THE Ford Fiesta is theUK'sfavourite car and that's because it has the recipe for success.

It is fun to drive, reasonably priced, very practical and offers all the latest kit and infotainment equipment.

There is a range of models to suit from the very young to the most mature and the Fiesta will remain the country's favourite for theforseeablefuture.

This latest Fiesta is available in awide range of three and five-door models in five trim levels and is offered with a choice of five petrol and two diesel engines - so there really is something for everyone in the mix. Buyers can also choose from manual or automatic transmissions.

Entry level models start from just under £13,000 but most will select the popularZetecor Titanium models. I sampled the sporty ST-Line car which sits below the luxuryVignalemodel and the hot and racy ST model.

As you would expect these days the petrol engines will be the big sellers and you can choose from three versions of the 1.0-litreEcoBoost power plants.

The three-door ST-Line car came with the 140ps three-cylinder turbocharged unit which provided a great blend of performance and economy.

It reaches 62mph in 9.0 seconds and can go on to a top speed of 125mph, with emissions of just 114g/km.

With its slick six-speed manual gearbox and stop/start technology it has a claimed combined 56.5mpg figure and I got reasonably close to that over a week of mixed motoring.

The steering is nicely weighted and the new suspension set-up deals well with our bumpy roads.

Slightly larger than the last model, the new Fiesta offers more room inside and four adults can travel in comfort, although if you regularly carry four passengers I would urge you to go for the five-door version.

The stylish Fiesta looks good from any angle and the interior of this ST-Line model provides all the features you could want in asupermini.

At £19,315 you get 10-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels, Halogen projector headlamps with LED daytime running lamps, front fogs with cornering lights, LED night signature rear lights, powerfoldabledoor mirrors with puddle lights, rear privacy glass, and aQuickclearheated windscreen.

The car also comes with an eight-inch touchscreen with DAB radio and Ford SYNC 3 navigation, 2USBsockets and six speakers. In addition you getkeylessstart, cruise control, Ford Easy Fuel, aThatchamalarm.

In addition the ST-Line also has a tuned sports suspension and a special grille, a fullbody stylingkit which also features a large rear body-coloured spoiler, a flat bottomed steering wheel and sports pedals.

There is also room to personalise your Fiesta and this car featured a B&O premium sound system for £350, larger alloys at £600, a rear view camera pack at £250, a comfort pack with heated seats and steering wheel at £250 and Red Pack trim at £150.