Slow Acceleration on 2018 Fiesta ST Line - 1.0 - 100PS

[Tim.Smith]

Hello All

I have just bought a 2018 Fiesta ST Line - 1.0 - 100PS

I noticed and compared to my old car (Nissan Micra 1.0) the first gear take off acceleration is a lot slower. For example i would put it into first gear, take off with accelerator fully floored and after about 2-3 it would take off of really quickly, but for the first 2 seconds it seems like its not going nowhere...

Anyone else with the same engine noticed this?  am i meant to hold revs at 2000rpm or something when i take off?

Thanks

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Hi Tim,

Well, it's a small turbocharged engine so what you are experiencing is probably a degree of turbo lag. Despite Ford's claims, most power/torque graphs I have seen show max torque is not occurring until 2,000 rpm plus. If you are looking for a quick getaway to nip into a gap in the traffic, etc, then yes, a few extra revs will help.

My Mrs has a SEAT Mii with a 60ps non-turbo engine and I would swear it feels quicker than mine up to, say 30 mph. Very different story after that though, and the Ecoboost Fiesta is, in my opinion, at its best in the mid-range, exploiting the excellent handling to keep up a cracking pace across country.

But no, it's not the quickest thing from a standing start. 

[Eng_Ahmad1986]

I've owned a 2019 fiesta mk8 100ps for almost 2 years, and I can tell you that despite the torque curve published by ford for that engine that suggests maximum torque at early 1500 RPM, despite this , the engine feels to gain torque at 2000 RPM as @Eric Bloodaxe said, the sweet spot for that engine is between 2000 and 3500 RPM, this is the range where you feel your back pushed against the seat 😄 , and this is normal for a small turbocharged engine, however its way better than other small turbocharged rivals, Ecoboost is by far the most small turbocharged engine with the lowest turbo lag and threshold among other similar engines 😄 

its a small technological masterpiece, I can't hide my love to this engine 😄

[unofix]

6 hours ago, Tim.Smith said:

first gear take off acceleration is a lot slower

Watch this, I think it might explain your problem:

https://www.facebook.com/wallaceandgromit/videos/wallace-gromit-a-grand-day-out-rocket-launch/10153930090073831/

[Guy Heaton]

The missus 1.0 100ps really wants to be above 2000rpm to go.  Keep it above that and it's quite nippy.

[anon]

It isn't a masterpiece by any means. It is a plodding lump with either goodish economy or reasonable performance. I am not surprised the Mii feels quick, it will be giving more HP than advertised. The Up!TSI contains an engine that propels the car to 122 MPH in about 8.8 fully laden or 92 MPG. I've managed both. Calculations show 126 of the advertised 90 BHP. 125 BHP per ton versus Ford's 80 in the Fiesta makes a big difference. That is a fantastic engine but the rest of the car really is awful being noisy, tinny, crude and ill mannered on the road. Add in the lousy HVAC and feeble lights and the fact that it is tiring to drive, bucking at every gear change and you wouldn't want one. The Fiesta isn't a fast car. It isn't meant to be. It is however a very good car in every other respect.

[anon]

Guy is right. Economy driving at 1750 RPM on the motorway gives 60 MPG but needs a shift from sixth to fourth to overtake safely with a half second lag before it spools up. Keep it on boost and the chassis makes up for the lack of power like a thoroughly modern Mini*

 

* BMC.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

48 minutes ago, anon said:

It isn't a masterpiece by any means. It is a plodding lump with either goodish economy or reasonable performance. I am not surprised the Mii feels quick, it will be giving more HP than advertised. The Up!TSI contains an engine that propels the car to 122 MPH in about 8.8 fully laden or 92 MPG. I've managed both. Calculations show 126 of the advertised 90 BHP. 125 BHP per ton versus Ford's 80 in the Fiesta makes a big difference. That is a fantastic engine but the rest of the car really is awful being noisy, tinny, crude and ill mannered on the road. Add in the lousy HVAC and feeble lights and the fact that it is tiring to drive, bucking at every gear change and you wouldn't want one. The Fiesta isn't a fast car. It isn't meant to be. It is however a very good car in every other respect.

Yes, VW Group engines do seem to put out about 10% or more than claimed output in most dyno tests I've seen. Also the 60ps Up!/Mii/Citigo has lower gearing than the ostensibly more powerful 75ps version so performance is not that different. Very light car compared to the Fiesta of course.

Driving wise, every time I use it I find it a bit weird for the first couple of miles, then settle in and find it quite fun. Dynamically it's miles behind a Fiesta of course, but as a city car (its intended purpose) I think it's pretty good with good visibility, sensible mirrors and a reasonable boot for shopping. Mrs has had hers 7 years and is still very pleased with it. She had a Mk 1 Ka for a similar time, bit more fun to drive but after 7 years it was suffering very badly from rust.

I've driven an Up! GTI and was a bit disappointed with it - good engine as you say, but rest of the car not as convincing, particularly as prices have been elevated significantly since launch.

[Tim.Smith]

Thanks for the reply all!

I am picking up the car in a week, and noticed the acceleration problem during the test drive, but like many of you have mentioned, a few more revs is what i need to play around with to get it moving. Il give it a try soon as i get it.

Cheers!

[Eric Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, Tim.Smith said:

Thanks for the reply all!

I am picking up the car in a week, and noticed the acceleration problem during the test drive, but like many of you have mentioned, a few more revs is what i need to play around with to get it moving. Il give it a try soon as i get it.

Cheers!

Hope all goes well! There is an element of "getting used to it" with these engines, which can seem a bit different depending on what you have driven before. Take a couple of friends of mine, both with 50 years + driving experience. One absolutely loves the Ecoboost, and has had 2 in a row. The other has had many test drives and said he just "can't get his head round it" and stuck with a familiar 4-cyl.

[MarksST]

4 hours ago, anon said:

It isn't a masterpiece by any means. It is a plodding lump with either goodish economy or reasonable performance. I am not surprised the Mii feels quick, it will be giving more HP than advertised. The Up!TSI contains an engine that propels the car to 122 MPH in about 8.8 fully laden or 92 MPG. I've managed both. Calculations show 126 of the advertised 90 BHP. 125 BHP per ton versus Ford's 80 in the Fiesta makes a big difference. That is a fantastic engine but the rest of the car really is awful being noisy, tinny, crude and ill mannered on the road. Add in the lousy HVAC and feeble lights and the fact that it is tiring to drive, bucking at every gear change and you wouldn't want one. The Fiesta isn't a fast car. It isn't meant to be. It is however a very good car in every other respect.

Is that 0-122mph in 8.8 seconds? 

[Guy Heaton]

My wife does 15 miles each way a day, mix of about 40% 30mph town and then 60% country 50/60mph roads.  She likes to put her foot down and she's getting 48mpg.

2020 none hybrid 100ps Active 

[hilljamie17]

On 7/3/2021 at 5:24 PM, Tim.Smith said:

Hello All

I have just bought a 2018 Fiesta ST Line - 1.0 - 100PS

I noticed and compared to my old car (Nissan Micra 1.0) the first gear take off acceleration is a lot slower. For example i would put it into first gear, take off with accelerator fully floored and after about 2-3 it would take off of really quickly, but for the first 2 seconds it seems like its not going nowhere...

Anyone else with the same engine noticed this?  am i meant to hold revs at 2000rpm or something when i take off?

Thanks

The 100ps fiesta isn't the fastest of cars, so I wouldn't expect anything great from acceleration but from what other people have said, it could be turbo lag. A turbocharged car shows it's worth rolling acceleration more than a launch at low speeds due to the lag. The torque comes in at around 1500-2000rpm on most turbo cars so holding the revs higher will give you the torque a lot earlier but it won't give you the same responsiveness as a N/A engine. However the turbo on the MK8 ST comes in fairly quickly if you are on the right power band for it (over 1500rpm) so it gives you the feeling of having a larger N/A engine but you will always get lag at some stage in the power band in a turbocharged car.

[Tim.Smith]

11 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Hope all goes well! There is an element of "getting used to it" with these engines, which can seem a bit different depending on what you have driven before. Take a couple of friends of mine, both with 50 years + driving experience. One absolutely loves the Ecoboost, and has had 2 in a row. The other has had many test drives and said he just "can't get his head round it" and stuck with a familiar 4-cyl.

Thanks, yes from what i have read lately it requires a slightly different driving style, but il have to test that soon. Yes the fiesta MK8 is a superb car definately.

 

 

[Tim.Smith]

6 hours ago, hilljamie17 said:

The 100ps fiesta isn't the fastest of cars, so I wouldn't expect anything great from acceleration but from what other people have said, it could be turbo lag. A turbocharged car shows it's worth rolling acceleration more than a launch at low speeds due to the lag. The torque comes in at around 1500-2000rpm on most turbo cars so holding the revs higher will give you the torque a lot earlier but it won't give you the same responsiveness as a N/A engine. However the turbo on the MK8 ST comes in fairly quickly if you are on the right power band for it (over 1500rpm) so it gives you the feeling of having a larger N/A engine but you will always get lag at some stage in the power band in a turbocharged car.

I see, yes i have been watching some videos on the Fiesta MK8 on Youtube and about 1500-2000rpm is what i see people taking off with at the junctions..  Im going to have to test it all out soon as i get the car. I know as soon it gets to 3000rpm its like a rocketship 😄

[anon]

Well spotted. 0- 60 in 8.8 fully laden and 122 before it became unsafe to go faster as beyond that the car was uncontrollable.

[anon]

And the answer to why both clutches and gearboxes break. Rev it to2000 before gaining a quarter of a second off the line. Genius. Don't buy a used one from someone under 30!

[Eric Bloodaxe]

10 hours ago, Tim.Smith said:

I know as soon it gets to 3000rpm its like a rocketship 😄

Er, more "fairly brisk" I would say. I blame @unofix for posting that Wallace and Gromit clip!😀

[Tim.Smith]

Just to let you guys know I have received the car and gave it a good drive. The problem with the slow acceleration that was apparent at first has now gone. It came down to a just giving it few more rpm's and ''learning to drive'' a fiesta ecoboost. More than happy with the car now! Thanks to all that replied!