Road Test: Ford Fiesta XR4

Review by Feann Torr - 7/September/2007

The newest addition to Ford's XR sports car range is also the smallest. But don't think for a minute that the Ford Fiesta XR4 tarnishes the Blue Oval's sports brand, a brand which was originally built on the back of the XR6 and XR8 Falcons.

Compared to the standard Fiesta, which is powered by a 1.6-litre engine, the new hero model features the 2.0-litre engine from it's bigger brother, the Ford Focus. But there's more. Not content to drop the larger motor in the Fiesta's engine bay, Ford's TeamRS in the UK also tweaked the new engine ensuring it outputs more power.

Together with a new suspension tune, upgraded brakes, better contact with the road via larger tyres and of course bolstered sports seats to keep you from slewing around, it becomes apparent that the XR4 is indeed a worthy member of the XR family.

Perhaps the most alluring part of the XR4 package however is it's price. At less than $25,000 it's one of the most affordable compact performance hatches in Australia. It matches many of its competitors in terms of outright power, kilowatt for kilowatt, including the Volkswagen Polo GTI and the Peugeot 207 GT, all of them outputting 110kW. But these rivals cost $2,000 and $6,500 more than the XR4 respectively.

The Fiesta XR4 delivers a compelling value equation: you get a tastefully tweaked 2.0-litre engine, 17-inch alloy wheels shod with sticky Pirelli tread, and a 5-speed manual gearbox that won't sap engine power like some automatics can.

On paper the Ford Fiesta XR4 tells a encouraging tale and with an impressive safety contingent comprising six airbags, ABS, and dynamic stability control (DSC) - not to mention things like drilled alloy pedals and air conditioning - the diminutive car's standard feature list is anything but small.

But it's on the road that the truth comes out, both cruising on the highway and being drilled under full throttle through tight mountain passes. It's where the PR spin can be effectively removed from the equation and where the vehicle's true character can be examined. Pocket rocket, or jazzed up jalopy? Let's find out:

The Ford Fiesta XR4 has one of the best chassis set ups in the pocket rocket segment: it's a lot of fun behind the wheel

Engine: Ford 2.0-litre 4-cylinder The transversely mounted 1999cc L4 engine has an aluminium alloy cylinder head and engine block. The valvetrain includes 4-valves per cylinder actuated by chain-driven dual overhead camshafts (DOHC). The 2.0-litre engine has a high 10.8:1 compression ratio, which necessitates premium petrol fuel (95/98 RON), and the Fiesta XR4 has a 45 litre fuel tank capacity. Fuel consumption: 7.4L/100km (combined cycle) Carbon Emission: 177g/km Max Power: 110kW @ 6000rpm Max Torque: 190Nm @ 4500rpm

The Ford Fiesta XR4 is one of the best value hot hatches on the market, and looks good too

Select the white or blue exterior colour and you get this blue-coloured dashboard, plus items like colour-matched leather seats and alloy pedals

There are few things better than going for a long drive and chancing across like minded folk who love to talk cars. On the way to our first major performance run for the Fiesta XR4, we came across a driver of a Mini Cooper S who took a liking to the new look XR4.

It was the body length GT stripes that opened the conversation, between two compact cars waiting for the traffic lights to blink green.

"GT stripes are the way to go. People know you're driving something special," said the bespectacled Cooper S driver. I just nodded noncommittally because I personally think that GT stripes are not suited to all car designs. The Fiesta being one of them.

As the lights went green, the Mini Cooper S floored it, and took off amid screeching wheels as I carefully and deliberately plied the clutch and throttle. And shortly afterwards Constable devious blitzed past, lights flashing as he chased the bloke down. Guess he didn't see the Fuzz a few cars back...

Despite the out-of-place decals, Ford's new XR4 is a gritty little street fighter. It's responsive, it's got gumption, and it can be tremendously enjoyable to drive. And, GT stripes notwithstanding, it looks convincingly sporty. Seeing as the sports stripes are optional, I'll stop whining about it too.

Safely out of the urban sprawl and the XR4 doesn't disappoint. Clear the fuel injectors with a couple of sharp stabs of the throttle, fling it into a few corners and it really seems to relish being thrashed. It's a tough little whipper-snapper, and more than worthy of the XR name.

I'll be the first to admit that it doesn't have the brawn of vehicles like the Volkswagen Polo GTI or the Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart - what with their boosted turbo engines - but it has a chassis that rarely fails to impress. The stiffer-than-normal suspension and slim side walls of the Pirelli P Zero tyres (205/40 R17s) reduce ride quality, but this can be forgiven when it tracks round corners so keenly. In fact, the chassis is so good that I have a strong feeling that it could handle more power and torque than its mildly tweaked engine delivers.

Ford's Team RS in the UK has added more weight to the steering, giving it a meaty feel as it dices whistles past apexes, one that's very unlike other compact cars. It's quite communicative with above average feedback and together with good sports seats that hug the body you won't be punished for slinging it through tight hairpin corners at a breakneck pace.

A lack of cruise control was disappointing, especially as most Australian drivers regularly cover highways and major arterials. The 5-speed gearbox works well, but feels a touch loose. The clutch is likewise light and doesn't have a lot of feel, but these are far from deal breakers and as a whole the car feels quite solid.

The 2.0-litre engine? It's sourced from the Fiesta's bigger brother, the Focus, and then tweaked to deliver more response and more power, now 110kW. It's also got a higher rev ceiling, able to reach 7000rpm if you push it, and with less weight to lug around it ensure the Ford Fiesta XR4 is rapid.

There were times when I thought a turbo or some more mid-range torque would have helped, particularly when accelerating out of uphill corners. Unfortunately 190Nm felt a bit average, but like any naturally aspirated 4-cylinder you just have to keep the revs high to get the most out of the car.

The engine is more than happy to rev, and though the voluminous torque hit that characterises turbo models is not there to buoy you, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Like the Honda Civic Type R it provides a more involving drive because you really need to work the engine hard to extract optimum performance. You have to really be aware of the engine to keep the speed up through corners, but because it has an excellent chassis, with very sticky tyres and a stiff suspension setup, you never feel as though you're going to run out of road. 

The Ford Fiesta XR4 handles very well, and feels glued to the road in all but the most inclement conditions. The newest member to the XR family doesn't exhibit too much understeer either, partly because there's not enough torque there to push the front end of wide through corners - but also because the suspension is spot on. 

It has a fairly neutral feel in the way that it approaches corners, neither pushing wide nor cutting it tight. It thrives when driven on super tight and twisting roads, eagerly bouncing from one apex to the next and more than happy to change direction at speed. Body roll is low, which also helps.

While the chassis is the cars best performance asset, providing low budget performance like few other cars in Australia, the best aspect of the chassis has to be the brakes. Measuring 278mm at the front and 253 at the rear, they must have super-genuine brake pads or something because they're best described as awe inspiring. They decelerate the car with an alacrity rarely seen in this segment,with a stiff pedal and instant instant bite from the calipers. They won't survive fade free after a day of severe punishment but they do a stellar job of slowing the Fiesta XR4's 1090kg mass.

While some of the XR4's rivals have a stronger mid-range punch and can accelerate with more gusto, under brakes is when you're most likely to catch these rivals, such as the Volkswagen Polo GTI, Mini Cooper, and Suzuki Swift Sport.

It's also got a reassuring stability control system, called DSC (dynamic stability control) which means that it's a safer car in everyday conditions, and that enthusiasts can still push the limits on damp roads. The system works relatively unobtrusively, and in combination with ABS gives you more confidence to explore the cars performance boundaries. Six airbags are also very nice.

When circumstances call for more sedate driving, such as on the way to work, or perhaps to the local footy oval on a Saturday arvo, the Fiesta is no trouble at all. Unlike some jazzed up performance cars that lose their ease of use, the Ford Fiesta XR4 is easy to drive, and simple to park. I wouldn't call it "luxuriously supple" because the ride quality can be harsh and a lack of cruise control can frustrate, but overall it's a good A to B driver.

I didn't find that existing with this car on an everyday basis was too difficult and though the ride quality won't please everyone it's not as harsh as say a Mitsubishi Evolution or a Nissan 350Z, and once you acclimatise to the 5-speed manual and light clutch you can snick in and out of gears with your eyes closed (though we don't recommend you try this).

It's an easy car to drive in the city thanks to it's small size, and parking it in tight spots is child's play: it measures less than 4.0 metres in length and is just 1.68 metres wide. While you sacrifice boot space driving such a tiny car, there are advantages to driving a miniature car and because it has very short front and rear overhangs you'll rarely scratch the bodywork on obstacles when judging distances. 

The view from the drivers seat is pretty good, somewhat sporty, and suits the rest of the car's speedy design. And if you get a blue or a white XR4, sections of the dash are coloured blue not unlike a custom car. Nice. 

The instrument dials look decent and have a larger than normal font size, and things like the alloy wheels and leather sports seats ensure that this vehicle will not be confused with your everyday runabouts. Thedashboard design is nice too with integrated circular air vents, though I do think the centre console looks a bit cheap. It's not half as pretty as the XR5 Turbo, though it does get a 6-disc CD system which is good.

Oh, and the horn is distressingly lame. It's sounds more like a chook dying that a "get out of the way" or "you foolhardy dolt" warning sound. My advice would be to upgrade it to an airhorn with its own generator.

After walking a circle around the new Fiesta XR4 it's safe to say that the car communicates its performance car nature (though if you add the body stripes it becomes bleedingly obvious). The multispoke 17-inch racing wheels look huge on this dwarven vehicle, and extras like the roof spoiler, body kit and low ride height all contribute to the cars stand-out styling. It's a pocket racer by any measure you care to employ.

In Australia Ford is universally known for it's large cars. The Falcon and Territory are the Blue Oval standard bearers in this country. But Australia's third largest automaker is quickly developing an impressive stable of small cars. The Focus range is one of the most comprehensive on the market, and now the Fiesta has very competitive halo model will both build awareness of the range, and contribute hard-earned street cred.

Overall: 4/5

There's a lot to like about this car and value for money is up there at the top of the list. Forget the engine and chassis tweaks, the fancy wheels and tricked out body kit for a moment and see what the $25k price tag buys you: a German designed and built car, airbags galore, stability control, 6-stack CD stereo, leather seats, and plenty more besides.

The engine needs more torque for the Fiesta XR4 to be a real contender in the straight line blitz, I make no qualms about that, but in terms of handling, agility, and chassis balance this Ford resides way over there, in the upper echelons of the performance hatchback segment. Grip levels are top notch as the Italian tyres feel like talons digging into the road, the steering is well weighted with good feedback, the suspension keeps body roll at bay and ensures the XR4's attitude through corners is always positive. And the brakes? I could write a thesis on the brake pedal feel alone...

If you're an XR fan on a budget, the Fiesta XR4 is a good news gift. Not just a bold design, it's is a very impressive little performance car. The engine leaves a little to be desired and would benefit from a few extra dollops of torque, but the chassis is class leading. It won't win any land-speed records, but it will win respect with its superb chassis and tenacious character. 

The Fiesta XR4 represents surprisingly good value and is a real credit to the XR brand.