Ford’s rugged and well-specced Fiesta Active X gets a seven-day perusal by FW road tester Alisdair Suttie.

The Fiesta Active X gets rugged SUV-inspired styling and increased ride height

Monday

The Ford Fiesta Active X bridges the gap between the mainstream Fiesta range and the Puma, and one pitched up today. My initial reaction to this sort of car is scepticism as it’s hard to see what extra it offers over a non-pseudo-SUV Fiesta. Yes, there’s a slightly higher ride height, but not by much, and some minor plastic cladding on the wheelarches. Is this going to be a week of disappointment or revelation?

Tuesday

First impression on this morning’s drive is the Active X is very much like a standard Fiesta in the way it drives, which is a good thing. Taking the back roads home to dodge some temporary traffic lights and the surface turns gnarly. Here, the Active X scores a small victory as the added ride height means I’m much less concerned about some of the potholes. Also, there’s a small but perceptible added cushiness to the Active X’s ride over a normal Fiesta.

The Ford’s seats are superbly comfortable and supportive

Wednesday

A peruse of the spec sheet today shows the X compared to the Active gains automatic air conditioning, heated seats and steering wheel, different alloy wheels, reversing camera, and full digital dash display. That’s not a bad haul of kit for the extra £1530 the X costs over the Active, and I’d certainly be happy to pay it for the rear view camera and 12.3-inch digital dash that lifts the cabin’s look.

Thursday

This Active X has the 125hp 1.0-litre Ecoboost engine with mild hybrid assistance. The hybrid set-up works very well and this car has the six-speed manual gearbox rather than the seven-speed auto. The manual model is £1,500 cheaper on list price and delivers better official fuel economy of 56.5mpg versus 53.3 for the auto. I’ll be putting this figure to the test.

Friday

A very early start to head down to London this morning in the Fiesta. Some might think a supermini is not ideally suited to this task, but I’ve found the Ford’s seats are superbly comfortable and supportive, and the Active X is also more than refined enough at high speeds. The 1.0-litre motor is punchy and, so far, has been returning around 60mpg at a steady motorway cruise.

Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system in the Fiesta is praiseworthy

Saturday

Work has me driving all over the South East today and then back into the Big Smoke for the evening. Luckily, the Fiesta doesn’t fall prey to London’s ULEZ charge and it makes light work of the appalling state of many of the Capital’s streets. Does it do this any better than other Fiestas? Not really, but it still acquits itself very well.

Sunday

A bit of praise is needed for Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system in the Fiesta. The 8-inch screen is position so it’s easy to read and finding various function is simple. I’m still not convinced touchscreens in any car are ideal to use when driving, but at least Ford sticks with clear, simple menus and big on-screen icons. There are also physical buttons to scroll through radio stations, which is handy as I make the long trek home and swap between listening choices.