Why the Ford Fiesta won: With agile handling, characterful engines and a pervading sense of fun, the Ford Fiesta is the standout driver’s choice.
The Fiesta is just one of the winners in this year's Britain's Best Car Awards - see the full list here.
Along with the Mazda MX-5, the little Ford Fiesta is one of the oldest cars in this year’s inaugural crop of Best Cars award winners. And even though its 2017 launch now feels like a lifetime ago, age has done nothing to diminish the appeal of the Blue Oval’s ubiquitous supermini.
Although a slightly more reserved, mature design language was employed for this seventh-generation Fiesta, Ford made damn sure that it retained the lively, up-and-at-’em sense of dynamic character that has, for a long while now, marked out the Fiesta in a crowded field. Numerous rivals – some of which are considerably newer – have seriously threatened the Fiesta’s position as our standout driver’s supermini over the years, but none has been entirely successful thus far.
The fifth-generation Renault Clio arguably came closest, but even with its new-found sense of focus, the French car couldn’t quite knock the Fiesta from its perch. The Volkswagen Polo, meanwhile, may be the more adept all-rounder but, next to the effervescent Fiesta, its comparatively staid and serious demeanour remains something of a sticking point.
You see, a great supermini needs to do more than just put its head down and crack on with the job of getting you from A to B. There also needs to be a healthy dose of visual flare, an enthusiastic engine, abundant dynamic charm and a distinct sense of mechanical sophistication about its primary controls that makes them a pleasure to interact with on a daily basis – even at a relatively basic level of operation. The Fiesta, funnily enough, covers all of these bases pretty comprehensively.
Add your comment