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Ford Fiesta ST

The independent definitive Ford Fiesta ST video review
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    RETURN OF THE ST (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_fordfiestast_2022

    By Jonathan Crouch

    Ford aims for continued leadership of the supermini-shaped hot hatch segment with this car, an improved version of the third generation Fiesta ST. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

    Ten Second Reviewword count: 114

    Want to know just how much fun it's possible to have in a ferociously fast small supermini? Then try one of these - Ford's Fiesta ST. It's been developed like a proper performance car - and drives like one, ready to paint a smile upon your face corner after corner. This third generation model has had a light update and the three cylinder 1.5-litre EcoBoost 200PS engine now gets a fraction more torque, but otherwise, the package is much as before, the handling super sharp. Of course, for not much more than the price Ford asks, you can buy more power. But after a drive in one of these, you probably won't want to.

    Backgroundword count: 300

    Here we are again at the end of an era. We'll be saying that quite often to you over the next few years as familiar combustion model lines give way to full-electric ones but in this case, the change is particularly significant. The Ford Fiesta will soon be no more, production scheduled to end in Summer 2023, including the best-loved variant in this enduring model line, this car, the Fiesta ST. This ST model has long been acknowledged as the driver's choice amongst small runabouts and has a shopping rocket legacy that goes 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 try here. Over the Fiesta's life cycle, the Blue Oval brand has used various performance badges with this model line. Track-spec RS derivatives are long-abandoned, while at the other extreme, 'ST-Line' designates nothing other than a sporty body kit. The 'ST' (or 'Sports Technology') badge though, is different and designates 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. Is that what we have here? Let's see.

    Driving Experienceword count: 278

    The 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine is still the same in this revised Fiesta ST and it still produces 200PS, but pulling power through the gears has improved thanks to a torque enhancement from 290 to 320Nm. The key performance stats though, are unchanged: 62mph from rest in just 6.5s on the way to 143mph. It sounds great too, particularly if you switch into the two dynamic drive modes provided, 'Sport' (which sharpens the acceleration and steering) and 'Racetrack', which delivers an even firmer response at the helm and slackens off the stability control for circuit use. On the pre-facelift car, you only got a short-cut steering wheel spoke button for 'Sport' mode on the limited-run 'Edition' model, but here we're pleased to see that's now been standardised. A welcome update for this facelifted model is the standardisation of the previously optional 'Performance Pack', which includes a Quaife limited slip differential for extra cornering bite, plus 'Performance Shift Lights' and a 'Launch Control' set-up. As before, more fundamental handling features include frequency-selective race-style dampers which are passive but create much of this car's keen cornering feel. Credit for that goes also to the special 'force vectoring' springs, which have allowed the engineers to simultaneously sharpen cornering turn-in whilst simultaneously improving ride quality - no small achievement. Other elements of Fiesta ST DNA include a wide track, a super-sharply responsive steering rack, a rigid body, a high performance braking system, eTVC torque vectoring for extra cornering precision and a specially developed set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres. The result of all this engineering is a very special package indeed. As you'll realise after the first few seconds of driving it.

    To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227

    Pictures (high res disabled)

    Statistics (subset of data only)

    Min

    Max

    Price:

    £22,630.00 (At 3 Nov 2021)

    Insurance group 1-50:

    30

    CO2 (g/km):

    139

    153

    Max Speed (mph):

    143 (1.5 Ecoboost)

    0-62 mph (s):

    6.5 (1.5 Ecoboost)

    Combined Mpg:

    47.1 (Est)

    Length (mm):

    4091

    Width (mm):

    1735

    Height (mm):

    1490

    Scoring (subset of scores)

    Category: Small Runabouts

    Performance
    80%
    Handling
    80%
    Comfort
    70%
    Space
    60%
    Styling, Build, Value, Equipment, Depreciation, Handling, Insurance and Total scores are available with our full data feed.

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