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Motor - Road Test: Fiesta Series-X
"Butch Baby"
29th November 1980
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Road Test: Fiesta Series-X




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.....improvements with restraint as our 29.3 mpg touring figure illustrates. This means that, at best, the Fiesta will require refuelling every 220 miles.

The standard clutch - somewhat smoother and more progressive in action than in other Fiestas we've tried - is well up to coping with the 36.5 per cent increase in power, and the Fiesta gearchange remains pleasantly positive and quick for a front-wheel drive car, though the movements of the lever are longer than average.

Already one of the better handling twd babies, the X-pack suspension modifications improve the Fiesta certainly, but by no means dramatically. The steering, always quick and responsive, can now feel a little nervous and even twitchy, and there is a mild tendency - as is sometimes the case with P6 or P7 shod cars - for the front wheels to follow road cambers and be deflected by white lines. Otherwise, the steering is sensibly weighted (if a little heavy at parking speeds) and possesses reasonable feel. In bends, the fat, squat P6 tyres provide outstanding grip and there is virtually no roll. Under-steer remains mild at low speeds and around tight bends while at higher speeds the Fiesta corners neutrally and with great security - lifting the throttle (or even braking) produces nothing more dramatic than a mild tightening of line. The X-pack suspension also seems under tighter control than the standard car's, displaying less tendency to bounce and jar on uneven surfaces, though it must be said that the ride is even firmer and no match for, say, the Golf GTi's.

We're not entirely convinced that even with larger diameter front discs (friction material is unchanged) the X-pack Fiesta's brakes are up to the extra demands placed upon them. In normal driving they perform well enough, with a good combination of progression and power. But when subjected to the hard braking involved with the more spirited approach the Fiesta's sporting character encourages, the pedal becomes spongy and the brakes judder disconcertingly, though fade is not a problem.

As already stated, the X-pack Fiesta is more refined than its sporting nature might suggest. Complementing the generally low and boom-free mechanical noise levels is a commendable lack of road roar and tyre bump thump. Wind noise is also well suppressed up to about 90 mph. Above that, the door tops tend to pull out and the rush of wind becomes more apparent.

In other respects, our X-pack car was much like any other Fiesta S. It is a compact, well-packaged three-door hatchback with an airy, well planned interior, good seats and clear instrumentation. Our only real criticism concerns an X-pack option: the smaller, thick-rimmed RS steering wheel. This undoubtedly looks the part and feels good in the hands but its smaller diameter and slightly dished shape make the column stalks hard to operate without taking your hands from the wheel --in particular, the already awkward push-pull action of the dip/ main beam stalk is accentuated.

In all, the X-pack Fiesta is a lot of fun. It has a sort of brutish, hustling personality that is certain to attract a wide following of enthusiasts, though we doubt that many would opt for the full-house treatment lavished on our test car, at least not all at once. Whether the X-pack programme offers value for money, on the other hand, very much depends on the cost, age and condition of the car on which it is to be based. For the £6,400 it takes to buy and convert a new 1.3 S, we have to say that a Golf GTi and a wallet bulging with 600 pound notes is harder to resist.

Make: Ford
Model: Fiesta 1.6 RS
Maker: Ford Motor Co Ltd, Dagenham, Essex
Price: test car based on new Fiesta 1.3 S (£4,293) plus £1,674 for X-pack parts and approx £500 labour, equals £6,476

Captions -

Top - Above: apart from one-inch-taller block, the 1600 is similar in dimensions and appearance to the standard 1300.
Middle - Left: chunky-rimmed dished wheel is nice to hold but moves your hands even further away from the column stalks.