…at this year’s Mebourne Car Show, unveiling a stack of new models, with our pick of the bunch the ultra-sporty new Festiva XR4.

Now, we tested the Festiva Zetec a while back and found it to be a truly great bit of gear, so we’re really chomping at the bit to try this version out – as should all you P-platers out there looking for a bit of N/A love.

The XR4 will be powered by a specially modified version of the 2L Duratec 16V engine to deliver around 110kW of power and 190Nm of torque, which is plenty to get moving along with a bit of haste.
To keep the sporty side of the bargain up, the XR4 will only be available in three-door and short-throw manual, with twin body stripes really helping to set it apart in the hot-hatch crowd.
Fiesta XR4 is the second high-performance car in the Ford Australia line-up to come from Ford’s TeamRS organisation. It joins the XR5 Turbo.

"The new XR4 is more than just a badge, it is a whole new performance and design concept devised by TeamRS as an ongoing part of its road car programme," explained Jost Capito, TeamRS Director.
"The new Fiesta XR4 encapsulates the spirit of 'fun to drive' and aims to bring out the enthusiast in every driver, while being enjoyable to live with as an everyday car."

A stiffer rear twist beam and revised shock and spring tuning will also see the road-holding step up a notch, and steering will be quicker acting as well. For a model first, the XR4 will also be fitted with rear disc brakes.

Inside, there’s comfy sport seating and a kind of VE-Commodore-esque two-tone dash and trim layout, which should help spice things up a bit. There’s a leather-wrapped tiller, and we’re big fans of the rubber gear-boot. Plus, you get all the safety acronyms of much larger models, including DSC, EDA, ABS and TCS.

Let’s hope it delivers the goods come the second half of this year.