The Fiesta offers a pair of engines, a standard 1.6-liter Ti-VCT 4-cylinder with 120 hp and 112 lb-ft of torque, and the surprising 1.0-liter 3-cylinder EcoBoost that’s available in SE models with 123 hp and 125 lb-ft of torque. Transmission is a standard 5-speed manual or 6-speed PowerShift dual-clutch automatic. The EcoBoost models are manual-only, and the Fiesta ST powertrain is a turbocharged version of the 1.6-liter 4-cylinder that generates 197 hp and 202 lb-ft of torque and is paired with a 6-speed manual transmission.
The Fiesta I drove was an SE with the EcoBoost 3-cylinder. Even without being an ST trim, the handling is confident, with a direct feel and well-controlled ride. It’s often hard to tune a light, small car to soak up bumps with the grace of a heavier, less-efficient vehicle, but the Fiesta feels tremendously stout. In the past, a 3-cylinder engine was the domain of tractors and power equipment, and the few cars that dared run a triple weren’t always taken seriously. Boy, have times changed.
The Fiesta EcoBoost elevates the game of the 3-cylinder. It’s smooth and quiet to the point that you’d never guess there was anything unusual under the hood. In fact, this 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine has been honored with the International Engine of the Year award, and it’s the biggest surprise here.
The 1.0-liter EcoBoost is well-balanced, but it’s not because of a typical balance shaft that would rob both power and efficiency. Ford’s approach sounds improbable: The flywheel and crankshaft pulley are effectively counterweights, and engineers have managed the rest of the vibration with engine mounts that have been carefully tuned and placed. From an engine that’s more than a half-liter smaller than the 1.6-liter 4-cylinder other Fiesta models carry, you get 123 hp and 125 lb-ft of torque—that’s a 3-hp advantage over the 4-cylinder’s 120 hp, and noticeably more torque than the four's 112 lb-ft.
The numbers that look good on paper are even better in practice. Out on the street, the torque comes on early, peaking at just 2,500 rpm, and sticks around. The power delivery is reminiscent of a small turbodiesel, and if this is what we have to put up with for reduced emissions and EPA-estimated fuel economy of 31 mpg city/43 highway, the future looks bright. The power level is satisfying, no matter how big or small the engine actually is, and when the engine is on boost, which is often, the powertrain is responsive. There is some turbo lag, which will probably be noticeable, because the EcoBoost engine is available only with a 5-speed manual transmission.
At first, that sounds like a plus, especially for an enthusiast. Tiny turbo engine, the freedom to shift your own gears, and a solid little chassis—what could go wrong? The Fiesta’s shift linkage, for one. It’s a sloppy, vague shifter that feels cheap and reminded me of something 25 years old with a lot of miles on it. Once you get the hang of finding the gears, it’s better, and the clutch is light and fairly linear, but it felt like I was shifting a city bus at first. The transmission is loud, too. It’s been a long time since I have heard a manual gearbox “sing” like the one in the Fiesta. Every manual-transmission Fiesta does it, but it’s another aspect of the powertrain that chips away at an otherwise stellar small-car experience.
I didn’t expect the Fiesta to be Rolls-Royce quiet, but with the transmission and tire noise added to the normal racket of driving and the occasional snarl from the engine, there’s a lot of auditory stimulation.