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Sporting chance
Page 12
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Ford's latest challenger in the competitive car-derived van sector has been rolled out on to UK roads, but does the new Fiesta van have what it takes to keep the Blue Oval at the top?
Words: Ian rookm THE PREVIOUS generation of Ford Fiesta van commanded a big share of the light van market thanks to high levels of engineering, practicality and refinement, and all at a manageable cost, which means the new version has some big shoes to fill.
Unlike its immediate predecessor, which was produced as an afterthought to the passenger car, the latest example has been part of a specific product plan from the beginning.
The Fiesta van's design is thoroughly modern and attractive, and especially in its range-topping SportVan trim it makes its predecessor look more than a little bland.
The clean design theme continues inside, and the buttons and knobs adorning the dashboard feel robust and are simple to use.
Right from the off we were impressed by the SportVan and the way in which its 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine pulls. The 89hp motor delivers its 203Nm of torque low down, so will no doubt be a solid performer in a stop-start urban environment. In addition, the 1.6 turbodiesel is not only punchy, but clean. too.
The Fiesta's dynamic abilities were never in question. The suspension soaks up uneven cambers, while the chassis helps it to cope with switchbacks and sharp curves in a manner that belies its commercial aspirations.
That said, despite its nimbleness, there's still quite a high amount of road noise that filters into the cabin. 'Ibis is especially evident over rough asphalt or when exploring the upper reaches of the rev range and does detract slightly from an otherwise composed ride.
Returning to base gave us a chance to run through the list of the SportVan's specs. There's manual air conditioning, ABS brakes and four airbags. as well as Bluetooth, trip computer with multifunction display, auxiliary input and steering-mounted controls. includes a load floor rubber mat, a halfheight composite bulkhead, and four tie-down hooks; and for the comfort of the driver, there's an MP3-compatiblc radio/CD player and an electric front windscreen defroster.
Ultimately, it is one of the best allrounders available on the market.
Granted, it is a bit dearer than your average car-derived van, but the Fiesta SportVan is anything but average. •
What price style?
All these bells and whistles don't come cheap, and this range-topper will set you back £11,512. This makes it as expensive as a Vauxhall Combo, which does trump the Fiesta in terms of payload and load volume.
It's more of the same for the rest of the range, which looks quite pricy when compared with its rivals. Only the base 1.25 petrol costs less than £10,000.
Sitting below the SportVan in the range is the Trend version, which will grab the majority of sales because it offers a good mix of practicality and comfort at a reasonable price.
The load volume remains the same as its predecessor's at 1m3, while gross payload has increased by a modest 19kg to 513kg. Standard trim for the Trend