New Ford Fiesta review (2013) – Hands on

The Ford Fiesta is a contemporary motoring icon. First launched in 1976 and still going strong today, it has been a staple of Britain’s roads and was frequently voted the most popular car in the UK. With over 15 million sold and the first new models rolling off the production line at Ford’s Cologne factory before Christmas, 2013 Fiesta is an incredibly important car for the company. As well as protecting a 35 year legacy, it also has to introduce a whole host of gadgets and new technologies to the supermini class – previously unexplored territory for the company.

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Old meets new… the Fiesta has come a long way in 35 years

We were lucky enough to get the opportunity to put the new car through its paces this weekend on the demanding city streets of Rome, where the locals tested our reactions as well as the new tech. To see what next year’s connected cars will have to offer, read on.

STYLE ICON
The Fiesta underwent a radical design refresh in 2008, which brought the car up to date with plenty of flowing curves and smooth lines. Apparently meant to appeal to Ford’s young professional target market, we think it looked attractive enough to begin with but for 2013 Ford has added even more design flourish. Both the front and rear bumpers have been swapped out for newer, more aggressive ones and the light clusters have been upgraded too. The front headlights now have daytime LED running lights, which look fantastic and also help draw attention to the car to oncoming traffic.

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The new front grille bears more than a little resemblance to an Aston Martin

Several new colour schemes are being introduced for 2013, along with matching interior fabrics and coloured LED mood lighting around the dashboard, centre console and even around the cup holders. It all feels surprisingly futuristic for what is essentially a mass market car, and that’s before you start to explore the in-dash information/entertainment system.

Over the page – the fun begins