THE popular Fiestahas been one of Britain's favourite cars for many years and that is because it has always been fun to drive, reasonably priced and very practical.

The Active version offers trendy SUV like styling with a set of roof rails, some sturdy plastic cladding on the wheel arches and extra trim on the bumpers with some Active badging.

In Vignale trim it also offers a bit of luxury because it boasts all the latest kit and infotainment equipment that you could possibly want in a stylish package.

Vignale was an Italian design house that Ford purchased at the same time as they took over the Ghia operation but they only started using the name on its top models fairly recently.

And if you can't afford the asking price of a Fiesta Vignale there is a range of lower-priced models to suit from the very young to the most mature and that is why the Fiesta will always be near the top of the sales charts.

The current generation Fiesta is available in awide range of good-looking three and five-door body styles with a choice of trim levels and is offered with a choice of engines - so there really is something for everyone in the mix. Buyers can also choose from manual or automatic transmissions.

Entry level models start at more affordable prices but the Vignalemodel I drove cost £24,440 so there is a considerable price difference to pay for the exclusive badge. That said you don't really needto add many options unless you really wantto splash out.

Powered by the 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder turbocharged unit with mHEV you get a great blend of performance and economy.

It reaches 62mph in 8.9 seconds and can go on to a top speed of 136mph, with emissions of just 120g/km.

With its slick manual six-speed gearbox and mild-hybrid technology it offers according to the latest WLTP figures economy ranging between 44.8mpg to 61.4mpg. I averaged 50mpg- just short of the claimed 53.3 combined figure.

As in all Fiesta models the steering is nicely weighted and the suspension set-up deals well with our bumpy roads with ease.Slightly larger than the last model, the new Fiesta provides more room inside and four adults can travel in comfort.

Finished in special paint - a £675 option - the stylish Vignale looks particularly nice thanks to smart 18-inch 5x2-spoke alloys, unique grille, badging and rear privacy glass.

For your cash you get special Vignale touches including premium padded Sensico seats, LED headlamps with LED daytime running lamps, front fogs with cornering lights, LED night signature rear lights, power body coloured door mirrors with side indicators and aQuickclearheated windscreen.

You also get a B&O premium sound system with an eight-inch touchscreen with DAB radio and Ford SYNC 3 navigation, two USBsockets and six speakers. In addition you getkeylessstart, cruise control, Ford Easy Fuel, and aThatchamalarm.It also comes with heatedfront seatsand steering wheel.

It also boasts all the latest safety equipment including lane-keeping alert and lane-keeping aid, speed limiter, rear seat seatbelt reminder, tyre pressure monitoring system, traffic sign recognition and much more.

For an additional £850 you can add Matrix headlights, and another £350 will buy you a Driver Assistance Pack and a Parking Pack can be had for another £300. You can also upgrade the sound system to 10 speakers and a wireless charging pad for an extra £450.