Here’s the deal, people – supermini cars are, in fact, cool. If you don’t agree, well then at the very least get used to them. With manufacturer’s eyeing weight reduction and decreased fuel consumption like the local Hooters waitress, small(ish) cars are going to become increasingly popular. And ever since Ford announced its new Fiesta would be coming to the US, we’ve been aching to get our hands on one… albeit without any catches. Well, earlier this week, we finally got our way.

We didn’t have too much time with the Euro-spec Fiesta – one lap of a wet test track to be exact, and another as a passenger – but what we learned somewhat satiated our curiosity. In hatchback form, the car is surprisingly spacious, at one point fitting four automotive journalist-sized adults (i.e. not small) with relative comfort. The interior is a bit quirky in that there is an array of buttons high on the dash which control the Mazda3-esque digital screen, followed by a circular set of climate controls on the center stack below. Ok, enough of that. What’s it like to drive?

The drivers seat props you up into a slightly high, typical small car driving position that gives you a good view of the surrounding environment. The 1.6-liter engine revs quickly and keenly – good thing because to make power you’ll want to stay in its upper reaches – and while 120 horsepower may sound diminutive, we found it to be more than adequate. Turn-in is spot on and there is little slack in the steering, but best of all we never experienced any torque steer, even with the wheel cranked and the right foot buried in the floor mat. For a tiny, front-wheel drive car, the Fiesta is a blast to drive and we can’t wait to see how it fares on our shores.

Now, we’ll leave you with some footage of most non-production 800 hp Fiesta tearing its way up Pike’s Peak. Turbo whoosh, anti-lag flames, sequential shifting and all.