Friday, August 21, 2009 29theboltonnews.co.uk/cars - for hundreds of cars in Bolton
ROADTEST
Fiesta is still a hoot
IT WOULD be easy to think that Ford has gone
completely over to the green side, what with all
the emphasis on Econetic cars and the drive
towards lower CO2.
Being a small car, the company's Fiesta hasn't
escaped the treatment. But for anyone seeking
a more thrilling experience help is at hand in the
form of a Mountune version.
If you've got a good memory you'll remember
that towards the end of the previous Fiesta's life
a Mountune version was wheeled out -- and to
much critical acclaim. Its beefy, bodykitted
stance, rorty exhaust note, fettled engine and
185 horsepower did much to highlight how
good the underlying car was. Oh, and it was
terrific fun in a tuned, modern day XR2 sort of
way.
For some it will be a case of deja vu; this latest
Mountue Fiesta also sports a modest but
purposeful bodykit, an exhaust tailpipe wider
than the Dartford Tunnel and looks great in
white.
The similarities between the two cars end there,
though. Where the previous-gen car boasted a
significant mechanical upgrade, the latest Fiesta
doesn't require a spanner-wielding operative to
take the engine apart.
With the donor Zetec-S car packing a variable
valve timing 1.6-litre petrol engine, it's now a
much simpler task of re-programming the unit's
ECU -- this does a similar job to switching to a
new, `hotter' cam. And don't worry, if you've got
a similarly engined Titanium model you can also
go down the Mountune route.
Factor in a new exhaust manifold plus a new
complete system, and you've got yourself a
mad, bad Fiesta that sounds more like the
product of a late night session in a back-street
Essex lock-up than what you'd expect to roll out
of a pristine Ford dealership.
This is all good, though. The critics have already
given the Fiesta a collective thumbs up,
ensuring that the Mountune kit improves on an
already competent car.
One thing that the number crunchers might
frown over is the new car's power output. The
old car was not short of poke with its 185
horsepower figure, but this latest model makes
do with 138bhp -- 20bhp more than the
unmolested Zetec-S.
On paper it doesn't look good, however any
concerns are instantly dismissed as soon as you
turn the key: this car is loud. Loud and brash in
the way a 90s acid house rave was in your face.
Anyone old enough to remember the trend for
fitting sports silencers to decidedly un-sporting
hatchbacks or even drilling holes to get that
rasping, racy exhaust note will understand. It
even makes Ford's own Focus ST sound
restrained.
Thankfully the driving experience is not your
usual Max Power lash-up. You get all the mod-
cons of the regular Fiesta, making the Mountune
car a doddle to live with on a daily basis. What
sets this car apart from all the `warm' hatches on
the market today, though, is its ability to make
you feel like you're going quickly even when
you're not.
The engine's extra 20bhp is most welcome --
the zero to 62mph time drops by a useful two
seconds -- and does much to impart a greater
sense of urgency when you want to have some
fun on a favourite B-road. It's not enough to get
you into any serious trouble, which makes the
sensation all the more enjoyable -- you're never
having to wrestle with epic levels of torque steer,
frustrating amounts of wheelspin in the wet or a
teeth-shattering ride.
In a nutshell the Mountune Fiesta is a hoot to
drive. You can play with the throttle and soak up
the noise -- a cross between Mk2 Escort and
tuned XR2 -- and revel in the car's surefooted
handling. Interestingly the car's chassis has
been left alone, which means you get a good
balance of bump absorption and minimal roll.
When pressing on the Fiesta's tweaked engine
delivers a little bit more of everything. You never
feel overwhelmed or intimidated by what's under
the bonnet, which ensures that a fun time can
be had whatever the road conditions.
Anyone who's sampled both ends off the
spectrum -- `warm' hatch and fire-breathing
supercar -- will always say that, while the latter
can be intoxicating, living with a powerful
monster can be a chore. Not so this car.
The Mountune-fettled Fiesta feels and sounds
lively even at comparatively modest speeds, yet
possesses enough spark to make an
enthusiastic back road drive put an ear-wide
grin on your face. And that's why this Fiesta is
fun, with a capital F.

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