Short test: Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost (103 kW) Red Edition
As you read in the title, the gnashing of teeth and wet hands was replaced by a smile as we certainly rode the best three-cylinder engine in the world. Why worry? Increasing the power of a turbocharger is a relatively simple task. You put a more powerful fan on the motor, you redesign the motor electronics a bit, and that's where the magic is. But real life is far from magic, as practice shows, working is harder than waving a magic wand.
So we were worried about whether the three-cylinder engine would be so pleasant in corners, because the increase in power usually only helps on the highway or when overtaking, when the shock is more or less pleasantly transferred to the rear, but unpleasant when it is in the middle. when cornering smoothly, accelerating at the limit of adhesion, the car loses contact with the roadway due to torque. You know, the "racers" are poseurs and the others are real racers. Already after the first day of driving, we knew that Ford did not make this mistake. We also expected this based on their experience, but it's still worth checking these things twice.
The Ford Fiesta Red Edition is, of course, a sporty three-door Fiesta with optional spoilers, a black roof and black 16-inch wheels. If you don't like flashy red (I'll admit I've also heard a few splashes from colleagues on this account), you can also opt for black as they offer both a Red Edition and a Black Edition. More than the extra spoilers on the front and rear of the car and the extra side sills, we were impressed with the sports seats and steering wheel wrapped in leather and beautifully finished with red stitching. It wouldn't hurt if we played around with some pretty details on the dashboard, as center consoles have been around for years.
Competitors offer large touchscreens, while the Fiesta, with its small classic screen on top of the center console, is a little helpless in terms of infotainment. You see, it has a hands-free system with useful voice messages, but today it is no longer enough. And the plethora of smaller buttons lined up below the aforementioned screen don't add to the "driver-friendly" feeling!
But the technique ... Yes, this one is very convenient for the driver. Leaving the engine to the end, we have to mention the sporty five-speed manual transmission, which has shorter gear ratios, a sportier chassis that doesn't cause any discomfort at all, and an improved electric power steering that tells the driver much more than you do. ever imagine from electrical impulses. Except for the lack of sixth gear, as the engine spins at 3.500 rpm on highway cruising and uses about six liters of fuel at that time, according to Ford's on-board computer (did you have to write to Ford? Manufacturing department?!?) Well done.
A little dissatisfaction is caused only by the ESP stabilization system, which, unfortunately, is inextinguishable. Therefore, we at the Auto store immediately wanted to test this rocket on summer tires so that the ESP system would not interfere with dynamic driving so quickly. Not quite, but I would like more! The main culprit of high expectations is the forced three-cylinder engine, which provides 140 “horses”. It's not hard to see why the expectations are so high, since 140 "horsepower" per liter of displacement is the highest figure that was once reserved only for very sports cars. Despite the small volume, the engine is very sharp even at basement speeds, as the turbocharger catches up with work at 1.500 rpm, so that you can drive in third gear at intersections! Torque is surprisingly high, of course, given the Fiesta's modest size and light weight, so accelerations are reassuring and top speeds more than satisfying.
Ford technicians redesigned the turbocharger, changed valve opening times, improved the charge air cooler and redesigned the accelerator pedal electronics. What else is missing from this engine, which of course also has high pressure direct fuel injection? Noble engine sound. It is quite loud at wide open throttle, but with a specific sound that does not interfere, and while driving, you do not hear the three cylinders at all. Why the exhaust system has not been reworked a little more, we do not understand, because then the feeling behind the wheel would turn out to be almost a school five. As technology advances, this has already been demonstrated by the leap that the 1.0 horsepower Fiesta 140 EcoBoost has made over its predecessor. A decade ago, the Fiesta S developed only 1,6 "horsepower" from a 100-liter engine. Uff, were there really the good old days? In the end, we can confirm that, despite the years, the new Fiesta is surprisingly sprightly, urban, highly agile and always enjoyable for the dynamic driver. Nice car. If only we could tweak the engine sound a little ...
text: Alyosha Mrak
Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost (103 kW) Red Edition (2015)
Basic data
| Sales: | Auto DOO Summit |
|---|---|
| Base model price: | 9.890 € |
| Test model cost: | 15.380 € |
| Power: | 103kW (140 KM) |
| Acceleration (0-100 km / h): | 9,0 with |
| Maximum speed: | 201 km / h |
| Mixed flow ECE: | 4,5l / 100km |
Costs (per year)
Technical information
| engine: | 3-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - turbocharged petrol - displacement 999 cm3 - maximum power 103 kW (140 hp) at 6.000 rpm - maximum torque 180 Nm at 1.400–5.000 rpm. |
|---|---|
| Energy transfer: | front wheel drive engine - 5-speed manual transmission - tires 195/45 R 16 V (Nokian WR). |
| Capacity: | 201 km/h top speed - 0-100 km/h acceleration in 9,0 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 5,6/3,9/4,5 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 104 g/km. |
| Mass: | empty vehicle 1.091 kg - permissible gross weight 1.550 kg. |
| External dimensions: | length 3.982 mm – width 1.722 mm – height 1.495 mm – wheelbase 2.490 mm – trunk 276–974 42 l – fuel tank XNUMX l. |
Our measurements
| T = 7 ° C / p = 1.043 mbar / rel. vl. = 68% / odometer status: 1.457 km | |
| Acceleration 0-100km: | 9,4s |
|---|---|
| 402m from the city: | 16,8 years ( 138 km / h) |
| Flexibility 50-90km / h: | 7,2s (IV.) |
| Flexibility 80-120km / h: | 10,4s (V.) |
| Maximum speed: | 201km / h (V.) |
| test consumption: | 8,0 l / 100km |
| Fuel consumption according to the standard scheme: | 5,5 l / 100km |
| Braking distance at 100 km / h: | 41,9m |
| AM table: | 40m |
evaluation
If you're not exactly state rally champion Alex Humar, who would probably prefer to check the box on the 180-horsepower Fiesta ST, then you could easily save five thousand. Even the liter Fiesta Red Edition offers more than enough sportiness!
We praise and reproach
engine
Transmission
sports seats and steering wheel
agility, agility
only five-speed gearbox
dashboards have been around for many years
ESP cannot be turned off
worst directional stability
