Earlier this week, Ford let us pickup an all-new 5-door 2010 Ford Fiesta for a one-night-stand. Excited, we drove up together to NYC and drove the Fiesta back to our home-base and prepared to film a video review the next day. While we had to get the Fiesta back to Ford by 10 a.m. the next morning, we spent as much as time as we could with Ford’s first global vehicle.

Unfortunately, the rain killed our original plans to film a thorough video review of the Fiesta. Nonetheless, the Squeeze Green Fiesta (that’s what our keychain said) was just screaming to be driven when we pulled into the parking lot on gloomy Tuesday morning. So without further ado, here is our test-drive, first-drive, review or whatever you want to call it, of the 2010 Ford Fiesta.

The new 2010 Ford Fiesta is lighter, faster and more efficient than its predecessor and looks much better than the previous models. We almost want to say that the new Fiesta is the Mondeo for those looking at an entry-level Ford. At this point you can say that Fiesta has scared the heck out of its rivals and is the best car in it class… yada yada yada… but look a little closer and you’ll see there is more to the Fiesta than just a good-looking subcompact car.

Make the leap to read more and view the high-res image gallery and to see our video review.

First Drive: 2010 Ford Fiesta:

Exterior:

“We have a kinetic family look now – each individual, yet instantly identifiable as part of the new generation of Ford vehicles,” says Ford of Europe’s Executive Director of Design, Martin Smith. Based on the Ford Verve concept, the new 2010 Fiesta drops its boring looks for a more aggressive, young and fun Ford kinetic design theme. Whether you purchase the Fiesta in a 5-door or 3-door configuration, the Fiesta is sure to attract quite a bit of attention. From the front to rear, the new Fiesta demands presence with a sloping A-pillar that sets it apart from rivals such as the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and the Nissan Versa. What many have come to known as Ford’s dullest car, the 2010 Fiesta has completely broken the mold with its bold exterior design.

Interior:

Open the door, and right away you’ll notice that Ford put a lot of hard work into making sure the Fiesta has a solid, quality build. Ford says the center-console was inspired by cell-phones and once you get in one you’ll see exactly what we mean. However, instead of the cell-phone inspired interior design, it’s the list of features and options the Fiesta comes with that steal all of your attention. Yes, it’s got Bluetooth connectivity, an iPod/MP3 USB connector, satellite radio and basically every feature that seem to have become the “things to offer” in every other car.

But for a subcompact car, the Fiesta takes it even further with little features that you probably wouldn’t expect to find at first. There is the FordKeyFree System that allows you to get in and out of the Fiesta with a mere touch of a button on the door handle and allows you to start the car without inserting the key in the ignition with the FordPower Starter button. Switching lanes is easier with a new indicator that you can push halfway down which allows the turn-indicators to flash three times – a feature mostly found on German luxury cars. It’s got rain-sensing wipers, park assist, power-fold side-view mirrors with integrated indicators and heated seats. The Voice Control feature works seamlessly and picks up about everything you want to do in your Fiesta without using your hands (we tried things such as defrost on, radio and phone commands). Not to mention the Voice Control has a fairly attractive British female voice that made us feel like James Bond for a split second. Another Fiesta feature that wowed us was the four-level height adjustment for the fog-lamps. The point is, the Fiesta may feel like a small car, but with really big car luxury equipment.

Performance:

Our Fiesta was powered by a 1.6L 4-cylinder engine making close to 120-hp. That will get you from 0 to 60 mph in a boring (about) 10 seconds with a top speed of 120 mph. So it’s not that fast – however, it does feel like a bigger and more sophisticated car when compared to rivals such as the Honda Fit. At high-speeds, the Fiesta feels sharp and nimble and fairly quick. Fuel-economy figures for the stateside have yet to be released but the Euro 1.6L 4-cylinder petrol version returns a combined fuel-economy of 47.9 mpg which converts to 40 mpg in U.S. terms.

Overall:

What didn’t we like about the Fiesta? Rear-seat legroom. One bystander kept asking us why Ford even bothered with a five-door variant and all we could do was show him how uncomfortable 3 adults would be sitting in the back of the Fiesta. Nonetheless, the 2010 Fiesta is the perfect car for young trendsetters, commuters and city folks.

The 2010 Ford Fiesta will arrive in U.S. Ford dealerships in the summer of 2010. Pricing has yet to be announced but expect it to be competitive with the other vehicles in its class.

First Drive: 2010 Ford Fiesta:

Video: First Drive: 2010 Ford Fiesta:

- By: Omar Rana