New Fiesta ST’s go-faster tech
The old Fiesta ST was a joy to drive, and still at the top of its game as it retired. Fortunately Ford is throwing everything at the sequel. By Chris Chilton
‘WE KNEW WE got the handling right on the old ST,’ Leo Roeks, Ford’s European performance car chief tells CAR at an ST preview at Ford’s Lommel test track, where we got to ride shotgun ahead of the car’s May launch. ‘ But the ride could be a little… harsh,’ he admits. ‘ With this car we looked at retaining all of the fun but adding some polish to the refinement to make it more usable.’
We’ve come to Belgium to get a first taste of this new, more cultured replacement for the greatest junior GTi in the game. Ford test vehicles rack up over 3.5 million miles every year during testing on Lommel’s 50 miles of dirt, gravel and asphalt tracks. But the chunk of track we’re using is the most fun of all. Lommel’s Route 7 is a Disneyland B-road: 2.7 miles of the smoothest, twistiest and yumpiest road you can imagine. And you’ll never encounter anything coming the other way.
The advances in the ST’s comfort and road-noise suppression are immediately obvious, but don’t think for a minute that Ford has gone soft on performance. Under the very similar-looking skin there’s a high- output three- cylinder engine, wider track, 278mm front brakes to match the old ST200’s, and a special brew of Michelin Pilot Sport tyre. A clever set of dampers promises adaptive-level sophistication for zero outlay, and vital kit like the Recaro seats – now sitting on lower frames than other Fiestas – is standard across the ST range. You’ll still be able to spend more than the likely £ 20k base price by upgrading from ST to ST2 or ST3 spec.
Really serious about your fast Fords? You’ll want the optional Performance Pack. Price is still unconfirmed but the highlights include launch control, shift lights and a Quaife torque-biasing differential to help put all 197 horses to the ground.
1 THREE THREE POT POT MAGIC
The ST’s big news is a switch from a 1.6-litre turbocharged four to a 1.5-litre triple. Despite the pot drop, power is rated at the same 197bhp the old ST made on overboost, when it briely swelled output from 178bhp, along with a generous 214lb ft of torque. Zero to 62mph lashes by in 6.5sec – four ticks quicker than the old ST. Like most triples it doesn’t pick up revs quickly but it makes a wicked o beat burble that’s ampliied both through the speakers and via an exhaust valve that’s open in the Sport
2 GOT QUAIFE
Rush through the Ford conigurator without ticking a single box and you’ll end up with an ordinary open di and a brake-based pretend torque-vectoring system to tame the understeer. But an optional Quaife ATB di already available on the Focus RS Edition biases torque away from the spinning inside wheel for more cornering fun. Even from the passenger seat the dierence feels huge, the Quaife car reeling in every apex and letting you get back on the gas super-early.
3 ADAPTIVE RIDE
Adaptive dampers are a clever but costly way to serve both ride and handling masters. The ST uses a mechanical ‘selective frequency’ system from Tenneco to do it for a fraction of the price. When the shocks sense low-frequency inputs (associated with hard cornering) they irm up, then slacken with higher frequency inputs by opening a valve.
4 REAR SUSPENSION
For reasons of cost and packaging the Fiesta sticks with a torsion beam rather than the Focus’s multi-link rear. But the beam is thicker than on lesser Fiestas, for more anti-roll eect – strong enough to cock a wheel (17-inch as standard; 18-inchers optional) under really hard cornering. The ‘vector’ springs are interesting too: their banana shape helps improve lateral stiness. and Track driving modes.
A six-speed manual is the only transmission option, but there’s launch control and a lat-shift feature that lets you storm through the gears without lifting your right foot. The smartest tech, though, is cylinder deactivation, which allows the engine to drop to two cylinders at speeds up to 4500rpm in just 14 milliseconds. We’ve seen this before, but not on a triple due to noise and vibration issues. It works so well on the ST most drivers won’t even notice it (or, admittedly, the claimed six per cent fuel saving).
5 STEERING RACK
Ford’s bean counters weren’t happy but Roeks was insistent that the ST get its own quick-ratio steering. The 12:1 electrically assisted rack is 14 per cent quicker than the old ST200’s, itself signiicantly faster than the original ST’s. We’ll have to wait until the next issue to know how it feels, but judged on previous experience Ford’s unlikely to mess it up. Certainly, watching Ford’s test driver linging STs around Lommel’s hairy Route 7 loop from the passenger seat, there didn’t seem to be much kickback or torque steer spoiling his fun.