The Zetec S rides far better than the ST, which has inch-larger 17-inch wheels. Unfortunately, the tyres create an unpleasant amount of road rumble and at motorway speeds you have to raise your voice to be heard over the hum.
As with the exterior, the interior is nearly identical to the ST’s. The supportive sports seats are the same and come upholstered in fabric or part-leather. Also from the ST parts bin is the short-throw gearshift which is slick and direct. Equipment levels are high: there’s an alarm, CD radio, air-conditioning, front fog lights and electric windows as standard (as they are on the Fabia vRS). The cheap-feeling plastics and uninventive cabin layout, however, can’t live up to the Fabia’s high-quality interior. The Skoda is also more practical, coming with five doors as standard compared to the three-door-only Fiesta.
Safety is good. The Fiesta comes with front driver and passenger airbags are standard, with side and curtain airbags and a centre rear headrest a £275 option. The Fiesta also got four stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests.
Ford also hopes to attract young drivers with promises of low running costs and insurance. With combined fuel economy of 62.8mpg and group six insurance it should do well – the Fabia covers 55.4mpg on the combined cycle and group nine insurance makes it more expensive to insure. The Fiesta also scores points for its Euro4 emissions-compliant engine and low 119g/km CO2 rating (Fabia is Euro3, 151g/km), which will appeal to company car drivers, although its £12,495 on-the-road price is beaten by the Fabia’s £12,250.
