But there's good news on the horizon. Silverstone is upgrading its circuit access from a goat track into a proper road, global warming should guarantee some nicer weather, and Ford has finally got round to making the Fiesta the same size as everyone else's superminis.

Although it wears the MkV tag, the 2002 Fiesta is only the third major evolution of the car - the last one being way back in 1989. Crucially, the new model has been engineered by the same chassis team that brought us the sweet-handling 1995 revision - a machine that helped transform Ford's stodgy image.

However, those expecting a car capable of turning heads at a hundred paces may be a little let down by the Fiesta's somewhat conventional looks. Although Ford points to the fact that it has to appeal to a market that has 17-year-old learners at one end and 70-year-old retirees at the other, a touch more visual excitement wouldn't have gone amiss. That said, the newcomer is a tidy piece of design that borrows elements from existing Fords, such as the raised wheel- arches that disguise body height and the blacked-out B and C pillars that accentuate the body's increased length.

Inside, it's a similar story with crisp lines, a no-fuss design and, more importantly, loads more space. By increasing the wheelbase by 40mm and the width by 49mm, the Fiesta now fits four in comfort with decent leg and headroom for front seat occupants plus enough rear room to keep all but the lankiest of passengers satisfied.

When the car hits the showrooms in March, four engines will be on offer, ranging from the positively antique 1.3-litre Endura - carried over yet again - to a 100bhp 1.6-litre Duratec. A more entertaining 160bhp version is pencilled in for a 2003 debut. However, it's the mid-range 1.4-litre Duratec that's tipped to take the bulk of sales. With an alloy block and head, this engine - new to the Fiesta - is light, punchy and refined at high revs. Power output is rated at 80bhp with 92lb ft of torque on tap at 3500rpm - figures that point to a 14 second 0-62 time and a 104mph top speed. And although the manual gearbox is equipped with a very long fifth gear that robs it of any top-cog flexibility, the shift itself is a delight, mounted high off the floor and with a wonderfully mechanical action.

But while the drivetrain is hard to fault, it's the Fiesta's chassis that marks it apart from the rest of the crowd. The new body is 40 per cent stiffer than its predecessor, and while there's nothing terribly innovative about the suspension's architecture, it has been honed to perfection. At the front, the whole MacPherson strut and steering assembly is mounted onto an ultra-stiff subframe which resists flex more than conventional body-mounted designs. The rear, meanwhile, utilises a traditional twist- beam, thicker control arms and new single tube dampers. As a result, roll stiffness has been increased by 40 per cent over the old car.

On the road you soon begin to realise what a fine job Ford has done with this car. With the responses of a Puma and the refinement of a Focus, the Fiesta strikes a first-rate balance between agility and comfort. The steering is wonderfully direct and brimming with feel and feedback, while the stiffer suspension allows direction changes without the lurch that afflicts so many of its rivals. But what makes the Fiesta such a remarkable package is that it does all the entertaining stuff without compromising comfort. It rides exceptionally well, erasing bumps and minor imperfections with authority and taking the sting out of bigger potholes.

Ford has yet to announce final prices and specifications, although the early signs are that any price increase over the current car will be small. That should mean that the Zetec model - arguably the best trade-off between essential equipment and price - should sell for around ΂£8800. Ford bosses have also made some encouraging noises about the three-door model, which will follow the five-door into the showrooms by the end of the year. In a break with tradition, the three-door will be significantly sportier than the five and it promises to be even more entertaining than its bigger stablemate. Who said you can't please all of the people all of the time?