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Now it isn't often I get to do a car review, and when I saw this car I screamed ''IS THAT AN ECOBOOST RED EDITION??'' out the 911 window in the middle of Chester! To which a puzzled young lad said ''um, yes.'' and my immediate response was ''MATE !!! I NEED TO DRIVE THAT CAR !! PLEASE !! NOW !!'' and all sensibility left my brain because a queue of traffic didn't know whether to beep because the lights were green, or watch what they probably thought was a screaming match between two angry motorists!
Nonetheless, he actually agreed and we pulled over on Brook Street to have a quick chat about his car. If you know me personally, you will know I love these cars, and don't think I will tire of them. I love the Fiesta ST180's, but they've gotten a bit of a bad rep because of how they're usually careered through 30mph zones! There is a word for people like that - but I do my best not to swear in these reviews. Before I 'talk' you to death - have a nosey at these images. 
What puzzles me is how Peugeot managed to make a 1.0 Litre 3-Cylinder Motor manage 120mph without falling apart! The engine block is around the same size as a sheet of A4 paper! These engines are everywhere now - utilizing modern Direct Injection - they are probably one of the most economical engines we have ever seen. Place that in the chassis of an ST180 and what do you get...? A mini turbocharged go-kart with the cornering ability... of a go-kart!
I love the modern feel of these cars. Currently nursing a hot mug of tea I'm undecided which I prefer, the Fiesta MK7 or Suzuki Swift Sport 2006+ that I drove yesterday. Both cracking little Hatchbacks and good in their own way. My reviews have a 'quad' section highlighting what I think is important to look for when buying a new or used vehicle - lets get on with it! The Chassis Amazing! I stole that word from a lad called Matt Baskerville though he says it better than me. It really is an amazing feat and not a chassis to be taken lightly. Get this thing on some B-Roads and you'll be wondering where the hell this 1.0 Litre has gone. It takes corners with ease - and then some! The car sticks to the road very easily on its Continental 'Sport' Tyres from factory. You get a faster warm up on Continental rubber, and they wont wear as quickly because of the lower torque output. I think this is a winner, ever since driving an ST180 two years ago I have been in awe of how these chassis have been put together. The Body Perfect lines, I think this has been designed very well. We had a 2016 Ford Fiesta Ecoboost 1.0 visit last weekend for Remapping, and I wanted that as well! I love the spoiler - any Hatchback that doesn't have a spoiler just isn't playing fair. Its a must have for a Hot Hatch. The side skirts seem to mould seamlessly into the front bumper. They have designed a car that doesn't need any extra mods. It doesn't need a front splitter, or spoiler, or anything. Its all good to 'go' from the factory! The Throttle Surprisingly responsive. I hadn't driven the 140hp model before, and it wasn't bad on pick up. We chose some back roads around Saltney then chucked it around a couple of roundabouts (much to the owners horror) but I needed to get it out of my system. These cars are amazing! I could tell it wasn't running Premium Fuel - they do hold back when you run them on cheaper petrol to protect themselves, so I would advise keeping it on Tesco Momentum or BP Ultimate for 100% enjoyment. Nevertheless it still pulled through the gears well and I enjoyed myself. The Exhaust Not much of a nuiscance, being a 1.0 Litre Motor, but that's fine by me! I wasn't expecting to hear any grunts, burbles or pops from this car. It wasn't designed for any of that. This is a perfect 'around town' car that can just as easily be enjoyed on a longer journey. Exhaust 'notes' can be respectfully left out of this review. What a nice start to my day. I 'spotted' a decent motor, was allowed to jump in the driver's seat, nipped to the Car Wash, took it for a blast and he didn't even want any petrol after wasting a good hour of his life. Many thanks to Jack for the loan of his car - really appreciated it buddy! Nicholas Lawrence //ON CARS email-> nick@on-cars.com |
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