Budget-Beating Fuel Economy with Frugal Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCi

Fuel prices are currently at the highest-ever levels in South Africa, placing enormous pressure on the disposable income of motorists across the country. Fortunately, Ford has a solution to beat the budget blues – and it comes in the form of the frisky yet frugal Fiesta 1.5 TDCi which we were lucky enough to spend some time with last week during their #GoYourWay challenge (be sure to follow the hashtag on both Twitter and Instagram).

The latest-generation, all-new Ford Fiesta was launched in South Africa in May this year, and has proudly continued the previous model’s peerless reputation for outstanding driving dynamics, matched to even higher levels of quality and high-tech features.

However, it’s the fuel-sipping nature of the Fiesta 1.5 TDCi that makes it really stand out as the budget-beating choice for drivers that demand low running costs and infrequent visits to their local filling station.

Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCi Trend facts:

The Fiesta is powered by a 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine that delivers a peak power output of 63kW, but it’s the maximum torque of 175Nm that really stands out. This is the ideal engine speed range to gain the optimal fuel efficiency, whether negotiating city traffic or hitting the highway.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, complemented by a gearshift indicator in the instrument cluster that advises the driver of the ideal point to select the next gear – based on accelerator position and engine speed – which helps reduce fuel consumption.

An Eco mode is available that adjusts engine and throttle settings to help drivers save even more fuel, while underbody aerodynamic shielding further reduces aero drag.

Based on the industry-standard EU test cycle, this enables the Fiesta 1.5 TDCi Trend to achieve a combined city and urban fuel consumption of as low as 3.3 litres per 100km*, linked to an eco-friendly CO₂ emissions rating of just 84 g/km*.

How did they get to this figure? The New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), or EU test as it’s commonly known, is done in a laboratory environment using a computer-controlled roller test bench to evaluate a vehicle’s fuel consumption and emissions, simulating urban (city) and extra-urban (country) driving conditions. The combined cycle figures are calculated based on the vehicle’s total fuel consumption over a test distance of 10.9km. Although the EU test may not reflect the real-world driving conditions experienced by many motorists, it allows direct fuel consumption and emissions comparisons to be drawn between vehicles evaluated according to the same test standard.

Realistically, if driven with a careful right foot, the Fiesta TDCi is entirely capable of covering anywhere from 750km to over 900km per 42-litre tank of diesel*, making it a true budget-beater. Despite its frugal consumption, it’s certainly no slow coach, and is capable of scampering from standstill to 100km/h in 12.5 seconds, with a top speed of 175km/h.

Contributing to its impressively low overall cost of ownership, the entire Fiesta range comes standard with Ford Protect, comprising a four-year/60 000km service plan with 15 000km service intervals. This is backed up by a four-year/120 000km comprehensive warranty, three-year/unlimited distance roadside assistance and five-year/unlimited km corrosion warranty.

Available exclusively in Trend specification, the Fiesta 1.5 TDCi comes with a raft of great features such as 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights with cornering lamps, daytime running lights with automatic headlamp activation, electrically operated heated mirrors, power windows all round with one-touch operation, as well as remote central locking.

Ford’s innovative SYNC^®3 infotainment system is linked to a 6.5-inch colour touch screen, which provides access to the radio, CD player, six speakers and dual USB ports with multimedia access and charging functionality, Bluetooth connectivity and access to an extensive range of voice-activated commands for the communication and entertainment features, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Remote audio controls are mounted on the steering wheel for added convenience and driving safety.

The Fiesta is equipped with a total of six airbags, ABS brakes with Emergency Brake Assistance (EBA), Emergency Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Hill Launch Assist (HLA) and electronic stability and traction control to deliver a high level of active driving safety. A parking aid with integrated rear sensors takes the hassle out of reverse parking manoeuvres.

The Fiesta 1.5 TDCI Trend 6MT is priced at R300 900 (including Vat).

Special thanks to Ford South Africa for the fantastic experience.

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Posted By

Thabiso Moloi

Thabiso has had exposure to a fair bit of different things over the years and as a result he has grown a keen liking to most things under the sun including sports, gadgets, movies etc. He's therefore someone you can't put into a box, he prefers it that way and believes in the notion of life is too short to be predictable. You can find him on Twitter: @Thabz_14