New Ford Fiesta - One World One Vision

Ford launched the Fiesta way back in 1976 to an expectant nation. Announcing it as "Ford's New Baby" this was the year in which we were experiencing our driest summer on record and punk was sweeping the nation.

Thirty-two years later an incredible 12 million Fiestas have been sold making them about as common as a cold. Whilst some may have raised an eyebrow at owning a small car for the masses the rest of us who needed a cheap way of getting from A to B simply kept on buying them.

For years this seemed a never ending process with Ford simply having to restyle the front and give us a few more ashtrays every now and then and we were all like the proverbial pigs in you know what.

Gradually though we have all become rather more discerning and now demand that the car is more akin to a mobile arm chair and packed full of the latest gadgets and safety features to keep us in the cosseted world we have rapidly grown accustomed to.

As a result the launch of the all new Ford Fiesta was eagerly awaited by many and first impressions would indicate that we will not be disappointed.

The new Fiesta does look bigger than its predecessor although perversely it is 40kg lighter. Its new platform is similar to the Mazda 2 and Ford's kinetic design strategy is very much in evidence here. The sleek headlights are eye catching and the body rises as smoothly as the roof line falls.

The interior simply oozes quality and style and is extremely well constructed which is understandable as a large part of the assembly is carried out in Ford's Cologne plant in Germany

The Fiesta is packed with the latest technology such as keyless entry and Bluetooth compatibility and it will also play MP3 files through the stereo. Another clever innovation is Ford's "smartfuel" system which means that you don't get your hands messy when refuelling and more importantly it is impossible to put the wrong fuel type in the car, a feature for the ladies eh lads! Just kidding, apparently around half a million people a year in the UK still put the wrong fuel in their vehicle with costly results.

Safety is almost taken for granted these days and the Fiesta scores highly again with a five star Euro NCAP rating, there's even an airbag for your poor old knee.

The range of engines is impressive although petrol heads will have to wait for an ST version to arrive but those with a conscience will appreciate the ultra Co2 efficient Econetic diesel which will be exempt from UK road tax.

Ford are remarkably quick to adapt to market trends and have high hopes for the car world wide especially in North America where the suggestion of marketing a car this size only a couple of years ago would have had them reaching for the straight jackets, how times have changed. As a result there is a lot resting on this little car notably Ford's success as a major manufacturer but I believe they have got the Fiesta just right.

The Fiesta even manages to retain its status as being cool despite being driven through a shopping centre and into the sea from the back of a troop carrier by that prat Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear. No doubt Ford had to agree to this treatment to satisfy his enormous ego but at least he was uncommonly complimentary about the car despite it costing less than a gazillion quid as he would put it.

One fact you have to accept when you buy a new Ford though is that in a room somewhere in Europe a group of earnest young men are already working on its replacement but if you can live with this you're onto a winner.