Ford Fiesta ST200

Hot hatch favourite hits British roads at last

PERFORMANCE fans wanting the ultimate hot hatch have long been pointed in the direction of Ford’s brilliant Fiesta ST. Even today it remains one of the best cars in its class, despite lacking the firepower of some more modern rivals.

Now, though, the blue oval is hitting back, by squeezing an extra 19bhp from the Fiesta’s 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. We first drove the car on European roads back in June (Issue 1,426), but now we’ve got it this side of the Channel. Ignore the German plates; this is a right-hand-drive UK model, straight from the factory in Cologne.

In addition to the extra power, the ST200 benefits from a minor gearbox tweak, plus some changes to the steering, dampers and anti-roll bars, as well as a reprogrammed ESP system. There’s also some extra kit and a unique paintjob. On paper, the ST200 is two-tenths faster than the standard car from 0-62mph, taking 6.7 seconds.

The engine is a masterpiece and never feels short of puff, which in part comes courtesy of a new overboost function that raises the ST200’S 197bhp to 212bhp for 20-second bursts. Torque is also up to 290Nm (from 240Nm), while on overboost it reaches 320Nm. This is particularly handy while overtaking, when the Fiesta’s responsive engine and third-gear pull are nothing short of astounding. The newcomer gets the same addictive exhaust note as the standard ST, while the retuned steering gives it an even greater level of feel. There’s plenty of grip, and the urgent response from the front end allows you to get back on the power far sooner than in rivals.

Ford’s engineers have also retuned the dampers throughout the Fiesta ST range to make the hot hatch more comfortable. While it’s still a firm car, it definitely has a more compliant edge, and this doesn’t adversely affect the handling.

So the ST200 is everything we want from a fast Ford: it’s quick, fabulous to drive, looks great and won’t cost much more than the normal ST to run. What’s more, inside you’ll find new illuminated tread plates, partleather Recaro sports seats and silver-striped belts. However, while specialist Mountune will charge a mere £599 for the 212bhp MP215 package, Ford wants an extra £3,000 over the price of an ST-3 for the ST200. Admittedly the Mountune set-up lacks the steering and gearbox tweaks, but it does keep that all-important manufacturer warranty.

Ford reckons only 400 ST200S will come to the UK, so exclusivity is guaranteed. As a new buy it’s a tricky sell – but in years to come, this unique ST will go down as one of the truly great fast Fords.

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