FORD FIESTA

The facelifted 2013 Ford Fiesta range lowers consumption, increases equipment and introduces a new nose compared with the outgoing five-year-old model.

What absolutely doesn’t change, however, is the Fiesta’s status as the best handling car in the light hatchback class. More than that, subtly reworked suspension aimed at improving ride quality, teamed with a thicker anti-roll bar claimed to be 15 per cent stiffer, delivers a baby Ford that is even more comfortable and incisive than before.

A smaller fuel bill comes with the caveat of slightly less performance, with the existing 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine downsized to 1.5 litres for this facelift, and losing power (now 82kW, down 7kW) and torque (now 140Nm, falling 11Nm)  in the process.