FINAL RETURN OF THE ST (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 127

Want to know just how much fun it's possible to have in a ferociously fast small supermini? Then try one of these - the final version of Ford's Fiesta ST, which sold between 2021 and early 2024. It was developed like a proper performance car - and drives like one, ready to paint a smile upon your face corner after corner. As part of this MK3 model's light update in late 2021, the three cylinder 1.5-litre EcoBoost 200PS engine was given a fraction more torque, but otherwise, the package remained much as before, the handling super sharp. Of course, for not much more than the affordable prices Ford asks, you can buy more power. But after a drive in one of these, you probably won't want to.

Modelsword count: 2

1.5 EcoBoost

Historyword count: 260

This very last 2021-2024-era Fiesta ST represented the end of an era. The Fiesta ST was a model long acknowledged as the driver's choice amongst small runabouts and had a shopping rocket legacy that went all the way back to the XR2 of 1981, with a history subsequently embellished by the more powerful RS1800 and RS Turbo variants that followed it. Curiously though, none of these early fast Fiesta models ever quite hit the spot for serious enthusiasts. Throughout the Eighties, Nineties and Noughties, they tended to prefer French hot hatch rivals, first a series of small Peugeot GTis, then in more recent years, the Renaultsport Clio. Only with the second generation Fiesta ST of 2012 did Ford finally get their attention. And the company kept it with the replacement MK3 Fiesta ST of 2018, which four years into its production cycle was updated to create the car we're going to look at here. Over the Fiesta's life cycle, the Blue Oval brand used various performance badges with this model line. Track-spec RS derivatives were limited to the '90s MK3 model, while at the other extreme, 'ST-Line' designated nothing other than a sporty body kit. The 'ST' (or 'Sports Technology') badge though, was different and designated a car purpose-tuned by the talented engineers from the brand's Ford Performance division. The idea here being to create the kind of car a red-blooded racer could enjoy but still use every day. In this form update post-'21-era form, this fast Fiesta sold until the end of sales of this model line in mid-2024.

What You Getword count: 442

It's easy to go overboard and get all 'Max Power' when it comes to a car of this kind, a temptation Ford thankfully resisted here, but there was a fresh exterior design for this revised version which got the balance just right. It incorporated a slightly more aggressive appearance - upper and lower 'Chrystaline Grey' honeycombed grilles, plus wide outer black-framed corner intakes - together with a higher-tech feel thanks to the sophisticated Matrix LED headlights. ST badging and an aero-optimised lower lip Ford Performance spoiler provided finishing touches. As part of the updates made to this MK3 model, Ford added a distinctive 'Mean Green' exterior colour option and deleted the old three-door body style, so you have to have the five-door variant. It still looks suitably sporty though, with side skirts and smart 5-spoke Magnetite alloy wheels, through the spokes of which you can see the red calipers of the performance braking system. It's the back of this car that most will see as you zip past though, where the tail lamps are of the brighter LED kind and the rear hatch spoiler and rear diffuser are finished in body colour. We're not certain that all the changes made to this updated model were for the better. Disappointingly, the grippy old Recaro sports seats were deleted as part of the 2022 update. Instead, the brand installed its own 'Ford Performance' front chairs which didn't quite emulate the race feel of the old Recaro bucket seats but incorporated integrated headrests and featured 14-way adjustment, distinctive red contrast stitching and Sensico faux-leather trim. Further sporty touches include a flat-bottomed, red-stitched sport steering wheel and a matte carbon-effect foil for the centre of the fascia. A silver gear knob, alloy-effect pedals and Ford Performance door sill finishers complete the effect. The main change you'll notice here on most models though, if you're graduating on from the earlier version of this MK3 model, is the option that saw the deletion of analogue dials in favour of a 12.3-inch digital instrument display. It changes in colour and format depending on the drive mode selected and can be personalised with various selectable data options. It's ST-branded at start-up too - as is the more familiar 8-inch SYNC centre touchscreen. What about rear seat space? Well as before, really tall folk will certainly need co-operation from those ahead to get truly comfortable in terms of leg room. Headroom's OK though, just about manageable even for a six-footer. We'll finish with considering the boot, which as usual in a Fiesta is an unremarkable 292-litres in size. If you need more room, pushing the 60:40-split backrest forward frees up 1,093-litres.

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