Ford Fiesta 1.4 Duratorq TDCI Cars Review

Duratorq TDCI Cars

New Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCI Cars Review

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Ford Fiesta Duratorq TDCI Cars

Review Ford Fiesta

How does the classy Ford Fiesta Duratorq TDCI Cars shape up with a 1.4-litre TDCi diesel engine? Steve Walker finds out.

The general consensus of opinion is that Ford has done it again with the Fiesta. We don’t want this to read like an issue of the Ford fan club newsletter but you really do have to hand it to the Blue Oval. Its cars have been consistently credible throughout the last few years with barely a hiccup on the product development front and the latest generation of its long-serving supermini must go down as one of the highlights.

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Duratorq TDCI Cars

Having got the back slapping out of the way, it’s worth having a bit of a reality check. The Fiesta is very good but it’s surrounded by talented rivals fighting tooth and nail for the hearts and minds of the UK’s supermini customers. It’s also fair to say that some Fiestas are better than others and you can bet that any weakness in the range will be ruthlessly exploited. Here we’re taking a look at the 1.4-litre TDCI models which are tasked with holding their own in the burgeoning market for affordable diesel cars.

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The 1.4-litre TDCi engine has been a Ford stalwart for some time, showing up in the previous generation Fiesta amongst other models. Here it has 67bhp at its disposal and maximum torque of 160Nm is produced at 1,750rpm. On the road, this translates into a punchy and responsive feel at lower speeds but the sluggish 14.9s 0-60mph time tells the story of a car which is less at home when asked to stretch its legs. It might take a while to get there but once up to higher cruising speeds, this Fiesta will sit on the motorway quite happily and the lack of pace is successfully glossed over on twisty roads by the excellent chassis.

This is a fine handling car with its variable power assisted steering providing weighty reassurance at speed and a light touch when manoeuvring. The suspension absorbs bumps expertly and but stays firm enough to resist roll when cornering. The five-speed manual gearbox has a pleasantly slick action and there’s a wide range of adjustment in the driving position to keep everyone happy.

"The Fiesta is an outstanding package regardless of its engine."

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Related : Ford Fiesta 1.25 Duratec ~ Duratorq TDCI Cars Models Ford Fiesta Parts 1

Ford Fiesta 1.25 Duratorq TDCI Cars Review TDCI Cars Models Parts 3

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Ford Fiesta Duratorq TDCI Cars

Review Ford Fiesta Duratorq TDCI Cars Parts 1

To get into a Fiesta with a better engine than the 1.25-litre units, you’ll need 1,600 to afford the 1.4-litre TDCi diesel or 500 to get the 95bhp 1.4-litre petrol. The latter option might sound attractive but that unit is only available in the plusher Style+, Zetec and Titanium trims which come at a price. Fiesta buyers looking to spend as little cash upfront as possible have little option outside the 1.25 models.

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Duratorq TDCI Cars

The performance might not be stellar but running costs are agreeably low where the 1.25-litre Fiestas are concerned. Economy and emissions are 52.3mpg and 128g/km from the 59bhp cars while the 81bhp models get 49.5mpg and 133g/km. This might not be a patch on the 67mpg the entry-level diesel model achieves on the combined cycle but it will take a lot of miles to recoup the price premium Ford is asking for that car in fuel savings.

The 1.25-litre engine is a tried and tested unit that should prove reliable over the long term and with the 59bhp car squeezing into insurance group 1, these are cars that won’t serve up many nasty surprises on the costs front.

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Ford’s Fiesta is an outstanding supermini that isn’t at its best with a 1.25-litre engine installed under its bonnet. That’s no great surprise, of course. These are entry-level engines that will sell on their low asking prices, not their sparkling ability on the road. The Fiesta’s prowess as a long distance cruiser will be diminished by the lack of power but if performance isn’t a priority, the 1.25 models should be perfectly adequate for urban motoring. The Fiesta’s considerable other qualities will still shine through and that’s what will give it the edge over rivals.

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Duratorq TDCI Cars

There’s no doubt that modern superminis are able to do a whole lot more than carrying their owner on trips to the shops and other errands about town. Big enough for the whole family, comfortable enough for long journeys, sporty enough to entertain and stylish enough to satisfy the image conscious, these cars really are all-rounders. The 1.25-litre Fiestas don’t have quite such a comprehensive array of strengths but they do a lot of what the more expensive options do at a temptingly low cost.

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Ford Fiesta Duratorq TDCI Cars

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Can the entry-level Ford Fiestas still impress? Steve Walker checks out the 1.25-litre range.

Superminis these days aren’t the small fry shopping hatches they once were. Motorists expect a more rounded product when their spending their money in this popular sector of the market and current superminis have grown to accommodate them. Tipping the scales at well over 1,000kg and at around four meters in length, we’re talking about substantial bits of metalwork but that raises questions about the engines charged with powering them. Can a supermini still get away with less than 1.3-litres? Ford thinks so, fitting a 1.25-litre unit to its Ford Fiesta.

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Most superminis do campaign with a 1.2 or even a 1.1-litre unit as their entry-level petrol engine, so Ford Fiesta is by no means unusual in offering its long serving 1.25-litre powerplant with the Ford Fiesta. How such diminutive engines cope with the varied roles that modern superminis are designed to perform is less clear. The suspicion is always there that the key purpose of such units is to provide an eye-catching opening price for a model range. This will sucker the public in so they can be up-sold to something a little more salubrious and profitable for the manufacturer. So is the Ford Fiesta 1.25 merely a carrot luring us into the clutches of Ford Fiesta ’s sharp suited sales personnel or can we put it down as a worthwhile model in its own right?

Ford Fiesta Duratorq TDCI not a new engine. It was fitted to the fourth generation Ford Fiesta and the fifth, where it was actually replaced by an inferior 1.3-litre unit then reintroduced later on. It’s back in this sixth generation Ford Fiesta and now there are a pair of power options for the punters to mull over. The 59bhp entry-level option is predictably lacking in the performance department with the 0-60mph sprint taking a tiresome 16.9 seconds. The 81bhp alternative has more zip about it with a 13.3s sprint but it’s still lacking a bit in the muscle needed to propel a Ford Fiesta of the Ford Fiesta’s size around town in a nippy fashion. Maximum torque is 84Nm at 4,200rpm, whereas the less powerful option produces its 80Nm at a slightly more accessible 3,600rpm.

"…the 1.25 models should be perfectly adequate for urban motoring"

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