Best Small Car

The five-door, 1.6-litre, five-speed manual petrol Ford Fiesta LX, the latest iteration of Ford’s volume-seller among the range, is dearer than the Mazda2 Neo, Toyota Yaris YRS, Honda Jazz 1.3 GLi, Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Getz SX.

But dollars aren’t everything and, in many other aspects, the challenger in the blue (oval) corner equals or outpoints the best of its classy opposition.

Interior space is about as good as it gets in a car of this size, and Fiesta stands out in the comfort stakes.

There’s an accommodating boot, while judges were impressed with the redesign of what were already user-friendly ergonomics.

Performance wise, it’s a little powerhouse. Where many others run out of puff, Fiesta continues to pull away convincingly in fourth and fifth gears.

It also impresses with crisp, fast steering and firm but compliant damping that eases out all but the most aggressive back-road bumps.

The Fiesta LX is such an entertaining and rewarding drive that a Sport badge would not be out of place on its rump. And bigger section tyres enhance braking ability, ensuring it has the ‘whoa’ to match the ‘go’.

One caution though: buyers taking up the four-speed automatic option ($1500) should note that, in this mode, Fiesta comes with a 1.4-litre engine, not the accomplished 1.6-litre unit available with the standard manual gearbox.