First drive verdict on thrilling new 197bhp Ford Fiesta ST
Aggressively priced 197bhp ST delivers on early promise Three-cylinder turbo engine offers strong performance FIRST VERDICT Behind the wheel of latest high-performance model as we reveal whether Ford has a new hot hatch class leader
THE hot hatch sector isn’t short of quality, with the Peugeot 208 GTI by Peugeot Sport and the new Toyota Yaris GRMN ramping up the level of focus on offer in this pocket rocket class. And that means Ford has its work cut out with the new Fiesta ST.
The signs were positive when we took an early passenger ride (Issue 1,515), and now we’ve driven the production car for the first time we can categorically state that the Fiesta ST has delivered fully on its promise.
It boasts many technical innovations, but the car’s real trick is delivering a level of seemingly single-minded focus to serve up the requisite dynamic performance buyers demand from a circa-£20,000 hot hatch these days, without compromising too much on everyday usability.
Chief among the engineering advances to achieve the first part of the above is the car’s new 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine. It kicks out 197bhp and 290Nm of torque (with an overboost feature to deliver a 20Nm hit like on the past ST).
With an optional Quaife limited-slip differential to help improve traction, and launch control as part of the Performance Pack (£850), it is good for 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 144mph.
That move to a three-cylinder motor has caused a stir, but the engine is strong, pulling sweetly from low down with a broad spread of torque and revving hard. However, it has lost some character, and where the old fourcylinder car used to used to bark higher up, this three-cylinder version feels like
EQUIPMENT
Performance Pack pushes ST’S ability even further and includes Quaife limited-slip differential. Big brakes and sticky Michelin tyres also feature as standard
PRACTICALITY
Fofor the first time, ST is available from launch in three and fivedoor bodystyles; cabin is roomy, but the focus here is definitely on the driver
“The move to a three-cylinder der motor caused ed a stir, but the he engine is strong, trong, pulling sweetly” eetly”
it’s given its best by 5,750rpm. It makes a gruff note, enhanced for the first time in an ST by some electronic trickery. This ramps up depending which of the three driving modes you’ve selected (another first); they comprise Normal, Sport and Track. The sound enhancement in the latter two is supported by an active exhaust valve that adds some pops and burbles when you lift off the throttle.
You now drive more using the torque, but it’s still brilliantly engaging, while the six-speed manual’s short shift action draws you in further. The powertrain works in harmony with the chassis, too. Director of Ford Performance for Ford of Europe, Leo Roeks, told us that his team has obsessed over the ST’S steering and chassis calibration.
There are two different steering tunes – both linear ratio, but one for cars with that diff and one for those without – and each works sweetly. All Fiesta STS get the torque vectoring by braking set-up, but with that Quaife unit fitted, traction out of bends is particularly impressive.
You can carry plenty of speed on corner entry, but be judicial and then squeeze the throttle and you’ll feel the diff lock as it tightens the car’s line, clawing at the tarmac to find traction and fire it down the next straight. That work on the steering has paid dividends, because there’s a welcome level of information, but occasionally there is a sensation of the torque tugging at the steering under power.
The steering set-up is quick – the fastest fitted to any performance Ford yet – and is well matched to the level of grip the chassis generates. Compared with the previous ST, the front track is a massive 48mm wider, while bracing for the new, stiffer bodyshell means torsional rigidity is up by eight per cent.
The rear axle’s torsion-beam suspension is thicker than before and controlled by ‘force vectoring springs’ and frequency-dependant dampers with Ride Control 1 tech, while sticky new dual-compound Michelin Pilot Super
Sport tyres feature. The result of all this is a car that turns in with more precision and aggression, grips harder and delivers even higher limits.
Just as importantly, though, the ST retains its trademark sense of humour. The ESC’S grip on the chassis gets looser through the modes from Normal through to Track, and this latter setting lets you play with the angle of the car, lifting midcorner to help tighten its line and even indulge in a progressive and controllable slide. It gives you the confidence to push harder and feels oh so natural.
But the ST is easy to drive tidily, carving through corners such is its aggression to devour asphalt. The front axle feels nailed to your chosen line as long as you’re not wildly optimistic with entry speed, while the rear provides plenty of support.
Those frequency-selective dampers mean the harder you drive it, the more support and tighter control you get from the Fiesta. However, bumps and ridges allow the dampers’ valving to open up to give more compliance and refinement.
But it still feels busy on the move and, at high speed, it isn’t the most forgiving car over rough roads, hopping and jumping around. Importantly, though, it doesn’t lose any control, either.
You have to drive this car and manage many things, which should be celebrated compared with some of its more anodyne, one-dimensional rivals. This broadening of the ST’S range is impressive and definitely a welcome step, but it hasn’t come at the expense of the Fiesta’s head-banger character. Performancewise, it feels even more serious.
It’s available as a three or five-door, while the 292-litre boot is the same as in the standard Fiesta, so it covers the practicality bases a small hot hatch should. Another of these is efficiency. The ST has cylinder deactivation – the first system ever on a three-cylinder engine. It works smoothly enough so the overall effect is barely noticeable.
The cabin is as you’d expect, with sporty touches such as the Recaro seats in our car. The driving position is great, while you get big brakes carried over from the old ST200 and 17 or 18-inch alloy wheels depending on spec.
Along with the chassis advances, these details have collectively improved how easy the Fiesta ST is to live with, even if it’s only by a small margin. However, key to the car’s appeal is that it’s not detracted from how fun it is to drive.
Ford has pushed the limit further still, but the ST hasn’t lost its trademark grin-inducing driving experience. In fact, that smile’s wider than ever.
“Front axle feels nailed to your chosen line, and rear provides plenty of support”