Ford Fiesta 1.6 vs Honda City ZX VTEC

What lies beneath

Ah, the engine. People don't buy cars for their cup holders, beige upholstery or remote adjustable mirrors alone. They buy a car for what lies beneath the hood. And in the case of the Honda City, that's a 1497cc, SOHC, 16-valve, inline-four. One that makes 101PS@5800rpm and 137Nm@4800rpm. The engine's party piece is its Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) mechanism, which increases combustion efficiency and enhances its power delivery characteristics (refer to the box alongside on how VTEC works). Unlike the Fiesta engine, which uses double overhead camshafts (DOHC), the VTEC only uses a single overhead cam (SOHC), but performance is still fairly engaging. There's little drama here - no sporty growls emitted from the exhaust and the engine doesn't wail and scream at high revs - but it gets the job done all right. You know what they say about the strong, silent types.

The City VTEC uses a super-slick five-speed gearbox to transfer its 101PS to the front wheels. With a kerb weight of 1065 kilos, 101PS is not going to result in tarmac shredding performance. And indeed, when you first floor the throttle, the new City VTEC doesn't seem to be as gutsy and fiery as the old one. It certainly accelerates harder than an i-DSI City, but then that car is 23PS down on the VTEC, so that isn't saying much. Still, for what it's worth, the City VTEC goes from zero to 60km/h in 5.46 seconds, from zero to 100km/h in 11.52 seconds and on to a top speed of more than 185km/h. It won't have you OD'ing on adrenaline, but it doesn't feel sluggish either. Light clutch, creamy smooth gearbox, tractable engine - driving the City VTEC over long distances leaves you relaxed and comfortable. The car also averages a wallet-friendly 17kmpl, so you get a nice mix of performance and fuel efficiency.

Coming to the Fiesta, it's well equipped to take on the City VTEC in terms of outright performance. Sure, Ford's 1596cc Duratec engine doesn't have any of the City's fancy variable valve timing stuff, but it's a DOHC mill that still makes 101PS@6500rpm (the Honda makes its 101PS, 700rpm earlier...) and 146Nm@3400rpm. That's 9Nm more than the VTEC, and it's significantly lower down in the rev range. Switch it on and the Ford engine emits a more convincing growl - compared with the City VTEC's much quieter exhaust, this one provides more aural entertainment. Step on the throttle (the Fiesta uses drive-by-wire throttle for more precise fuel metering and better throttle response) and the car sprints from zero to 60km/h in 5.21 seconds, zero to 100km/h in 11.87 seconds and hits a top speed of 176.5km/h. So there you have it - in terms of outright performance, there isn't a huge difference between the two cars here, but the City VTEC does have an edge over the Fiesta 1.6 Duratec.

With a kerb weight of 1130kg, the Fiesta is the heavier car here (by 65kg), which also gives it a lower power to weight ratio than the VTEC. But though the numbers prove that the City VTEC is marginally quicker and faster than the Fiesta Duratec, it's actually the latter that feels sportier to drive. That may have something to do with the way the two engines deliver their power or Ford must have given its NVH boffins to tune the senses. The Fiesta Duratec does deliver more grunt at lower rpms, which probably makes it feel sportier. Or, maybe the Duratec delivers slightly more than what I was expecting, whereas the VTEC delivers less...

Source: Car India March 2006.