I liked Ford’s new Fiesta well enough when I drove it, but there isn’t much there to catch the attention of driving enthusiasts. The chassis felt solid and the car handled fairly well, but there wasn’t much entertainment to be had from the 1.6 liter, 120 horsepower four. Granted, the Fiesta is supposed to be an entry level commuter (albeit a well-appointed one) and not a hot hatch, but zero to sixty takes nearly ten seconds. That may have been noteworthy in 1975, but by today’s standards that’s slow even for an SUV or hybrid. How many more Fiestas could Ford sell if they just tightened things up a bit and gave it more horsepower?
Ford customers in the EU will soon get to answer that question, as Ford has announced a limited edition “Fiesta Sport Plus” three door hatch version. In addition to the obvious body kit, the car gets lightweight 17 inch wheels, a revised interior and an upgraded 1.6 liter Duratec engine that puts out 134 horsepower. An additional 14 ponies may not sound like much, but remember that the Fiesta is a light car. Zero to sixty now comes up in about 8.5 seconds, which is about a second quicker than the current U.S. version.
There’s no word yet on whether the Fiesta Sport Plus will make it stateside, but Ford isn’t happy with U.S. Fiesta sales to date. Would a Sport Plus variant be enough to get buyers into showrooms? I suspect the answer is yes, but not in the kind of numbers that Ford would like to see. If I was a betting man, I’d say the chances of seeing a Fiesta Sport Plus at a U.S. Ford dealership lies directly between “slim” and “none”.
Source: Autoevolution
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
