THERE'S an old adage ‘if it ain't broke, don't fix it' and thankfully Ford has taken heed from those wise words with the arrival of an all-new Fiesta that is better than ever.

The Fiesta has topped the UK sales charts for the past eight years and having experienced the latest generation model, it's likely to remain in that elevated position for some time to come.

Admittedly, the Fiesta was well overdue an update with older models looking quite dated and jaded round the edges and in that time superminis such as the Suzuki Swift, Citroen C3 and the SEAT Ibiza have all upped their game in an attempt to attract sales away from the blue oval badge company.

But the new Fiesta really ups the ante once more with ultra-modern styling, bundles of innovative on-board technology and driving dynamics that are the envy of the industry proving once again it will be the car to aspire towards.

The new Fiesta has grown a little and is now 70mm longer, 13mm wider and 20mm lower which helps give the car a more dynamic stance. Other eye-catching highlights include 16-inch alloys, halogen headlamps with LED daytime running lights, front fog lamps with cornering lights, powered door mirrors with puddle lamps, LED rear lights, rear privacy glass, and this one was in a Shadow Black shade which added a touch of menace to its appearance.

Move inside and this is the area that Ford has addressed with the most conviction and it needed to be. The outgoing 2008 Fiesta had certainly survived the test of time, but was looking quite out of touch compared to some newer rivals. But that's not the case anymore.

The new Fiesta has an eight-inch touchscreen similar to an iPad and the car, which was in Titanium trim, featured Ford SYNC 3 navigation, a DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six speakers, automatic climate control, keyless start-up, cruise control and a three-spoke steering wheel with audio controls.

The five-door car was priced at £17,295 although a number of optional extras such as special paint, upgraded alloys, rear parking distance sensors and a comfort pack, that introduced heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, bumped the cost up to £18,865.

It was powered by the company's award winning 1.0-litre 125ps EcoBoost petrol engine and could sprint from 0 to 62mph in 9.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 121mph.

According to official figures the vehicle can deliver combined fuel economy of 65.7mpg with carbon emissions of just 98g/km.

The Fiesta has become Britain's best-loved car for a number of reasons but mainly its outstanding economy, reliability, great value and ease of driving. The latest model builds on that reputation even further by offering improved comfort and space along with all the new state-of-the-art technology.

And when it comes to performance, the Fiesta is an absolute pleasure to drive which explains why it appeals to the masses, old, young and those anywhere in-between.

It's quick and easy to adjust the seat and steering wheel to get the perfect driving position and the all-round visibility is good. In and around town, the Fiesta proved itself to be beautifully agile as it weaved through the congestion and parking is made simpler thanks to the sensors.

The car was also content on motorways where it worked smoothly through the six-speed manual gearbox and easily kept pace with fast moving traffic. At higher speeds it was noticeable how quiet the cabin remained with minimal road surface or engine noise filtering through.

And finally, on the twisting country lanes the Fiesta proved it still delivers all the fire and zip that has made it such a fun car to drive over the decades.

The road-holding is outstanding meaning tight bends can be attacked at speed with a degree of confidence and the steering is beautifully balanced and precise. And because the car is so light it seems to skip across the uneven surfaces with the efficient suspension system ironing out the creases along the way.

Comfort levels are excellent and back seat passengers are treated to ample legroom. The boot can cater for 292 litres of luggage, a capacity that increases to 1,093 litres with the rear seats dropped flat.

The new Fiesta also features a whole host of top notch safety systems which have helped it achieve the maximum five stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests.