Used Car Review: Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium 5-dr (2013 - 2018)

If Arnold Schwarzenegger chose a zippy small car for running around town, it would have to be the Ford 1.0 liter Ecoboost. It’s won best engine of the year about as many times as Arnie repeatedly scooped the Mr Olympia title all those years ago. This precocious little hatch hit the motoring sweet spot when it first arrived in 2013 and has been purring ever since.

Last year once again rated as 2017 International Engine of the Year “Best Engine Under 1.0-litre” - and that’s for the sixth consecutive year - this three-cylinder, compact but gutsy Ford has been a hit from the start. An inspiring balance of fuel efficiency and power greets anyone with at least a touch of the unexpected. Small and light, there is nonetheless a magical combination at play when you drive this car. While not straining - there’s plenty of power in the engine - you also never feel like you’re working too hard for gains - it keeps up that “light on the pedal” feel.

The Look and Feel of a Repeated Winner

With easy steering that you’d almost describe as wonderfully “accurate” and such an ability to take off from the mark, this is a very agile Ford. The effortless steering isn’t the only great feature in this hatch, as there are others, like the abject lack of road noise. Silence you wouldn’t expect to enjoy in a smaller car abounds. And then there’s the quality of the ride. Just cheekily so much better than the average person expects from the Fiesta Ecoboost. It absorbs the road remarkably well, again feeling more like a luxury sedan than a zippy hatchback.

At awards ceremonies, most judges point to the car’s attributes of economy, performance and also technological advancement. The cabin is luxurious and far removed from notions of economy options. The dash and gear layout is sleek and the overall interior is more on a par with costlier hatches available in SA. Ford have done an admittedly grand job of producing a posh, stylish driving experience for all occupants.

Performance

The Ecoboost’s engine remains undefeated in its class, a record of six year’s and something to trumpet in the constantly innovative automotive world. Ford’s potent little engine is the segment major-domo, with the Fiesta facing constant and enhanced competition in a popular category for buyers and thus a highly competitive one among auto manufacturers.

Coming in 74.6kw, 93.3kw and 104.5kw, the feisty engine powers two in five Fiestas sold in Europe. Ford produces the EcoBoost petrol engines in up to 3.5 liter capacities. They are employed not only in the Fiesta, but in a vast array of transit and other vehicles, including the performance models Focus RS and the Ford GT supercar.

Boasting 0 - 100km in 10.5 seconds, it’s not sluggish and anyone playing robot to robot with you is going to have to keep an eye out from third gear onwards, where the power to weight ratio really tilts towards evening things out for a moment. With Bosch fuel injection on the front wheel drive Ecoboost, performance may have been only one consideration in the coming together of this dynamic small car, but it doesn’t ask for too much compromise there and you’ll never feel a slow drag trying to get up to speed.

Form and Function

Observers note that every time the car is nominated in its class, it wins. A great town car with no qualms touring either, the Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium 5-dr models 2013 and onwards also seem to have unisex appeal. Quick and smart, with a sedan’s ride and sports car steering, they’ve been a firm favourite on South African roads for years. If anything, the exterior grants a satisfying glimpse of a well-built car with innovative surprises, and this is simply accentuated moving from the outside to the inside. Seating is snug but ample and the cockpit really allows you to feel that you’re in control of a solid, upmarket hatch - another definite feather in Ford’s cap - and you won’t be left feeling aware of a budget purchase sitting in this car. Not at all.

There’s a Sony Bluetooth stereo, cruise control, auto headlights, auto wipers, dimming rear-view mirror, and climate control. The Titanium is packed with kit that you’d expect to pay a lot more for and that feel of gratitude when you slip into the driver’s seat is justified - they didn’t skimp when putting this hatch together.

Tech Level

For those unimpressed with mechanical innovation and perhaps even interior styling, there’s still that sweet spot… the overall experience of the engine, styling, interior, power and “smoothness” of the ride. The engine’s capabilities derived of its powertrain engineering was best depicted by Joe Bakaj, Product Development VP at Ford of Europe, when he said: “Our 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine has been a game-changer, setting the benchmark for compact, fuel-efficient engines with sophisticated EcoBoost turbocharging, direct fuel injection and Twin-Independent Variable Camshaft Timing technologies.”

OK, that’s a mouthful, but he too is pointing to just what a great little car they managed to produce in 2012 and have been improving ever since. The later 1.0-litre EcoBoost engines also come with an added edge that makes Ford truly innovative. Cylinder deactivation is a feature that takes intelligent motoring a step further. When the car is cruising with a light demand on the engine, the technology kicks in to automatically stop one of the cylinders. Not only does the technology produce a reduction in CO2 emission, but also gains in fuel efficiency. The engine can disengage a cylinder in 14 milliseconds without so much as a murmur to be felt, which is about 20 times quicker than a blinking human eyelid.

Safety and Cost Effectiveness

The EcoBoost’s 1.0 liter engine has now accrued a total of ten International Engine of The Year awards, including “Best Newcomer” and a record three times as the overall winner. The FORD Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost engine now propels one in five Ford vehicles sold in Europe. Stylish and sporty, it’s far more a quiet surprise than ostentatious racer though. With an excellent average consumption around 4.3l/100km and a top speed of 196km/hr, the car is to many the best of all worlds.

The votes that counted in 2017 for the Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium came from a panel of some 58 automotive journalists - and no unfortunately we weren’t there in Germany! - representing 31 countries from around the globe. As for safety, the Ecoboost sports … airbags and features ….. brakes. Overall handling is deft and you can push this car through corners without fear. Crumple zones and complete the broad safety insurance built into this Ford.

When it comes to economy, with a three-cylinder engine featuring cylinder deactivation and a standing record of around 5l/100km, the Ecoboost has scored high in cost-conscious drivers’ ratings. Fairly priced new, this is probably one of a handful of secondhand cars that you can buy and experience great value from. On the whole, with fuel economy and reliability thrown into the mix, the Ford Fiesta Ecoboost models 2013 onwards will give you more for your money than many others.

Buying a Secondhand Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium 5-dr (2013 - 2018) Any 2013 model onwards can usually be found in good to great condition and those who drive them do tend to love them, to paraphrase Fiat, so you can usually expect a well-loved used model with a service history. Current prices on a good secondhand model are between 2013 and 2017 typically sit at around R140 000 to R240 000.

For any car valuations and secondhand car sales, buzz us first for complete peace of mind.