29,000-mile pay off
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Once this break-even point is reached, reports Brian Weatherley, Ford's diesel van could save businessmen a great deal of money
WHEN FORD said in May last year that its "soon to be launched" 1.6-litre diesel engine had been designed with "ultimate fuel economy in mind", the announcement probably caused no more than the odd raised eyebrow among sceptical light vehicle operators already bombarded with advertising superlatives. One year later, however, the little Dagenhambuilt indirect-injection engine is still raising eyebrows, though for different reasons.
Two months ago an Escort 55L van fitted with the 1,680cc 40kW (54bhp) engine established a new record around CM's Kent light van route with a fuel consumption of 6.13 lit/100km (46.10mpg). Ford's new light van diesel, however, appears to have no respect for records. Fitted in the smaller 1,225kg gvw Fiesta L van, carrying a 285kg payload, it returned a superb 4.93 lit/100km (57.24mpg). Unladen this rose to 4.69 lit/100km (60.23mpg).
These figures make the Fiesta L 1.6 diesel van fitted with the standard five-speed gearbox the most fuel efficient car-derived van tested to date by CM. Only two other light vans have come anywhere near the Fiesta for fuel economy: these are the 19litre diesel Peugeot 305 which gave 5.41 lit/100km (52.15mpg) and the VW 1.6-litre diesel Golf which tested in 1982 returned 4.99 lit/100km (56.67mph).
Both these vehicles, however, recorded their fuel figures around CM's old Thames Valley route, which did not include a 40-mile motorway stretch such as we have on our new test circuit. Neither were they driven at today's light vehicle speed limits.
Fitted with a revised, more aerodynamic, body shell and running with the 0.76:1 overdrive fifth gear and 3.33 to 1 rear axle, the diesel-powered Fiesta van could be the answer to a light van operator looking to reduce his fuel bills. Like all diesel van variants, however, there is a price premium for the 1.6-litre engine (although nowhere near as high as VW's Golf diesel) of around £606 (excluding vat) over the 1.1-litre petrol van.
Based on the actual fuel consumption figure of 4.93 lit/100km (57.24mpg) for the diesel version and an assumed laden consumption of 7.84 lit/100km (36.0mpg) for a 1.1litre petrol version, the diesel Fiesta has a fuel cost per mile of 3.05p (based on £1.75 pence for a gallon of derv) while the 1,100cc petrol van costs 5.11p (based on £1.85 pence for a gallon of four-star petrol).
Despite its obvious potentia for good fuel economy, any operator buying the more ex. pensive 1.6-litre diesel engine must cover almost 29,000 miles before he apsses the break even point and can start benefit ing from the 1.6 Fiesta's lowei fuel costs.
These figures are only rough guide based on fuel eco nomy alone and include neithe the higher taxation of the 1.6 litre van nor any difference ir service and maintenance. In terestingly enough, though, un like many other diesel vans, thJ 1.6-litre diesel Fiesta van has thl same 10,000km (6,200-mile) ol change period as the 1.1-litn petrol model.
For van fleet operators wit high annual mileages, the Fiesti diesel has a great deal to offer particularly if the unit price o dery can be further reduced b) bulk purchasing. Smaller busi nesses, however, should con sider whether it will do the wonl or if the extra £600 for a diese van might not be better spen elsewhere.
Along. with the more smooth rounded body introduced las autumn, Ford also revised thl interior on its Fiesta models First impression of the drivinj compartment is that it is some what bare, but this is simply th effect of using a separate instri ment housing which stands we out from the deep, curving ft cia. This clever desig maximises the available spac in the driving compartment an
:reates a surprisingly spacious eel for such a small vehicle.
The use of light-grey coloured nouldings and tweed seat coy;is further accentuates this im)ression, although in a hardrvorking environment they are iifficult to keep clean.
All the instruments in the nain binnacle are well posiioned, particularly the simple, .otating heater and demister :nobs on the lefthand side, vhich are extremely effective in )peration.
Three neat toggle switches on he right of the instrument-pod :ontrol the heated rear screen ind rear wash-wipe as well as he fog lights. The heated rear ■ creen, operating on a timed :ycle, cannot be left on inadfertently.
One of the greatest criticisms diesel-engined light vehicles over recent years has been their relatively high interior noise levels. While the diesel Fiesta's 61-62d6(A) at tickover is not helped by the obvious diesel knock, once moving it proved no worse than the petrol-engined Golf van recording the same 74dB(A) at 50mph.
Unlike the slightly larger bodied VW Golf, the 0.96cum Fiesta body has a well supported floor throughout and an even-shaped rear entrance with a very low loading-lip height of only 55mm (2.16in) compared to over 254mm (10in) on the Golf. For operators with large loads to stack, the full-mesh bulkhead, which is retained by screwknobs and priced at £53, is well worth specifying.
While it is unlikely that the average Fiesta buyer will be operating his van anywhere near its 1,225kg gvw, for those that do, this model in common with most other car-derived vans, adopts a clear tail-down attitude when fully laden. While this has no effect on the van's otherwise good handling, it does reduce the exhaust pipe clearance to little more than 76mm (3in) — something worth bearing in mind before attempting to cross any brick-strewn building sites.
Starting the 1.6-litre diesel on cold, damp mornings posed no problems; the glowplug warning light stayed on no more than four seconds on average. Unlike some diesel-engined light vehicles, the 1.6-litre indirect-injection unit produced very little white smoke starting up.
Diesel engines are also criticised on light vans and cars for a lack of performance. While the laden 1.6-litre Fiesta does take two seconds longer to accelerate to 50mph than the 40kW (55bhp) 1,300cc petrol-en gined Golf van, it is more than capable of keeping up with the traffic and equalled the VVV's overall average speed of 69.07kmh (42.29mph). This clearly illustrates how urban traffic levels out any differences in acceleration. Once on the motorway, however, the 1.6-litre Fiesta cruised effortlessly at 70mph.
Braking was particularly good with an overall average efficiency of over 70 per cent. During track tests at Mira, peak deceleration figures of up to 0.90g were consistently recorded.
While the front wheels locked when braking at any speeds, the van pulled up in a perfect straight line.
Throughout our entire test the little Fiesta handled extremely well. The light, positive steering required hardly any effort and had good feed-back. Although the Ford has a softer damping rate and general ride than the Golf, it proved capable of cornering at high speed without any bother despite the absence of an anti-roll bar.
Summary
According to Ford, those most likely to benefit from the 1.6-litre diesel-engined Fiesta are large fleet operators, primarily in the service industries, who have a guaranteed high annual mileage.
Certainly, once the diesel Fiesta's break-even point has been passed the little indirect-injection van has the potential of saving a great deal of money by its excellent fuel economy.
A small businessman with only one vehicle, however, must do his homework carefully to see whether the extra capital committed to a diesel-engined light van can be justified.
The availability of derv, different maintenance requirements and resale values of a diesel van, should also be considered. Having done these calculations he might still find that the extra £606 can give a better return if invested elsewhere.