At first sight, the Fiesta Black Edition (and the almost identical Red Edition, whose colour scheme is described by Ford as "a little bit more subtle for the less exuberant owner") is simply a blinged-up version of the riotously popular supermini. In fact, there's a bit more to it than that.We'll deal with the second bit shortly. To begin with, the Black Edition is basically a Zetec S but with black paintwork, black 17" alloy wheels, a red roof and mirrors and a bodykit consisting of new bumpers, side skirts and a roof spoiler.The interior is mostly black but with contrasting red bits. The steering wheel is trimmed in leather and there are sports seats. All very nice if you like that sort of thing.The Black Edition becomes more special when you learn what's under the bonnet. There you'll find the increasingly familiar one-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol EcoBoost, now a three time-winner of the outright International Engine of the Year title and offered here in its only recently developed 140PS, or 138bhp form.It's easy to miss the significance of this. The EcoBoost is the second smallest engine ever fitted to a Fiesta (at 999cc it's only slightly larger than the 957cc unit offered in the Mk1 Fiesta of the 1970s) yet it's also one of the most powerful. Okay, the present-day ST beats it handsomely, but Ford experts who sigh with nostalgic fondness over the RS1800 and RS Turbo hot hatches of two decades ago may be surprised to learn that the EcoBoost outgrunts both of them.And in a way it kind of outgrunts itself. Ford says that the Black Edition has sports suspension, but there's little sign that it was devised in the knowledge that it would have to deal with 138bhp. Some tightening up of the front end would be advisable, because at the moment it can become quite wayward when you're booting the throttle either in mid-corner or on less than ideal road surfaces. (A colleague reports that he quite likes this behaviour, but he's weird.)Shame, really. Like other three-cylinder Fiestas, the Black Edition benefits from the lightness of its engine, and it could be a charming little warm hatch with some minor adjustments, but at the moment it just isn't.Cheap to tax, though. Official CO2 emissions are just 104g/km, so you'll spend much less in VED for a whole year than you will refilling an empty tank just once. And, on that subject, the Black Edition can average 62.8mpg on the EU fuel economy test, though there's no point in pretending it will do any such thing when driven the way it probably will be by most buyers.Standard equipment in addition to what has already been mentioned includes cruise control, stop/start, keyless entry, automatic headlights and wipers, a heated windscreen, privacy glass, rear parking sensors, and SYNC connectivity. The list price is £15,995, which is just far enough below the £17,250 of the cheapest ST for the Black Edition to make sense as a reasonably good, though not brilliant, junior alternative. Engine 999cc, 4 cylinders Power 138bhp Transmission 5-speed manual Fuel/CO2 62.8mpg / 104g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 9.0 seconds Top speed 125mph Price £15,995 Details correct at publication date
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