The Fiesta resistance
With enhanced tech features, the mass market hatch has been redefined
NOT for the first time, French air traffic controllers threatened to spoil the party. Industrial action on Tuesday saw one flight, from Dublin to Perpignan, cancelled, and my own flight to Nice delayed.
The consequence was that I had only a short drive in the new Fiesta Active, a crossover version of Ford’s hatchback. I wasn’t in it long enough to make a proper judgment, thought my first impression was that it looked pretty much like a standard Fiesta that had been hitting the protein shakes, bulked out but far from muscular.
No such qualms on Wednesday. The drive in the Fiesta Active was but an appetiser for the main event, the first drive in the awesome new high-performance ST. No better place to test it either, as the driving route was on the vertiginous roads clinging to the side of the Gorge de Verdon, one of the most beautiful routes in Europe, albeit not for the fainthearted (especially when, with my co-driver at the wheel, I was the one just metres away from a sheer drop).
Everything about this car is exceptional. The 1.5-litre Ecoboost engine puts out 200 PS, or metric horsepower, roughly 198hp in old money, and it is generous with its favours. Press the pedal and the power surge is seamless. The 0-100km/h sprint is just 6.5 seconds, but even 50-100km/h takes just 6.1, affording the opportunity for nimble overtaking in a short window of opportunity. From the comfort of the Recaro sports seat, with side restraints that envelop you and make you feel almost like you’re in a brace, the view is one of a panorama of fun. The designers worked closely with Michelin and the Pilot Super Sport tyres offer glue-like grip, even in the tightest chicanes. Fortunately, mountain roads in France are spectacularly well cambered, working almost as an assistant as you hit the bends with abandoned glee. For the first time, the Fiesta ST comes with mechanical limited slip-differential to enhance cornering traction, and force vectoring springs that support sharper turn-in and responsiveness. There are selectable drive modes for road and track and also launch control for rocket-like standing starts. The overall feeling was that Ford has got this one absolutely right. Everything about the car feels powerful but also grounded and safe, and every minute in it was a total pleasure.
It looks terrific too, with creases in the side panels designed to pick up light that enhances the shape, and the traditional ST honeycomb grille giving a genuine racing feel to the front view. Inside, the cabin errs on the side of sportiness rather than luxury, as you’d expect, and the stitching on the seats, and the pedals, all remind you this is no ordinary hatchback. There’s a standard SYNC3 infotainment system with 6.5-inch (or optional eight-inch) screen for communication and entertainment functions, as well as a Bang & Olufsen PLAY stereo system. You can make and receive calls and send texts hands-free with the voice command system. Standard driver assistance technologies include lane-keeping aid, lanekeeping alert, cruise control with speed limiter (it would be useful in Ireland!), rainsensing wipers, automatic headlamps, automatic high-beam assist, and traffic sign recognition. There are three equipment levels – ST1, ST2 and ST3 – so some or all of these features are available depending on the grade you opt for. A full panoramic sunroof also is available as an option.
The car is due here next month and the ST2 trim level will cost €28,120, and that’s probably going to make it a niche purchase. Anyone who does make the leap, though, will find the mass-market hot hatch redefined, retaining all the usual features for which Ford already is renowned, but enhancing them with newer technologies that make driving the Fiesta ST feel livelier and safer than ever before.
Unfortunately, the air traffic controllers had got their act together on Wednesday and the flight home left on time. I wasn’t the only one in our group who wished the opposite was the case. None of us would have said no to another few hours on those immaculate roads, throwing the Fiesta around every twist, bend and corner, revelling in the joy only a car this good can deliver. It’s a cracker.