 The
old Fiesta is again getting a facelift. The basic chassis could be
dated
back to the early 90s. The major revamp in late 1995 vastly improved
its
handling while added the Yamaha-developed Zetec-SE engines. This time
Ford
didn't give it too much fresh items. Most changes are in the restyled
nose
and retrimmed interior.
The new face mirrors that of the Focus. Trapezoid headlamps and mesh grille do not coincide with the rest of the aging profile very much. Inside, the biggest change is the front seats, whose thinner back rest improves a little bit rear leg room. Yet the unchanged structure still limit the interior space, making it easily the tightest supermini. Due to the lack of changes in chassis and suspensions, the class-leading handling remains unchanged. However, those interested in hotter performance can choose the new Zetec-S model, which is powered by Focus' 1.6-litre 16-valve four with 103hp. It is not really a hot hatch, otherwise the "XR2" name will be used instead. Zetec-S also gets stiffer suspension and wider tyres than other versions. In this
competitive segment,
the facelifted Fiesta can hardly hide its age, no matter in interior
space,
packaging or styling. It still has the best dynamic ability, but people
concern most is not that. Moreover, those really pursue hot hatches
would
find Ford has ignored this segment at all. You can't compare the
Zetec-S
with Peugeot 206GTi, can you ? An all-new Fiesta is badly needed.
|
| The above report was last updated on 29 Nov 99. All Rights Reserved. |