The new Ford fiesta : the perfect supermini

If I was an engineer or designer for any other supermini manufacturer other than ford, I would have my head in my hands at the moment, crying in despair at the pointlessness of carrying on. I write this because Ford have rolled out their brand new Fiesta, which has met universal acclaim and has been roundly summed up as the best small car you could ever possibly buy™. Carrying on from the magnificent legacy that the Fiesta has made for itself, the new model has taken everything that has gone before it and made it a hell of a lot better.First impressions are exquisite; the Fiesta has taken body design cues from the Focus and has become a rounded, sleek affair, much sexier than the Fiestas of old. To add to this, Ford has produced it with funky new colours like Hot Magenta, which look absolutely stunning on the new body and ensure that heads will turn when you drive past. Ford have cemented their place back at the top of the coolest small cars list. VW owners will be very disappointed.Performance wise Ford aren't ever likely to disappoint. The basic 1.25 Litre Petrol is still peppy enough to put a grin on your face and is perfect for city driving. The reason it works so well is that Ford (in line with regulations regarding carbon emissions coming out soon) have lightened their new Fiesta ahead of the rest of the pack. Elementary physics will tell you that you need less power to pull a lighter mass, so the 1.25 performs surprisingly well.The handling has been specifically engineered for city drivers, which works perfectly when moving at relatively slow speeds, but when you put your foot to the floor on a country road the steering starts to feel a little bit too light. So light in fact that it is possible to forget that you are actually driving. In that respect the New Fiesta isn't going to be every single person's cup of tea. Some drivers love the feel of wrestling with a car and feeling every contour the road has, a la The Princess and the Pea. The Ford Fiesta is more like driving candy floss through a cloud, impressive if a slightly disengaging driving experience.The Fiesta's target-market isn't a demographic of people who are going to be too bothered with this minor drawback though. If I may be so blunt, the target demographic is likely to be ladies and new drivers; the same as the Fiesta has always commanded. Although a sweeping generalisation, lady drivers are more concerned with boot-space, ease of use and style, rather than the noise the engine makes if you floor the accelerator. So the fact that the Fiesta is perhaps slightly dainty won't harm its commercial prospects one iota.If you are in the market for a supermini and were considering the Vauxhall Corsa, Seat Ibiza or VW Polo, then please feel free to choose any one of the above. But when you stop at some traffic lights and the New Ford Fiesta pulls up next to you, there is a good chance that you'll be slamming your head against the steering wheel within nano-seconds. Not only is the Fiesta the best performing, best looking and most desirable vehicles in its league, it is also one of the most reasonably priced. To ensure you don't feel disappointed with your new car purchase
, make sure you choose the New Ford Fiesta.