Fast Ford fans are set to celebrate the return of a sporty UK favourite - the exciting yet accessible Fiesta Zetec S.

Ford’s stylish new small car will offer a sports model from its UK launch this autumn, giving driving enthusiasts a new benchmark for affordable driving fun.  It will also continue the "Zetec S" name, first introduced to the Fiesta in 1999.

Ford of Britain’s marketing director, Mark Ovenden, said: “Fiesta has always stood for fun and Zetec S delivers this with a capital ‘F’.  Lively performance and sporty styling mean it looks great and goes as well as it looks.”

Looking sporty

Fiesta Zetec S adds a distinctive sporting flavour to the stylish sweeps and curves of all-new Fiesta.

On the outside are five-spoke, 16in alloy wheels, projector headlamps, front fog lamps, a deeper front bumper, side mouldings and a rear spoiler.

Inside, a leather steering wheel and bolstered sports seats continue that sports feel to appeal to driving enthusiasts, while the standard equipment list also addresses comfort and safety, with side airbags and air conditioning.

These sports interior details add to the ‘cockpit’ driving feel, created by a 30mm lower seating position than the previous-generation Fiesta, while Zetec S adds its own twist to the stylish Fiesta interior, with high contrast trim colours and designs inspired by snowboards.

Power to the people

Fiesta Zetec S lives up to its sporty credentials with an all-new, 120PS Duratec Ti-VCT engine, powerful enough to reach 62mph in 9.9sec and a top speed of 120mph.  Lowered, tuned sports suspension helps new Fiesta Zetec S make the most of this power and maintain excellent dynamic response.

The responsive new Duratec Ti-VCT engine uses twin independent variable cam timing to provide the optimal balance of performance and fuel economy, so despite its feisty character and 20 extra horsepower, the new Duratec Ti-VCT is still uses less fuel and generates less CO2 than the 100PS, 1.6-litre engine from the previous Fiesta.  It returns a combined fuel economy of 47.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 139g/km.

Fiesta Zetec S will also be available with a 1.6-litre 90PS Duratorq TDCi, providing a more relaxed driving character and even greater efficiency.  The exceptionally flexible engine sips fuel at 67.3mpg, generating just 110g/km CO2.   Even so, it develops 204 Nm torque from only 1,750 rpm and its mid-range performance is underlined by a 31-62mph time of just 9.9sec.

Autumn launch
The all-new Fiesta range will be launched in the UK in autumn 2008, with prices announced at the British International Motor Show on 22 July 2008.