Ford at last leads the junior hot hatch segment with this car, the Fiesta ST. Jonathan Crouch takes it for a spin.
BACKGROUND
There's never been a truly great sporting Ford Fiesta. The Blue Oval brand has tried of course, building up a hot hatch legacy around this model that can be traced all the way back to the XR2 of 1981. In recent years, French rivals, first a series of small Peugeot GTis, then, latterly, the Renaultsport Clio, have cast a big shadow.
Today's Fiesta ST must once again take on ever more sophisticated versions of those same shopping rockets, along with a whole host of other similarly powered options offering anything between 170bhp and 200bhp.
Designed by enthusiasts to be driven by enthusiasts, the signs are good. It's poised, priced to sell and plenty quick enough. It could just be the best car of its kind Ford has ever brought us.
DRIVING EXPERIENCE
The engine used here is a 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol developing 182PS. Which is impressive, but still not quite up to the 200PS level offered by its closest rivals, Peugeot's 208GTi and the Renaultsport Clio 200. Or at least it is on paper. In practice, there's no difference at all thanks to the Fiesta's overboost function, enabling it to deliver 200PS for 15-second bursts just when you want it. That's why its 0-62mph sprint time of 6.9 seconds is virtually identical to the other two. The top speed of 137mph isn't too far shy either.
So lack of power to properly compete at the top of the junior hot hatch sector isn't actually a problem. Quite the opposite actually. Mountune, the people who engineered the Ford GT supercar, have developed a factory-approved engine pack that, for only a few hundred pounds extra, increases the output to 215PS and boosts torque, pulling power, from 290Nm to 320Nm.
But power, of course, is nothing without control – which is exactly where this Fiesta really shines. The suspension features stiffer springs and has been lowered by 15mm. There's also a brilliantly slick six-speed gearbox, all-round disc brakes (a Fiesta first) and clever eTVC torque vectoring that helps you get the power down out of the corners. Plus a neat sound Symposer system that filters the most attractive noises from under the bonnet and delivers them into the cabin under hard acceleration, a stimulating soundtrack for a stimulating drive.
DESIGN & BUILD
It's easy to go overboard and get all Max Power when it comes to a car of this kind, something Ford has thankfully resisted here. This isn't the prettiest junior shopping rocket you can buy but the ST bodykit makes it playfully purposeful.
Things aren't quite so overt once you take a seat inside. Go for a base-trimmed version and you don't even get the two things that most set the cabin apart – the (rather hidden) steering column starter button and the lovely, grippy Recaro seats you get on the plusher ST2 model. Other ST-specific features are a little more subtle: there's alloy trim for the gearlever and pedals and ST badges on the steering wheel and front door scuff plates. Oh, and the traction control function is given its own prominent position on the centre console.
And what about rear seat space? Well, it's better than the rising beltline of this three-door design might lead you to expect. Indeed, the Fiesta surprises with headroom manageable even for a six-footer, though his or her will find their legs will fit pretty snugly against the seat in front. There's also a 276-litre boot.
MARKET & MODEL
Looking for a junior hot hatch with around 180PS on tap? Then you'd expect to be looking at list pricing somewhere in the £18,000 to £19,000 bracket. Not here. Ford chose to undercut most of its key rivals by between £1,500 and £2,000 by launching this car at around £17,000. That might well leave you enough in your budget to find the extra £1,000 to stretch to the plusher ST2 version. There's only a single three-door bodystyle on offer.
Standard kit includes 17in alloy wheels, body styling kit with chromed dual exhaust, Quickclear heated windscreen, front fog lights, Thatcham Category 1 alarm, leather-trimmed ST steering wheel and gearshift knob, decent stereo system incorporating DAB digital radio, sound Symposer, SYNC system for in-car connectivity and emergency assistance, and the myKey set-up, which sets maximum speed and audio volume limits and ensures safety features are not disabled.
For an extra £1,000, the plusher ST2 version adds halogen projector-style headlamps with LED daytime running lights, privacy glass, power starter button, upgraded Sony audio system and a lovely grippy set of Recaro sports seats.
COST OF OWNERSHIP
Even with 182PS on tap, you'll still see 47.9mpg on the combined cycle with emissions pegged at a reasonable 138g/km.
The inherent efficiency of the EcoBoost 1.6-litre engine certainly helps this Fiesta's cause, as does Ford's recent design focus on reducing body weight. There's also a shift indicator on the dash for more efficient gearchanges. Keep an eye on it and over 40mpg should be achievable on a regular basis.
If you're a prospective customer, you'll be glad to hear that Fiesta residual values are on the up as both new and used markets respond well to the increase in quality of the latest car. Expect to get around 50% of your initial purchase price back after three years – which is basically unheard of for a Fiesta. Finally, insurance: it's group 30E.
SUMMARY
After three decades of trying, Ford has at last assumed market leadership in the junior hot hatch segment. That's the headline news with this second-generation Fiesta ST. It'll be a best seller on merit, as much a go-to in its sector as a Porsche 911 among performance sports cars. This really is a special little car, usable every day but as focused as you could want when your favourite road opens up in front of you and you flex your right foot, sink into the grippy Recaros and dial up a responsible amount of red mist.
CONTACT DETAILS
For further information on the Fiesta ST, drop in at the Geoff Cox Ford dealership at 122 Derby Road, Denby (DE5 8LG), call 01332 781562 or visit www.geoff cox.co.uk.
