Fiesta joins the tax-beaters
28/04/09 18:34 Filed in: Road
tests
OK, I’ve already brought you my report
of the new Ford
Fiesta, so what’s different with the Econetic? Well, how about
a combined fuel consumption of 76.3 mpg? Oh, and the CO2 emissions
are so low that you get handed your tax disk totally
free-of-charge.
How do they achieve this headline grabbing eco-performance?
First they reduce the wind and road resistance. The Fiesta Econetic has lowered suspension to reduce the aerodynamic drag and low rolling-restance tyres. Then, they fit a fuel-sipping engine – in this case a specially-calibrated 1.6-litre Duratorq engine.
So with lowered suspension and an ultra-economical diesel, you can assume that this car is not going to be a great drive, can’t you? Wrong!
Emboldened by my rather pleasant experience with that other road-tax beater, the Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion, I decided to take the Fiesta Econetic on a 200-mile A-road round trip. The A96 from Aberdeen to Inverness is a severe test. Its long tedious slow-moving traffic queues are punctuated only occasionally by opportunities to overtake. For these you need reasonable punch and acceleration.
As soon as I turned the starter, I was impressed with how well suppressed is the diesel engine noise is. Sure, there is a little extra vibration through the pedals and gearbox compared with the petrol models, but it is well damped and not as unpleasant as it is some diesels. The air of quiet big-car refinement is only broken by occasional types of road surface which seem to generate noticeable roar from those low-resistance tyres.
I soon settled in for a comfortable, effortless drive. As I said in the main Fiesta test, I love the looks of the new Fiesta and the interior is great. The Econetic, like the previous Fiesta I drove feels like a bigger car, with all the added comfort and refinement that implies.
As with a lot of ultra-economical diesels I have driven recently, the Fiesta Econetic feels very tall geared. It has the same sensation, for a newcomer behind its whee. You fear you are about to stall as you lift the clutch. But, whereas some of the other eco-champions have actually let me down by dying at the head of a queue at a busy junction, the Fiesta Econetic did not.
The 0-62 mph yardstick is always unkind to cars of this type and, sure enough, the Fiesta Econetic’s 12.3 seconds to 62 mph is unremarkable. But it picks up speed from 40 to 60 mph with reasonable alacrity.
Out on the open road, using the occasional crawler lane to pass the slow traffic. (Well, when you have 100 miles to drive for a meeting, the difference between 50 mph and 60 mph is significant.) The Fiesta Econetic may sip diesel, but it has reasonable acceleration in the overtaking range.
I never noticed the lack of ground clearance from the lowered suspension and the ride quality was every bit as good as the Fiesta I drove previously and the handling just as sharp and rewarding.
And, so to economy. We all know how fictional those combined fuel consumption figures can be. No mortal driver (or at least very few) could get near the headline figures in the real world.
My dash to Inverness and back was quite revealing. On the way there, with reasonably traffic conditions, I achieved an overall of a little over 60 mpg despite pressing on as much as traffic allowed. On the return journey, slower speeds resulting from heavier traffic dragged my average down to 57 mpg. But even at that lower figure, who would complain?
So, if you want to stop paying Alistair Darling’s road tax and too much fuel tax, which of these tax-beaters would you choose? The Ford Fiesta Econetic or the Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion?
The Fiesta starts with a slight disadvantage in that, in three-door form, it costs £450 more than the Polo. But it is £450 that I would try to find because of the Fiesta’s big-car feel and more refined engine.
How do they achieve this headline grabbing eco-performance?
First they reduce the wind and road resistance. The Fiesta Econetic has lowered suspension to reduce the aerodynamic drag and low rolling-restance tyres. Then, they fit a fuel-sipping engine – in this case a specially-calibrated 1.6-litre Duratorq engine.
So with lowered suspension and an ultra-economical diesel, you can assume that this car is not going to be a great drive, can’t you? Wrong!
Emboldened by my rather pleasant experience with that other road-tax beater, the Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion, I decided to take the Fiesta Econetic on a 200-mile A-road round trip. The A96 from Aberdeen to Inverness is a severe test. Its long tedious slow-moving traffic queues are punctuated only occasionally by opportunities to overtake. For these you need reasonable punch and acceleration.
As soon as I turned the starter, I was impressed with how well suppressed is the diesel engine noise is. Sure, there is a little extra vibration through the pedals and gearbox compared with the petrol models, but it is well damped and not as unpleasant as it is some diesels. The air of quiet big-car refinement is only broken by occasional types of road surface which seem to generate noticeable roar from those low-resistance tyres.
I soon settled in for a comfortable, effortless drive. As I said in the main Fiesta test, I love the looks of the new Fiesta and the interior is great. The Econetic, like the previous Fiesta I drove feels like a bigger car, with all the added comfort and refinement that implies.
As with a lot of ultra-economical diesels I have driven recently, the Fiesta Econetic feels very tall geared. It has the same sensation, for a newcomer behind its whee. You fear you are about to stall as you lift the clutch. But, whereas some of the other eco-champions have actually let me down by dying at the head of a queue at a busy junction, the Fiesta Econetic did not.
The 0-62 mph yardstick is always unkind to cars of this type and, sure enough, the Fiesta Econetic’s 12.3 seconds to 62 mph is unremarkable. But it picks up speed from 40 to 60 mph with reasonable alacrity.
Out on the open road, using the occasional crawler lane to pass the slow traffic. (Well, when you have 100 miles to drive for a meeting, the difference between 50 mph and 60 mph is significant.) The Fiesta Econetic may sip diesel, but it has reasonable acceleration in the overtaking range.
I never noticed the lack of ground clearance from the lowered suspension and the ride quality was every bit as good as the Fiesta I drove previously and the handling just as sharp and rewarding.
And, so to economy. We all know how fictional those combined fuel consumption figures can be. No mortal driver (or at least very few) could get near the headline figures in the real world.
My dash to Inverness and back was quite revealing. On the way there, with reasonably traffic conditions, I achieved an overall of a little over 60 mpg despite pressing on as much as traffic allowed. On the return journey, slower speeds resulting from heavier traffic dragged my average down to 57 mpg. But even at that lower figure, who would complain?
So, if you want to stop paying Alistair Darling’s road tax and too much fuel tax, which of these tax-beaters would you choose? The Ford Fiesta Econetic or the Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion?
The Fiesta starts with a slight disadvantage in that, in three-door form, it costs £450 more than the Polo. But it is £450 that I would try to find because of the Fiesta’s big-car feel and more refined engine.