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Ford Fiesta Active Review

Sam Worth
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What's good?

– Gets a banging sound system
– Can tackle light off-road environments better than a standard Fiesta

What's bad?

– Expensive

What's the score?

6/10

Overview

The Active range was introduced to the Fiesta in 2016 and gives the Fiesta the capability of dealing with rough terrain environments. It’s a crossover SUV inspired car, however, it doesn’t mean you can take it proper ‘off-roading’, as I can bet you a fiver, you’ll get stuck.

It’s just a Fiesta with a rugged body kit, giving it a rufty-tufty look. Yeah, I thought the same. It just doesn’t quite add up, does it? Apart from the plastic wheel arches, it sits 18mm higher than a standard Fiesta, with either 17-inch or 18-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels, depending on what model you have. There’s silver or black roof rails, again, depending on the model. There’s also a black vinyl matte wrap which goes around the rear number plate. I’m not too sure on it, but it suits the rest of the car’s look, I guess…

At the time I filmed my review, there was the Active 1, Active B&O and the Active X. Since then, it has changed. There’s now only two Active models, the Active Edition, which starts at £20,480, and the Active Edition X, starting at £22,545. Both Active models come in a five-door body style only, making it more practical as it’s more of a ready-to-go type Fiesta.

Drive

The Active Edition gets the 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost 94bhp and a 1.5-litre TDCI 84bhp, both equipped with a six-speed manual only. If you want more power you can get a 1.0-litre EcoBoost mild-hybrid with either 123bhp or 153bhp, again, with the six-speed manual. While the Active Edition X offers the same engines, except the non-mild-hybrid 1.0-litre EcoBoost gets 123bhp and it’s only available with a seven-speed auto.

At the time, the Active B&O I tested came with the EcoBoost 100bhp, which was the same engine in the Titanium I reviewed, too. The same scenario goes for that, it feels powerful enough if you don’t have a heavy right foot. But I’d recommend the EcoBoost mild-hybrid 123bhp.

The Active range comes with three selectable driving modes, Normal, Eco, and Slippery. Normal is, well, normal. Eco mode is for saving fuel, making the throttle less responsive. Whereas Slippery mode is a slightly different board game. Before you ask, no. No, it doesn’t mean the car does skids, J-turns, or makes drifting easier. It’s more sensible than that. Slippery mode adjusts the ESC and Traction Control to avoid wheel spins. Meaning you get more traction on slippery surfaces. Boring.

You can feel the power hesitating in Slippery mode on a loose-surfaced area. It handles well on rough terrain surfaces – for a Fiesta anyway. Although if you want more fun, just leave it in Normal mode, honesty. The ride is only a bit more comfortable than a standard Fiesta, thanks to its raised suspension. Otherwise, it feels like any other Fiesta on the road, a decent drive with precise steering.

Interior

The Active B&O gets black headlining, a 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen and an 8-inch touch screen with Ford’s Sync 3 system which has DAB, USB, Bluetooth, Sat Nav, and Wi-Fi hotspot. Plus, it also has traffic sign recognition, auto high beam, driver alert, keyless entry and start, partial leather seats, electronic climate control system and mixture of orange and carbon fibre effect trims.

But most importantly, most importantly…the sound system. If you watch my review, you’ll hear a brief sound demonstration. It gets a Bang & Olufsen surround sound system delivering 675W, with a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz. That’s coming from 10 speakers and a digital sound processor. In the boot there’s 292-litres with both rear seats up and 1,093-litres with them down, as a 60/40 split.

Verdict

So, at the end of the day, we have a Fiesta that’s on steroids to give it the ability to handle light off-road surfaces. The body sits higher, meaning the older-aged customers will find getting in and out of it slightly easier.

But at the same time, an utterly pointless Fiesta. I’m sorry, but is anyone going to take their Fiesta through a bit of mud? No. The most off-roading a Fiesta will ever see is, well, it never will – unless you include going through a puddle in a Sainsbury’s car park. Save your money and look at the Titanium or ST-Line Edition models, which are cheaper, come with the same amount of tech and look much better.