Same size. Same 147kW of turbocharged power. The new Fiesta ST and Polo GTI are members of a dwindling ‘pocket rocket’ breed of city-sized performance cars. Thankfully, both are great – but for differing reasons.
We assembled 17 of fittest 'fun cars' under $60k at Sydney Motorsport Park at the recent MotorWorld event and there you, our readers, into the test seats. And we gave the mega test field a spin ourselves. Together, we decide what's hot, what's fun and what is exception value for money...
Rarely has Volkswagen’s iconic GTI badge been so humbled as it was in November 2013 when we last put the go-fast Polo in the ring with the Ford Fiesta ST. The big-name fighter with all the pomp and pedigree was made to look overpriced, under-equipped and lacking fun factor compared with the featherweight upstart that so resoundingly reminded us that simplicity and greatness are not mutually exclusive...
The Ford Fiesta Sport offers enough mumbo to match its ambitious badge.
It seems like only yesterday we awarded the Ford Fiesta ST a win against its Peugeot 208 GTi and Volkswagen Polo GTI rivals (read more here), then went a step further by crowning it one of the best-ever hot-hatches created and one of the best available at any price...
Jez Spinks - Editor-in-chief 1. BMW i3 Will electric cars ever be bought by the masses rather than a minority mix of wealthy early adopters or government fleet buyers? We’re still many a year away from the former scenario, but the BMW i3 (above) is one of the most convincing examples of the breed yet...
This time last year driving enthusiasts with less than $30,000 to spend on a new hot-hatch had a single option: the Volkswagen Polo GTI. Okay, technically they could also pick its near-twin, the Skoda Fabia RS, but the sales charts show they didn’t. Meanwhile the Suzuki Swift Sport simply isn’t high enough on the Peri-Peri heat scale to compete...
Four of the best city lights shine over a combined 2500km...
The Ford Fiesta Metal, Suzuki Swift Sport and Volkswagen Polo GTI are entry-level hot hatchbacks. They're a classic recipe of the automotive world, as simple and delicious as san choy bow. Take one small and light hatchback (the lettuce part, as it were) and stuff a big four-cylinder engine under the bonnet (that'll be the pork – yum)...
These light cars are no lightweights. Generally speaking, the word ‘light’ implies there’s something missing: less than the others; a lack thereof; insubstantial; skimping. It rarely invokes a sense of excitement - light beer, for example. As far as the ‘light car’ segment goes, my expectations are immediately managed (down), and I’m ready to be underwhelmed...
