- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.5i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
82kW, 140Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 5.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2018 Ford Fiesta Titanium review: An expat’s view of the one we won’t get
As a expat living in the UK, I thought I would write a review of a car you won’t get, but probably should. (Editor's note: We're getting the hot ST model, but not the wider range.)
- Engine , Driving experience , Connectivity and navigation , Styling
- Road noise , A bit thirsty, Are small cars this expensive now!, I’d rather a ST
The car in question is a 2018 Ford Fiesta Titanium EcoBoost 1.0L 5-door, in a rather fetching deep impact blue (Note the red shown here - Ed). Now, in the interests of truth and honesty, I don’t own this car. In fact, I hired it for 10 days while I was without a car - however, after 1000 miles behind the wheel, I think I’d buy one (not in this spec) and here’s why.
Let’s start with the main reason I’d buy this car and wouldn’t, say, a Volkswagen Polo: the engine. It’s a cracker, with a personality that makes you want to ring its neck at any opportunity. The Volkswagen is a good car, but with all the personality of a kitchen appliance.
The three-pot turbo pulls through the gears with such willingness, it seems a shame to not drive it hard down a twisty lane. It’s not just a one-trick pony either. At 80mph (the UK isn’t a police state....yet), it was sitting under 2600rpm in sixth gear. The engine has a perfect companion in the six speed manual (ask your grandparents what a manual transmission is kids).
I suppose the downside of this is I’m only seeing 57mpg, which is probably a little thirsty for an engine that you could sit on a primary school desk. The ford has a nice big screen with all the usual stuff that modern cars have. I do particularly like the layout, which is better than then the 2016 Skoda Superb Estate which I have just returned to the lease company.
The dials are easy to read, the trip computer is digital, and customisable with all manner of readouts. The seats are soft but comfortable, as is the leather steering wheel. The fiesta seems to have grown a full size in the new model, with plenty of leg room in the back for big teenagers or adults. They will have hours of fun trying to work out what the strange handle is called that winds down the rear windows.
The interior is a nice place to be and, even in this mid-spec model, the interior lighting looks great at night with the baby blue illumination throughout the cabin - even if the cup holders light up!
The Titanium might be missing out on a few things that are in the higher spec models, no doubt, but nothing I couldn’t specifically think I need. The Bluetooth connected easily to my iPhone and the CarPlay was seamless when I used it (I prefer to connect via Bluetooth I’m such dinosaur).
I did like how you could have the navigation map and the audio controls displayed on the screen at the same time and you could turn the screen completely off at night. There are currently 17 different modes of Fiesta on the ford website, which seems crazy and the ST hasn’t even come out yet (at the time of writing).
Back to the driving experience the ride and handing on the car is excellent the front end is responsive and the ride is pretty damn good it doesn’t bang or bounce over the poorly kept suburban streets in my neck of the woods. The only criticism I really have is the road noise from the Michelin Premacy 3 tyres.
Personally I like the styling of the Titanium however I’d rather the chromeless face of the ST-Line - which brings me to my conclusion: the Fiesta is a great little car with a willing engine that turns a small car into something much more fun however I wouldn’t buy one I’d buy a Fiesta ST and go full mid life crisis!
NOTE: Although an image was supplied with this story, it was an interior shot only. We have replaced it with a press photo showing the exterior of the vehicle. (And yes, we're working to bring galleries to owner reviews.)