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I Lagre loadspaee but nippy handling for toy van
Page 47
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THE SECOND of our -conversions"' was the Fiesta 1.1 L van which, unlike the Peugeot, comes from using the Fiesta car as a base.
It certainly is a comfortable and well-finished little vehicle but its biggest problem is probably its size — there's a meagre 1.2cum (42.6cuft) of payload space. This small area comes about because of the sloping tail gate, which effectively cuts off a good proportion of the available space. Care too has to be taken when bulky loads are carried, as the rear door glass could possibly be smashed on a projecting edge.
Our test vehicle came with plenty of optional equipment, including a tilting roof, heated rear door glass, rear fog-lamp and radio. It all added to the impression that it was really a car, not a van.
Indeed we speculated that at £300 less than the equivalent car, it may well be taken up by firms who want to give their reps a comfortable vehicle which is also able to carry samples. So well equipped with electrical gadgets was the Ford that there was some doubt whether the alternator and charging circuit would be able to keep up with it all!
With its maximum payload of 7cwt, the Fiesta adopted a definite -nose upattitude which didn't help when pulling away, especially up hills.
However, many prospective owners will be unlikely or unable to load the vehicle to its maximum payload weight.
So nippy was the Fiesta on the road that care had to be taken to avoid spinning the wheels, even pulling away normally. The overall performance was positively startling, as at MIRA the top speed turned out — after correction for a very inaccurate speedo — to be in the high 80s.
Large doors allow easy entry to the driving seat and, once in it, there is plenty of leg-room. The instrumentation in a binnacle on front of the driver includes speedo and fuel and temp gauges. A mass of dash-mounted switches work the auxiliary equipment.
At the rear, the single tailgate is held up by gas-filled struts and the rubber-covered wooden floor is at a reasonable height for loading. Small wheel-arches are no real intrusion to the load area.
Although the Fiesta has a transversely mounted engine, the gearbox is tacked onto the end, unlike the Mini and other vehicles which mount it underneath. Overall access is good, • but some items, like the oil filter canister, are a little inaccessible.
Other service and maintenance components are easy to get at, though. The fuses are fitted below the dash inside the van and bulb holders for the sidelights can be got at from inside the engine compartment. Overall the Fiesta looked wellmade and a useful vehicle for own-account people.