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Hisham is a graduate from Institute of Technology MARA (UiTM) majoring in culinary arts. Since his early days at the Hotel Istana, Hisham embarked on an adventurous journey honing and shaping his culinary skills working at JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur, Villa Danieli Restaurant at Sheraton Imperial Hotel, SHOOK Restaurant @ Starhill Gallery, Prince Court Medical Center and Azamara Cruise Line under the parent company of Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line, to name just a few. So you guys already knowing me. Come On, Join Me Talking @Mamak

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Thursday 12 April 2012

Ford Fiesta Sport...Malaysia

It might not look like much, but building a compact car is like painting the Mona Lisa in all its glory on a postage stamp, and then selling it at the price of a postage stamp.
Compact cars have to be practical, safe, frugal, yet compact in size and affordable to the masses, which is why we think Ford’s new Fiesta hatchback one of the most brilliant cars of 2010.
Considering its dimensions of 3,950mm long and 1,722mm wide, the Fiesta hatchback’s space utilisation is impressive as the cabin is spacious enough to seat four adults comfortably, with space in the boot for a weekend away.

Our test model, the range-topping Sport 1.6L hatchback, comes equipped with a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) and Voice Control voice operated functions, stuff that you won’t find in this end of the sub-RM100,000 market.
Technicality aside, the Fiesta looks refreshingly youthful and modern.
It is the same story on the inside, where you would find a centre console that is modelled after a handphone and an instrument binnacle that looks as though it is moulded from liquid metal.
Although the interior is completely made out of hard plastics, the only fabric in the cabin are on the door handles, seats and carpets, it doesn’t look or feel cheap.
More importantly while our test unit has already seen off 11,300km worth of hard driving, there was nary a squeak in the cabin.

That said the cabin does suffer from some ergonomic faults.
For instance, operating the window switches require you to have the flexibility of a Chinese acrobat, the glossy silver surface of the centre console blinds out the LCD screen under the mid-day sun, the audio system’s button arrangement makes it impossible to operate while driving, and the gear indicator lettering is on the wrong side.
All those ergonomic faults are forgivable when you get to the Fiesta’s real ace in the sleeve, its dynamic prowess.
Underneath those sharp looks is an equally sharp and communicative chassis with a suspension system keeps all four tyres planted to the road.
Despite being fitted with sports suspension and 50-profile tyres, the Fiesta’s damping soaks up all but the worst imperfections on the road and manages to deliver a fuss-free ride over rough roads.

Its electric power steering may be light even at speed, but it is pin-sharp accurate and delivers surprising amounts of feedback.
The 1.6-litre engine up front revs smoothly while power is spread evenly throughout the rev range, and even with four adult passengers on board the engine doesn’t feel strained.
On the highway the ride of the Fiesta was so refined that could easily cruise right past 110km/h without realising it.
During our drive from Kuala Lumpur up to Fraser’s Hill and back, the Fiesta’s trip computer returned a respectable figure of 11km/l.

The only fly in the Fiesta’s ointment is the DCT, as Ford in their infinite wisdom decided that it doesn’t need a manual override function.
We do agree that such function is not necessary in the daily grind of city commute, but we did find it frustrating especially on winding country roads, or attempting an overtake move.
Gearshifts naturally happen in an instant, but due to the engine’s gradual torque delivery, you would still experience the usual automatic slur before the electronics decide it is the right time to execute a gear change.
Fun, refined, practical (for its size), easy to live with, well equipped, and placed well within the reach of most Malaysians, there is no denying that the Fiesta Sport is almost every car you would need on a day-to-day basis.

Specifications
Ford Fiesta Sport 1.6L Ti-VCT
Engine: 1,596cc 4-cylinder Duratec Ti-VCT (Twin independent Variable Camshaft Timing)
Max power: 118hp @ 6,000rpm
Max torque: 152Nm @ 4,050rpm
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch Powershift, front-wheel drive
Safety Features: Dual airbags, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), electronic stability program (ESP), traction control system (TCS), and ISOFIX child seat anchorage
Features: Voice Control, USB connectivity, Bluetooth, and Easy Fuel capless fuel filler
Price: RM82,888 OTR with insurance

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