinder petrol version returns a combined fuel-economy of 47.9 mpg which converts to 40 mpg in U.S. Terms.

Roadandtrack.com
Europeans get a choice of three gasoline engines (1.25, 1.4 and 1.6 liters) and two turbodiesels (1.4 and 1.6), but Ford hasn't divulged what will roost in the North American Fiesta's engine bay, saying only that fuel economy targets are 31/39 mpg city/highway. Vegas bookies are giving excellent odds on the gas 1.6-liter  Duratec  Ti-VCT, which makes 120 bhp helped by variable cam-timing actuators on both intake and exhaust bumpsticks , paired with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. We drove the manual-gearbox 1.6 and can report it's a smooth and eager revver all the way to its power peak of 6000 rpm. Shift action is light and crisp, but the linkage doesn't feel as robust as the current Focus's.

Nationalpost.com
Where the Fiesta truly surprises is the manner in which it handles. While the setup of the front struts and rear twist beam is fairly basic, the suspension delivers better than average road manners. On the ride side, the built-in compliance smooths the passage along a less than smooth highway. On the flip side, the impish Fiesta has a go-kart-like feel to it when driven quickly. Yes, there is some body roll and understeer is not too difficult to induce despite the P195/45R16 tires, but when coursing through a looping on-ramp, the Fiesta is remarkably poised for a small car. A neighbour who works at Ford assured me the Fiesta coming to Canada next year will retain the current suspension calibration. Any softening of the suspenders will ultimately detract from the fun of the drive.