Test drive Ford Fiesta 5 doors 2013 - NV hatchback

Comprehensive test: Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 207

Camping. Outwardly, the similarity is obvious. Both are alien to rural flavor, well, poured citizens. They even cost approximately the same ... The new Ford Fiesta earns glasses against the background of the Corifei Peugeot 207

Probably, to create a small car that can like millions of people of different ages, gender and religion, is not so simple. One and a half of the largest world car conheres have everything necessary for this - a research, design and production base. However, not everyone turns out. This is amazing, no one has managed to build a machine comparable in its consumer qualities, for example, with Volkswagen Beetle Ferdinand Porsche. What is missing? What sacred knowledge should be comprehended in order to derive the formula of the ideal compact city car? The answer, oddly enough, is incredibly simple. Such a machine for starters should be very necessary on the market. Otherwise, it will not happen elementary. However, although in this area, especially today, there are a lot of curious nuances, the theme for our passage was by no means philosophical pseudoii of the further development of the world automotive industry. The main character of this, as it might be mistaken at first glance, a comparative test is a new generation of Ford Fiesta, the sales of which began a few months ago around the world, including in Russia.
We’ll make a reservation right away: the question of whether he is bad or good is not interested in us. In the fall, in a report from Italy with a sideling presentation of this compact hatchback, it is enough, as we see, we have already reasonably given unambiguous and exhaustive comments on this occasion. The new Ford Fiesta, undoubtedly, was a success, and now the whole world car press writes about this. Our task is to try to understand how comparable it will look with the luminaries of the genre, with well -deserved master and unshakable authorities in the rather extensive cohort of city hatchbacks of class V. The candidacy for the responsible role of ideal, stencil or prisms did not have to look for a long time. The first thing that came to mind at the mention of this class of cars was, of course, Peugeot 207. Bestseller, besides, the French in a compact segment ate all the dogs, and not only their French. In Europe, it is they who dictate fashion, and then move from the market those who should not follow this fashion. It is also good that the stormy passions in connection with the appearance of Peugeot 207 have long subsided, which means that now you can look at the car more soberly and balanced, as the circumstances require.

About sex
In order to look bright and stylish, the car does not have to be a 2-seater compartment of the Alfa Romeo brand. The French have already proved this many times. So, for example, the 207th is especially good in statics, the speed is less. This car can be examined indefinitely from the window and each time find new entertaining details. But when designers from Ford got down to business, they had to look for their own self -identification methods. You look at Fiesta and wonder how concise this car is and at the same time original. And how you put it next to Peugeot 207 - at least cry. Fashion is still a contagious thing. Just some kind of virus! Look at the anterior optics, at the mouths of radiator grilles secreted by fog, and in general on silhouettes. De facto are different, but in fact - the same thing. Other things being equal, perhaps, Fiesta looks noticeably tougher and stricter. In addition, this is the same case when you must use devalued and hackneyed about and without a dynamic word. Flirting with the departments of the car with the weak floor are less pronounced here. Rather, on the contrary. Understanding that the segment dictates their conditions, the Fords tried their best to leave the car as part of the unisex. Why deprive your brainchild of a very significant part of a solvent audience - men? And the designers succeeded: when in the morning a neighbor on the staircase on the street looked like snow from his Lexus, it did not break at all to sit in Fiesta. And I reinforced my little pride right there, defiantly laying out the side mirrors with the help of electric drives. For a small car, this is still quite cool, although Peugeot also reserves such an opportunity. By the way, during the test a couple of times the men approached our Ford Fiesta, were interested in the cost and in general ...
Do not even try to argue: someday, a car will appear in the car dealership, the anterior optics of which with its tentacles will crawl to the front rack or, worse, to the driver's door. We give 100%, it will be Peugeot. But why are everyone else obliged to follow the very specific whims of French design creature? Oh, they will reach God know what! The other day, by the way, in the Paris Mecca of Modern Art - in the center of Pompido - a large exhibition opened. Nothing was presented in the halls. White painted walls and in each of the halls a sign: they say, an exhibition, but really nothing is presented, in the void, they say, your own special aesthetics, fantasize, but keep in mind that the video surveillance system can work in the hall. And people, imagine, buy tickets there!

If you are honest
Frankly, paying tribute to their merits, I am not a fan of the Talents of Peugeot cars. No, were, of course, the 405th, 406th with a face from Pininfarina ... and 407th, in which the most convenient velor chairs on the ground? It would be curious, say, to ride on the prototype of the Peugeot 908 HDI FAP ... in a word, there are exceptions, but Peugeot cars are more good as neighbors in the stream: both the eyes are pleased and the resistance of the special on traffic lights is not tried to provide.
Well, if with the appearance almost parity with a slight advantage on the Fiesta side, then what Ford completely and unconditionally arranged our 207th is in the decoration and design of the salon. After that he managed to offer Ford (in a rich, however, configuration of Titanium), the insides of Peugeot look like the exhibition in the center of Pompidu that we mentioned: to put it mildly, not rich. The juicy lilac tone involved in the interior of Fiesta is able to destroy all ideas about how compact city hatchbacks should look inside. A very optimistic interior, and in addition, thanks to the use of better decoration materials (for configuration, again Titanium) Fiesta now fully corresponds to its name. Just some kind of holiday. And this is while the black and gray and ordinary guttizes Peugeot 207 are not compared with its cheerful orange appearance. The seats are ordinary, lateral support is almost not expressed, while Fiesta does not want to get out. The front panel seems semi -empty. Buttons, pens, scales ... Everything, it would seem, after Fiesta causes despondency, I want to immediately transfer to Ford. But I would not immediately write off the 207th from the accounts. Despite the wealth of equipment and the availability of options available only for more large cars (for example, starting with a button or non -clock access), in the sense of Ford Fiesta ergonomics, is imperfect. The abundance of buttons gives rise to some confusion, for example, with the setting of the radio. The heater control algorithm is not too intuitive. Most governing bodies are located here on a bunk central panel, where they are more likely to be geometrically and aesthetically properly proper than strict laws of ergonomics. PEUGEOT offers slightly less opportunities, in our case, it is cheaper, but all devices, up to the windows buttons on the doors, were in their places. Extremely convenient the audio control cluster on the steering column. There are few places around, but it was able to place it where necessary. In addition, a network of utility rooms for all sorts of little things is more developed in Peugeot, and a 40-centimeter pizza will probably fit in the glove compartment.

Unequal marriage
The PEUGEOT test to us is a 1.4-liter 90-horsepower version of Trendy with a robotic 2-Tronic gearbox. He is 30 hp. Weaker than the 1.6-liter 120-horsepower Fiesta, but their basic configurations are comparable in price: from 528 thousand rubles for Ford and from 538 thousand for Peugeot. It should be recognized that by running characteristics they cannot be compared. To do this, Peugeot has a 120-horsepower version with a manual transmission and a joint engine with BMW (however, it is already much more expensive). But the warm words addressed to Fiesta still cannot be said. This car is able to give true pleasure from driving. The fact that half of all road potholes responds with breakdown in the maximum closed suspension of Fiesta is not at all an annoying moment. Rather, on the contrary. The steering wheel is more acute, a quick turn for Fiesta like a quarterly bonus - always by the way. Ford cuts them with thin even slices, relishing every piece of curl. The hydraulic wrap with knowledge distributes the effort, but the information content at any speed remains on top. In fact, this is already a finished base for the next version of ST, which in the light of such positive metamorphosis Fiesta promises to be very curious. The engine picks up a small hatchback literally from any revolutions, is spinning cheerfully and does not at all hint at the existing restrictive pre -installations in the framework of the ecological regulations of Euro 4. The engine quickly spins before cutting off at 6500 rpm, responding to the pressing of the gas pedal very willingly. Due to the browned gearbox, transfers in a mechanical box are perfectly climbing one after another. The revolutions do not have time to fall below the average. And for overclocking up to 100 km/h - you willingly believe in passport data - it takes less than 10 s. Of the negative moments, I would have noted only an increased level of engine noise at a rotation frequency of more than 4000 rpm.
Curious, but on the most powerful version of Fiesta there are ordinary drums from behind. However, the fact of this fact is almost in no way reflected. The brake system adequately responds to the efforts made, although the sharpness of the grip could be added. And in this place two important things should be recognized. The PEUGEOT version at our disposal is clearly not able to ride like that. The robotic gearbox in automatic mode is characterized by a very inhibited switching algorithm. But, even using extremely comfortable steering licenses for manual gear shift, it will not be possible to display the 207th to a similar dynamics from Fiesta. Another one can also be called an algorithm for the suspension. It is much more comfortable and compromised, which will be considered an advantage for many. The pedals and steering wheel are much less sensitive than on Fiesta. In the assertive mode of delay and failures during switching, it is not so noticeable. In manual mode, you can use both the floor lever and the steering wheel petals. But the semi -automatic regime is more entertaining when with petals you can interfere with the actions of the robot without warning. Have you decided to rebuild in the left row, where the gap appeared? Without translating the box into manual mode by the selector on the floor, click on the left petal, drop one or two gears down, gain speed and make a maneuver. And then, realizing that everything is finished, then the robot will act itself. A convenient scheme, but executed, alas, not perfectly. There are many questions to the robotic gearbox, at least about the anti -cost system ...
In a word, the Peugeot 207 in its 1.4-liter version was completely defeated by the new Ford Fiesta in all respects, with the exception of some points related to ergonomics and external design. Having a similar price, these cars showed completely different characters. And, we will not hide, we, as the apologists of the active driving manner, were closer to the values, in this case preached by Ford.

Specifications
     
Ford Fiesta 1.6
Peugeot 207 1.4 2-Tronic

Dimensions, mm 3950x1722x1481
4030x1720x1472
Wheel base, mm 2486
2540
Trunk volume, l 281/965
335/1260
Diameter of the turn, m 10.2
10,8
Benzine engine type L4
gasoline L4
Working volume, cubic meter. cm 1596
1360
Max. power,
l.S./rpm 120/6000
90/5250
Max. moment,
Nm/rpm 152/4000
133/3250
The transmission is mechanical
mechanical robotic
5-speed
5-speed
Tires 175/65 R14
185/65 R14
Max. Speed, km/h 193
180
Acceleration time
0100 km/h, with 9.9
12,7
Fuel consumption (average),
l/100 km 5.9
6,2
Tank volume, l 45
50

Ilya Fisher
Photo by Yana Segal


 

Source: Avtopanorama magazine