You can specify your car in the three or five-door bodystyles or even opt for the high-riding Fusion model that nobody can quite see the point of. Whichever option you ultimately pick, interior space is a definite strongpoint. In versions past, Ford’s supermini served up cattle class rear seating that would ask serious questions of anyone bar small children and national hunt jockeys. Now two proper adults can be accommodated with little fuss. There’s 268 litres of luggage space in the three-door Fiesta or 284 litres in the five-door and in each instance those volumes more than treble when you fold the rear seats down.The Fiesta’s six-powerplant engine line-up can be split into three sections. Starting out, you have the two entry-level petrol options – solid units, tightly priced and economical but which struggle to inject much verve into the substantial Fiesta package.

The 1.25-litre entry-level option produces 74bhp and a 13.6s 0-60mph sprint but its major selling point will be the 45.6mpg combined fuel consumption. The 79bhp 1.4-litre alternative can hit 60mph in 12.3s and returns 43.5mpg so many will be inclined to find the required premium over the smaller alternative. The next group offer much more by way of performance getting the best out of the Fiesta’s accomplished chassis. The 99bhp 1.6-litre engine can make the sprint to 60mph in 10.2s before registering a 114mph top speed but the real barnstormer in the Range is the 148bhp 2.0-litre petrol found in the ST model – 7.9s and a 129mph top speed. These engines return 42,8 and 38.2mpg respectively.

The Fiesta has come in for some criticism in the past over the quality of the materials used in its cabin but the current car has progressed on this score. There are more of the in vogue soft-touch surfaces but, happily, the uncomplicated layout and the durable feel remain. Nice touches include a digital display in the instrument cluster which gives the radio station name and other handy titbits that you’d otherwise have to divert your eyes from the road obtain.

The Fiesta may have been around in various forms since 1977 but the current one is bang up to date and worthy of its place amongst the UK’s supermini favourites.