Like many of its rivals, the Ford Fiesta van can swallow up to 1.0 cubic metre of cargo. This puts it on a par with the Fiat Punto Van and ahead of the Vauxhall Corsa Van. The Fiesta’s tailgate offers slightly better access to the load area than the Fiat’s, but it’s still a limiting factor when trying to carry larger items.
When you fit a load into the Fiesta, it does reward with a little more room than most between its wheel arches, coming in at exactly 1000mm. Perhaps more of a concern for some users is that the Fiesta cannot carry quite as much weight as some of its most keen rivals. While this might not be a problem when trying to fit the last kilo of cargo in, it does mean the Fiesta has less margin for error than some. Go for the SportVan and the maximum payload drops to 492kg, where a Punto Van can hold 520kg.
To keep loads in place, there are four floor-mounted load securing hooks and a full width half-height bulkhead as standard in all models. A full height mesh bulkhead can be added as an option. As for protecting the floor, there’s a rubber mat, while plastic covers keep cargo off the bare metal of the side panels.
One point to bear in mind with the Fiesta van is the glass rear screen allows passers-by to see into the cargo bay, so you will need to think about a cover or privacy glass for the sake of security. However, at least the Fiesta comes with remote central locking as standard, as well as deadlocks.
Also standard as a result of the van being developed from the Fiesta passenger car are ABD anti-lock brakes, front and side airbags, and ESP traction and stability control. There is also the option of adding a driver’s knee airbag for added safety.
The rest of the Fiesta’s cabin is much like the passenger car, so there’s an excellent driving position with height adjustable steering wheel. On the steering wheel are remote controls for the stereo and you can add Ford’s Bluetooth connection for hands-free phone calls as an option.
Comfortable and supportive seats make the Fiesta capable of all-day comfort, while the SportVan comes with adjustable lumbar support to provide even more luxury. The centre console is well designed to look stylish but it also works easily when you need to find the right button without taking your eyes off the road. Finally, Ford does its usual sound job of providing plenty of storage spots all around the cabin and looking after the passenger with the same generous head, leg and shoulder space as the driver.
Fiesta Van specification:
* EasyFuel capless refuelling
* Three engine options
* Body colour roof spoiler
* Electric door mirrors
* Stereo radio CD, MP3 connection, four front speakers and steering wheel mounted controls
* Adjustable steering column
* Electric front windows
Fiesta Van Trend features in addition to Fiesta Van:
* Front fog lights
* Body-coloured, power folding, heated door mirrors
* Automatic windshield wipers and headlamps
* Auto dimming rear view mirror
* Trip computer
* Driver's seat lumbar support
* Heated front windscreen
Standard features of Fiesta SportVan in addition to Fiesta Van Trend:
* 1.6-litre TDCi (90PS) engine
* Body colour sports aero kit including high intake front grille, rear bumper and rear spoiler
* 16-inch five-spoke sports alloy wheels
* Bluetooth hands free and voice control, including multi function display
* Air conditioning
* Sports style front seats
* Leather trimmed steering wheel
* Rear sports spoiler
* Perimeter alarm
* Sports-tuned suspension with lowered ride height
* ESP/traction control
* Driver's knee and side airbags (head and thorax) and active head restraint