It may have the same compact footprint but the all-new Fiesta has improved space, better specification greater safety and really smart Kinetic styling.

It will meet the demands of a huge range of customers and will be a serious proposition for UK customers considering down-sizing. These people want the looks, the feel and the specification of a larger car but in a smaller package at lower prices.

Prices range from £8,695 up to £13,695 and a long list of extra cost options, not necessarily needed, will push the prices higher and it will cost an extra £300 for the Electronic Stability Programme which should be fitted as standard.

When I counted up the number of models in the all new Fiesta range which make their debut in UK dealerships in October there are 40 different variants to choose from. These are made up of three and five-door versions and sales are traditionally split 50/50 between the two body styles.

There are revised or new four petrol and two diesel engine options. The petrol engines are expected main selling 1.25-litre 60PS and 82PS units plus the 1.4-litre 96PS engine and the all-new 1.6-litre 120PS powerplant. The TDCi diesel engines are 1.4-litre 68PS and a 1.6-litre 90PS units. In addition there are the three and five-door 1.6-litre TDCi ECOnetic thrifty fuel and CO2 saving variants. Manual and automatic transmissions are also in the line-up. Not all engines are offered with each specification.

Studio specification is the headline grabbing starter price at £8,695 but it is expected that only two per cent of all-new Fiesta sales will be for this specification. It is offered only in three door body form with 1.25-litre petrol and 1.4-litre TDCi engine options but has body coloured bumpers, Intelligent Protection System, reach and rake-adjustable steering and power mirrors as standard.

Style specification from £9,295 adds body coloured, powered and heated door mirrors, electric front windows and remote central locking.  A bright headlamp finish completes its stylish exterior.  

Style + from £10,395 adds the comfort and convenience of air conditioning and Quickclear windscreen.

Anticipated to account for 50pc of all-new Fiesta sales, Style and Style + offer a choice of engines including 1.25 and 1-4-litre Duratec petrol with a choice of power outputs.

Zetec S from £12,595 has subtle sports styling additions, including five-spoke, 16-inch alloy wheels, projector headlamps, front fog lamps, sports spoiler and bumper skirts. 

This theme is continued on the inside with a leather steering wheel, unique sports gear knob and sports seats creating a focused driving environment. Standard equipment adds a trip computer, side airbags and air conditioning.

The Zetec S has the all-new 1.6-litre, 120PS Duratec Ti-VCT petrol engine, but will also be available with the 1.6-litre 90PS TDCi turbodiesel engine.

Zetec from £10,995 and Titanium from £12,095 have a ‘premium’ look and feel, with chrome surround to the grille and side windows, front fog lamps, leather steering wheel and air conditioning. Zetec adds a traditional luxury feel with chrome, finished with 15-inch alloy wheels and projector headlamps, while Titanium brings a contemporary look to this equipment level with higher contrast materials, such as dark gloss surfaces and bright metal accents.

Both models offer a broad spectrum of engines, with Duratec petrols available in 1.25, 1.4 and 1.6-litre and Duratorq TDCi diesels in either 1.4 or 1.6-litre, with a choice of power outputs.

ECOnetic versions are priced from £11,845 and use a 1.6-litre TDCi turbodiesel unit tuned for economy, lowered suspension and low rolling resistance tyres to achieve low emissions of 98g/km making it exempt from the UK road fund duty.

Inside it looks and feels the same. A nice combination of textures and materials and the upper centre console Ford is very proud off. It takes on the design of a mobile phone and all the functions are quite logical once you have taken a few minutes to find your way around the system.
On the down-side the folding rear seats do not quite fold flat, the back of the rear seats is metal rather than having a carpet covering and there is no front passenger’s side roof grab handle. 

The boot capacity is a reasonable 295-litres if you choose to have the car with a puncture repair kit or 281-litres with the no cost option spare wheel fitted. With the rear seat folded there is up to 979-litres of cargo space.

The new all-electric power steering is perfectly weighted, precise and gives good feedback. It is light at low speeds and gets heavier the faster the car is driven. The suspension is first rate and has been redesigned to give a big-car capability of ironing out bumps potholes and tarmac ripples.

Grip is generally superb although there is some bodyroll in the tyre walls from the skinnier section tyres. The larger wheels and wider tyres offered by the more up-range models perform better.   

Lighter in weight but stronger and with a stiffer body feels and looks a much improved car and you can bet it will be near, or at, the top of all the Car of the Year awards and competitions.  

The overall styling whether it is three or five-door with its rising waistline giving it an aerodynamic wedge shape with a mixture of Kinetic muscular and angular styling lines makes the new Fiesta look larger than the outgoing version even though the overall length is more or less the same at 3,958mm. 

It really is a very pleasing modern car to look at and quite distinctive. Better still it looks expensive and upmarket. The three-door models look sportier but the five-door models are in real life more practical.

During the international press launch test drive in Italy we had the chance to sample just two of the engines on offer. The all new 1.6-litre, 120PS petrol unit and the 1.6-litre 90PS TDCi diesel unit.   To get our hands on the likely best selling 1.25 82PS petrol engine and others we will have to wait until the cars arrive in the UK.

In brief the new 1.6-litre petrol engine is a willing unit, free revving and being low geared generally very responsive and good to drive at low speeds in town traffic for instance. Maximum torque is 152Nm at 4,050 so it needs to be worked hard to get the best out of it on the open road. 

Under test this engine returned 31.7mpg. I think the likely best selling 1.25-litre petrol unit will feel a bit ‘weedy’ compared to this unit.

Pick of the two engines on this occasion, and I suspect overall, is the 1.6-litre 90PS TDCi turbodiesel unit. Although the power output is less than the 1.6 petrol unit, the 204Nm of torque from 1,750 rpm makes it very flexible, responsive and overall a nicer model to drive and it returned 51.6mpg during some fairly hard driving.

It would be my choice as would the five-door body style, probably with the best selling Zetec specification.

Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi 90 Zetec.

Engine: 1.6-litre four cylinder TDCi common rail turbodiesel, 90PS and 204Nm, of torque from 1,750rpm.

Performance: 109mph, 0-62mph 11.9 seconds, 67.3mpg (51.6mpg actual),

For: Great looks, big car feel and ride comfort, surefooted handling, great to drive, well designed interior, excellent fuel economy, low CO2 emissions, cheap road tax and lower insurance costs, good price.