Car10

Though the Ford Fiesta nameplate has been around since 1976, it is by no means the oldest car model name in the world, writes Brian Byrne . That title belongs to the Chevrolet Suburban, a name that goes back to 1934 and is today a large SUV. But Fiesta is a staple of Ford's European cars portfolio, where it is once again the smallest of the blue oval's current offerings now that the Ka has been discontinued. In its seventh generation since 2018, a total of some 16 million Fiestas have been rolled out of assembly plants, in this part of the world as well as in south and central American countries, China, India, Asia and South Africa. Now, though, it is only produced in Europe. It had been a while since I drove one until a recent stint in the car which in some ways surprised me how well it is managing in a segment that's arguably the most competitive. A refresh is due in a few months, but in true Ford fashion the essentials including the powertrain will roll on through. My r...

Although crossover-style cars have more or less taken over the market at all levels, the compact family hatch is still a significant format, writes Brian Byrne . Ford's Focus remains one of the firm favourites here, even if it has just been pipped in sales by arch-rival VW Golf for this year. It is also one of those cars which retain customer loyalty really well. After a slew of very technologically advanced cars for review over recent months, it was nice to get back into something that equates with the normal in family car motoring. The Focus EcoBoost Hybrid has been around now for a year or so, but the fourth generation body is familiar for most of four years — it still looks well, particularly in the ST Line dress of my review car. The body and detailing have a nice sporty character. A hint of Coke-bottle profile, good character to the front end, and a neat rear. Even though a revised version is coming next year, this one holds its age very well. The spoiler over the rear wind...