First Drive: The Ford Fiesta Active stands out in a busy compact crossover market

What is it?

Everybody has got a new small crossover coming out, and Ford weren’t going to miss out. This is its new offering, the Fiesta Active. It’s a chunkier, more robust-looking version of its best-selling compact hatchback, and is designed for those people who want a slightly more adventure-ready small car option.

It benefits from an increased ride height and is there to go up against other rivals in the compact car segment such as the Kia Stonic and Seat Arona. With prices starting at a nose under £18,000 it’s certainly not cheap, but good standard equipment levels could help to make a case for this.

Quite a lot of the Active’s additions over the regular Fiesta are cosmetic. There are the obligatory, exaggerated plastic trim sections which are a staple in this segment, and you also get chrome roof rails for that go-anywhere look. A chrome strip under the front bumper also helps lift the look of the car’s front end, too, while little ‘Active’ badges on the wings help distinguish this model from the rest of the Fiesta range.

All cars also get 17-inch wheels with a unique ‘rough’ metal machined finish. In fairness, the basic Fiesta is a smart-looking thing, and the Active simply builds on that solid foundation.

What’s under the bonnet?

The Fiesta Active is available with one of two engines – a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol or a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel. The former is available in one of four states of tune; 84bhp, 99bhp, 123bhp and 138bhp. The oil-burner, meanwhile, is available with either 117bhp or 84bhp. Power is sent to the road either via a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox. Our test car was fitted with the most powerful 1.0-litre petrol, mated to the manual ‘box.

To give it a little more capability on rougher surfaces, the Active’s ride height has been increased by 18 millimetres over the regular Fiesta, while the track has been increased by 10 millimetres. This also helps to give owners the higher driving position that is so popular at the moment.

The regular Fiesta is a hoot to drive, and this hasn’t been dampened much in the Active. The increase in ride height doesn’t spoil the way the car corners, and it turns in with a surprising amount of both eagerness and control. The steering has a decent amount of weight to it, and the gearshift is smooth and accurate. The ride remains a little on the firm side – this can likely be attributed to the 17-inch alloys – but it doesn’t feel too taught and ruin the car’s overall comfort.

The 1.0-litre, 138bhp turbocharged petrol engine fitted to our test car is excellent too. It’s got more than enough poke to make overtaking easy, yet settles down when cruising on the motorway.

The Fiesta Active is a smart looking car but, as we mentioned, that’s mostly down to its solid basing on the regular car. The chunkier bumpers and raised ride height does give it a bit more presence without ruining the car’s sleek styling. The angular rear LED lights help give it a modern, angular look while the chrome accents make it appear quite premium. All in all, it’s a pleasant package.

The issue with some crossover models is that the raised ride height can make them appear a little ungainly, but this isn’t the case with the Fiesta Active. The look of the exterior is well translated to the interior too.

Inside the Fiesta Active is a natural progression on from the previous generation of the regular car. Gone are the fiddly buttons across the dash, replaced here instead by a few select audio controls and a large central infotainment screen.

The Active benefits from unique designs on the seats, as well as plastic highlights on the forward areas of the cabin. It’s a classic Ford setup, and one we’ve already seen in the regular Fiesta, but it works – everything feels well put together and reasonably solid. Some harder plastics can be found lower down, but in all it’s a decent place to be. Would we like a little more flair from a crossover cabin? Perhaps. But the Fiesta Active covers all the bases well.

The Fiesta Active gets plenty of equipment as standard, both outside and inside. The exterior is treated to previously mentioned 17-inch alloy wheels, along with a dark mesh grille and silver roof rails. Ford claims that the latter feature enables drivers to more easily attach bike racks and roof boxes to the car, allowing for more ‘lifestyle orientated’ options. Even without those racks attached, the roof bars do make the car stand out.

Inside, all cars get Ford’s latest SYNC 3 infotainment system, with lower-spec Actives coming with a 6.5-inch screen, and top-spec versions an eight-inch unit. The software is much-improved over previous versions, with clearer icons and better responsiveness than before. It may not look quite as good as rival options, but it certainly gets the job of controlling media and satellite navigation functions done.

Though the Fiesta Active enters a rather busy compact crossover environment, it’s certainly one to consider. Whereas some rivals are now bigger, and therefore more intimidating to drive, the Active’s dinky proportions make it more accessible to those who want to sit just a little higher up but don’t want to worry about piloting a much larger vehicle as a result.

Add to this a decent variety of economical engines and a surprisingly involving drive, and you have a package which really could appeal to many.