Power units for the range are listed as 1.25-, 1.4- and 1.6-litre, Duratec, petrol engines and 1.4-, and 1.6TDCi Duratorq units. The latter is used in the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic, along with a cDPF, diesel particulate filter and the 5-speed manual transmission, with a revised final drive ratio.
The engine produces 90PS at 4,000rpm and torque of 204Nm at 1,750rpm, which is same as the non-ECOnetic version but from there, the paths diverge. According to the stats, the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic has a higher top speed (by 2mph) at 111mph, although it takes a fraction longer - 12.3 seconds as opposed to 11.9 seconds - to complete the 0-62mph dash.
That is impressive, but even more so are the fuel consumption figures of 61.4mpg for the urban cycle, a massive 88.3mpg for the extra-urban and the combined works out as 76.3mpg with only 99g/km CO2 escaping from the tailpipe. That means it is in VED Band A and that means, nothing to pay. These statistics are the same for both three- and five-door versions, which are priced at £12,445 and £12,945, respectively. Prices for the rest of the range start at £9,195 and rise to £14,195 so the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic is nicely in the middle.
The last two paragraphs indicate that you can have your cake and eat it; in fact the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic has been labelled the UK's greenest 5 door family car. The bonus is that there is no reduction in drivability or performance and that makes a difference because there are very few people who would swap excellent fuel economy for dynamics, oomph and a fair amount of street-cred', if it is still called that.
In terms of specification, the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic fits into the line-up just above the Style and Style+, again, more or less in the middle. So, you get heated and powered door mirrors, 14-inch steel wheels, the standard CD/radio with MP3 and AUX, air-conditioning, 4-way adjustment to the driver's seat and a rake-adjustable steering column, amongst other things. Parking sensors are an optional extra but none of the option packs are available for the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic.
The safety features are the same throughout the range and include the usual ABS with EBD, automatic hazard lights under heavy braking, front and side airbags and one for the driver's knees. ESP with Traction Assist and Emergency Brake Assist is an extra as are a front passenger de-activation switch and curtain airbags.
There are a good few optional extras available and Ford has gone to great lengths to make the new Fiesta appeal to as many people as possible. The large range of colours, some subtle and others unashamedly blatant, helps as does the array of engines. But all of this makes no difference if the car doesn’t feel or perform. Luckily the Ford Fiesta does, in all respects and the ECOnetic just makes it nicer on the pocket, too.