Reviewed: 2021 Ford Fiesta 1.0 Hybrid ST-Line Edition
Words by Marcus Boothby
Believe it or not, the Ford Fiesta has been on sale for an impressive 45 years, with it being in the top 10 selling cars in Britain pretty much since it’s launch. Since it went on sale many years ago, the Fiesta has been one of the default cars you recommend to someone if they need a new car as it covers pretty much every basic need a car owner has. It’s spacious, comfortable, cheap to run and is plenty powerful enough for the average owner.
The car I had for review recently was one of the latest Fiesta hybrids which combines the much loved 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine with a 48V electric motor delivering an adequate 125bhp. The car also came in the ST-Line package which is pretty much the highest spec’d Fiesta you can buy before going into Vignale or full-fat ST models.
I had the Fiesta for a couple of hours a few weeks ago, which gave me enough time to find out if one of Britain’s best selling cars is actually any good.
Performance and driving
I was left quite impressed with the hybridised EcoBoost engine in this Fiesta. It was quick to respond at all speeds, with it being most impressive in a lower gear under 50mph. With 123bhp at my disposal, I certainly didn’t have a sports car but, it was more than enough for in town and motorway driving which is where Fiesta’s are commonly seen and used.
Handling was sharp for a small car. Again, it’s no Lotus but it did have that go-kart like feel to it which was fun on roundabouts. This is helped by the weight of the car coming in at 1217kg empty, but with four adults and some luggage, this will come close to 1500kg.
Even the fuel economy wasn’t bad in this car. I have quite a heavy right foot, but even with that, I managed to achieve an average of 45mpg during the few hours I had the car. This involved a lot of stop-start town driving, some dual carriageways/motorways and slow moving traffic. I also did about 60 miles in the car, which used just under a quarter of a tank of fuel. Not bad going then.
Styling
Styling of the current Fiesta is similar to the previous one but a bit more rounded. Professional I know but it’s very hard to describe a car that is so inoffensive to the eye that it becomes an impossible thing to do. I’m not saying the Fiesta is bland, but it doesn’t really do anything for me.
Even with the ST-Line stuff, it still doesn’t quite work. Maybe it’s because the design is now five years old and that you see a Fiesta on every housing estate and road in the country but, it’s hardly exciting. The ST-Line does make it look like a watered down ST thanks to it’s angular bodykit, 17 inch wheels and a fake diffuser at the back. The optional Freedom Blue paint work is nice though.
The interior styling of the current Fiesta is again, inoffensive and won’t be winning any design points here. I much prefer the interior design of the old Fiesta, despite the weird T9 style numberpad on the dashboard which really hasn’t aged that well.
Interior and comfort
Continuing from my previous point, the interior of the Fiesta isn’t all that nice compared to more recently updated rivals from Peugeot, Vauxhall and even Hyundai. Ford have played it safe with the Fiesta’s cabin as it does everything you need it to do.
There’s a very nice central screen which is clear and quick to respond to your input. Another benefit of the screen is that it does Apple CarPlay via a USB connection. It has Android Auto too if you’re a bit weird. Below the screen are your air conditioning controls which are fairly straightforward to use. There’s nothing complicated here as all you have to do is press a button, adjust the fan speed and you have gusts of cold air coming at you.
Other than the dreary dashboard, the seats are quite comfortable even if it does have ST style seats. I got myself quite comfortable in the front seats, but was disappointed that you couldn’t adjust the bolsters as they are fixed in place. Space in the back isn’t as bad as you think, as I could sit in the back and had plenty of space behind the drivers seat in my position. This means four near 6ft tall adults will be happy in the Fiesta but don’t expect to carry five people as the middle seat may as well not exist.
The boot is a good size for a car of this size as you could easily fill it with a weekly shop, or a push chair. Whatever you do though, don’t put a dog back there, as they’d be much happier on the back seat.
Tech
Tech wise, there is a lot of it in the Fiesta. The piece of tech Fiesta drivers will be using the most is the SYNC3 system which is CarPlay and Android Auto compatible as mentioned above. Moving on, you have cruise control, lane keep assist, rear parking sensors, auto lights and selectable drive modes and an intrusive start/stop system.
I hated the start/stop feature, so much so that I turned it off as it was doing my head in. To make matters worse, I couldn’t find a way to properly turn it off which meant it would turn itself back on every time you started the car.
I was also expecting the Fiesta to have a back up camera fitted as standard but no, it didn’t have one. This annoyed me as the rear visibility on the one I had was awful.
Verdict - 6/10
If you’ve been following this review to the very end, you would assume that I don’t like the Fiesta. I mean, I don’t hate the car but I also don’t love it either. The Fiesta is one of those cars where I think it’s best experienced in full fat ST spec or with the base spec. This is not a car I’d want to have for 3/4 years on a PCP plan.
Sure, it’s fun to drive but the rest of the car is so depressingly dull. I couldn’t bring myself to have a car for a long period of time that is so boring and lifeless to own unless you drive it like Lewis Hamilton all the time. And for the price of the one I had, I would rather take my money else where and get something else, like the new Hyundai i20 or even a Vauxhall Corsa. This is why I couldn’t recommend a Fiesta unless a Ford dealer was the only dealer near by.
Specs
Price: £21,365 (£22,190 as tested)
0-60mph: 9.1 seconds
Top Speed: 124mph
Power: 123bhp
Torque: 155 ft-lb
Economy: 52.3 - 57.6 mpg
Real world economy: 45mpg
Weight: 1217kg
Rivals
Vauxhall Corsa, VW Polo, Hyundai i20, Peugeot 208
