(Photo by ANJO PEREZ)

Quiet comfort – that’s the first thing that I noted when I took the wheel of the Ford Fiesta over a 70-km route in the first leg of the media test drive in the beautiful island of Phuket, Thailand.

Next, was space; this small car had big-car comfort. With my partner, Anjo Perez, in the car with me, our shoulders had much room to keep our private space. Personal stuff did not mix; they were holstered into neat door pockets that could swallow a 1.5-liter beverage bottle and several maps. Between us, deep storage bins held on to reading glasses, snacks, tissue – and my small backpack! We were in a cleverly-designed space that complimented – the Fiesta is no ordinary small car!

After I got used to driving on the right-hand- side-of-the-car trying not to be overtaken by everyone doing more than 120kph, the 1.6-liter engine with the new PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission presented the power of this car to seduce the Filipino buyers. This new transmission, usually found in larger, more expensive vehicles, combines the performance and fuel economy of a manual with the convenience of an automatic. According to the Ford engineers, compared to traditional four-speed automatics, PowerShift can reduce fuel consumption by up to nine percent. That’s because “an exclusive feature incorporated into the transmission is Neutral Coast Down, which disengages the clutches when brakes are applied, improving coasting downshifts and boosting fuel efficiency.”

After that, I finally felt comfortable enough to enjoy the car, starting with the Voice Control technology paired with Bluetooth. It’s a feature that the techie-buyers will enjoy but which women in my generation will feel closer to. Imagine actually talking to your car, ordering the system to make and receive calls (from the directory in your mobile phone). In the mood for entertainment, talk to the system – tell it to change the radio station from FM to AM, or direct it to go to your CD Player and to choose a track – and the music comes to you through the six-speaker sound system. You feel warm, or cold? Your voice can order the “Climate” to drop or rise to a certain degree. It’s an entertaining feature that connects you to your car! (For more entertainment options, all the Fiesta models are equipped with MP3 and AUX input connections for your personal devices.)

Should you be interested in a running conversation with your passenger, “quiet” is what you will find in the new Fiesta cabin. When the Ford engineer earlier explained their attention to the details that have taken noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) into account – I didn’t think that small car really meant it. The Ford engineers credited that to many details like the use of “exclusive, specially-laminated windshield, a hood blanket which keeps a lid on engine noise and double door seals to help reduce wind noise.”

Aside from ensuring safety, the Fiesta’s rigid body structure has also contributed to make the car cruise quietly. “More than 55 percent of the structure uses high-strength steel with ultra-strong boron steel reinforcing several key points,” its engineers explained.

Other safety features of the Fiesta are an anti-lock braking (ABS) system with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) which is standard in the entire Fiesta range.

A remarkable safety feature that can increase the confidence of absent-minded drivers is the Hill Launch Assist which will keep the car still on an incline for three seconds, without the use of the handbrake. That is enough time to prevent the vehicle from rolling back, especially when a driver turns absent-minded. Brake pressure is maintained until the engine delivers enough torque to move the vehicle up the hill.

Another significant detail of the new Fiesta is its style. You will always like driving a car that looks good and waves an image. The new Ford Fiesta carries kinetic design features which balances smooth lines and bold graphics – creating “energy in motion.”

On the front grille a large centered blue oval Ford badge announces the pedigree of this small car. Chrome and highlights are used to convey elegance. Sleek wraparound headlamps sweep back sharply, and at the side, muscular wheel lips state a sporty road presence. From that side, the Fiesta looks “like a sprinter ready to spring out of the starting line.” At the rear, design elements like the low roofline, rear glass area and tail lamps accentuate the athletic build of the Fiesta.

The new Ford Fiesta is available in three models: Style, Trend and Sport, in both sedan and hatchback models.

Style models are equipped with a 1.4-liter engine, either with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Five-door hatchback models feature a standard four-speed automatic transmission.

Trend and Sport models are equipped with a 1.6-liter Twin independent-Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) engine, with the new six-speed PowerShift automatic transmission as standard. Both models are equipped with Ford’s Electronic Stability Program and Hill Launch Assist as standard equipment.

The new Ford Fiesta will be available in the Philippines early October at the following prices: 1.4-liter manual Style sedan, P670,000; 1.4-liter manual Trend hatchback and sedan, P685,000; 1.6-liter PowerShift Trend hatchback and sedan, P766,000; and 1.6-liter PowerShift hatch with voice control features, P816,000.