With 74bhp on tap at 5200rpm, the ‘new’ motor isn’t much more powerful than the old 8-valver, but the way that grunt is developed is where the two differ.
The 1.3 kicked out 67lb ft at a usefully low 2800rpm but wasn’t fond of revs; the 1.25, in common with most four-valve per cylinder engines, trades some of that easily accessible muscularity, producing its 81lb ft higher up the rev range at 4000rpm.
The pay off is a much sweeter drivetrain, one that’s smoother and more eager to rev and better suits the Fiesta’s sharp chassis than the plodding 1.3.
