Review of the new Ford Fiesta ECOnetic - Ultimate Supermini?

A tip for car buyers; if a vehicle has the terms 'eco', 'green', 'efficient' or, oddly, 'blue' in its title, that's the manufacturer trying to tell you that it's environmentally-friendly and cheaper to run than it may otherwise have been. As a method for choosing a cost-effective new car, looking out for these watchwords has its advantages but will it land you something that makes compromises in the name of efficiency? To find out, we've been getting to know Ford's Fiesta ECOnetic over a long term test.

Everyone would like to pay less for their fuel and less in tax but everyone has a different threshold of how far they're willing to go in this quest for cutbacks. Assuming we need a car and can't keep our busy lifestyles ticking over on two wheels or horseback, there's still a daunting array of vehicles out there. You could go all out for economy in a micro citycar that can run all day on a thimble full of unleaded or you might not be willing to entertain any vehicle that couldn't hold its own in the car park for a Monte Carlo casino. Wherever your standards are set, a car which falls meaningfully short of them is going to be a disappointment. We know from the sales charts that a Ford Fiesta is a great fit for a lot of people but by shunting thriftiness up its list of priorities, does the ECOnetic version detract from the package?

So what separates an ECOnetic models from other Fiestas? In the interests of aerodynamic efficiency, the car has lowered suspension. There's also a special electric power steering system, low rolling resistance tyres and a gear-change light that prompts you to change up at the optimum time. Anyone spotting the ECOnetic badge and expecting to be thrust into the automotive equivalent of a hair shirt will be pleasantly surprised by the similarity the ECOnetic bears to any other Fiesta. The alterations are largely unobtrusive and in the case of the lowered suspension, many will feel that it actually adds to the look of the car.

"The ultimate supermini? For a grand or two less, it would come awfully close"

The design of the Fiesta, inside and out, is one of the more vibrant efforts you'll encounter in a modern supermini. The vibrant colour schemes and the sharply angled dash are a long way from the solid, simplicity you get from a Volkswagen Polo, for example. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but its tallies with the fun feel of the car. The control interface is easy to use after a little fiddling and there's decent storage space in cubbies at the base of the centre console and in the large door pockets. Rear leg room is restricted with a tall driver in situ but there's plenty of headroom, which you wouldn't necessarily credit when looking at the car's swooping roofline.

The highlight is the Fiesta's chassis. Ford has a shining reputation for the driving dynamics of its cars and the Fiesta is pretty near the pick of the back. It feels alive and fast in its responses, cornering with barely a flicker of body roll and seemingly more grip than the ECOnetic's engine could hope to overcome. Despite the Fiesta's infectious verve through the bends, it still manages to deliver a compliant ride when cruising, the suspension dancing over the lumps and knobbles of the surface. Some are fractionally more comfortable but there isn't a supermini that's better to drive in its mainstream form than the Fiesta, while the ECOnetic outclasses most other economy-focused superminis by a distance.

The 1.6-litre TDCi engine in the ECOnetic doesn't educe Goosebumps when you plant the throttle but it's reasonably punchy and it doesn't sound too gruff. We had no problem cruising at high speeds on motorways where the refinement remains perfectly acceptable, whilst in town where you can surf around on the engine's bulging torque curve, it feels genuinely nippy.

The Fiesta ECOnetic isn't what you would call cheap to buy and that could be an issue for the kind of economy-conscious buyers it's targeting. At around £15,000, it's positioned towards the upper end of the supermini scale and this rather takes the edge off the benefits that come from its 76mpg fuel economy and 98g/km CO2 emissions. The equipment list is comprehensive but nothing to get over excited about. ABS, power steering, electric windows, an immobiliser, front, side and knee airbags, a CD player, central locking and electric mirrors are included. There also nice touches too: we particularly liked the EasyFuel cap-less refuelling system.

The car industry has shown that it can develop highly efficient vehicles. The challenge it now faces is to chip away at the compromises that these cars force on their owners. When the green car becomes preferable or equal to the less-green option in terms of driving enjoyment, style and comfort, buying decisions will instantly become far clearer cut. As a slick-looking and fine handling supermini that also happens to be amongst the most fuel efficient cars in its class, Fiesta ECOnetic is someway along this road. The ultimate supermini? For a grand or two less, it would come awfully close.

TOP 5 FIESTA DEALS

The results below show the top FIESTA deals on buyacar

Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec 5dr [82] Hatchback
Price £10,348 Read Fiesta Reviews	Save £2,597
Ford Fiesta 1.25 Studio 3dr Hatchback
Price £8,338 Read Fiesta Reviews	Save £1,157
Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi [70] Titanium 5dr Diesel Hatchback
Price £12,402 Read Fiesta Reviews	Save £3,143
Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi [95] Titanium ECOnetic 5dr Diesel Hatchback
Price £13,113 Read Fiesta Reviews	Save £3,332
Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi [70] Zetec 5dr Diesel Hatchback
Price £11,454 Read Fiesta Reviews	Save £2,891
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