Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.25 3dr Pre-Model Car Review - March 2012

The Fiesta's 1.25-litre petrol engine develops 81bhp and 84lb-ft of torque. This translates into a 0-62mph time of 13.3 seconds and a top speed of 104mph. The performance figures are hardly astounding, even for a supermini, but the Fiesta feels nippier than the figures suggest.

The chassis is fantastic and the Fiesta handles well, offering both comfort and grip. Ford really do have a knack for making family cars which are genuinely good to drive and the Fiesta is a fine example of this.

The Fiesta is a great looking car and the alloy wheels that come as standard on this model help to give the Zetec a premium image. For an extra £495, customers can also opt for metallic paint, which not only makes the car look better but should also help resale values.

Other equipment fitted as standard includes air-con, electric door mirrors and front windows, and a CD player with MP3 connectivity. Options include Bluetooth (£175), an alarm (£100) and rear parking sensors (£275).

Driver, passenger and side airbags are all included as standard and the Fiesta scored the full five stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests.

There's plenty of space in the boot, with 295-litres of space available with the rear seats up and 979-litres on offer with the seats folded flat. On the downside, other cars in this class do offer more rear passenger space, but three average-sized people will still fit in the back of the Fiesta without too much discomfort.

The three door body does make access to the rear seats a little tricky - if you're going to be using the Fiesta as a family car, you'd be well advised to go for the five door option.

The car is covered under warranty for up to 60,000 miles or three years.

At £12,345, the Fiesta Zetec 1.25 is competitively priced. It is relatively efficient, returning 50.4mpg on the combined cycle and emitting 129g/km of CO2. However, the diesel models in the range vastly outperform this model in terms of economy and if you're looking for rock-bottom running costs, they offer a much more appealing proposition.