Ford Fiesta ST
Six excellent reasons why the new three-cylinder ST is shaping up to be a TopGear hero
1 There’s magic going on under the bonnet
Using witchcraft and fairy dust, the ST’s 1.5-litre 3cyl turbocharged engine delivers 197bhp and 214lb ft of torque, fring the ST to 62mph in 6.7secs and on to a top speed of 144mph. Lighter and more efcient than its predecessor, the new engine should pay dividends when it comes to the handling. It’s mated to a 6spd manual with meaty weighting and a short throw, plus there’s an optional Quaife limited-slip dif. The motor features cylinder deactivation, which, under light loads, shuts of one cylinder, which adds frugality to the list of ST attributes. The shift from three cylinders to two is imperceptible.
2 The cleverness doesn’t end there
The ST also gets bespoke bi-compound Michelin Pilot Super Sports, with stickier rubber on the outside edge to optimise cornering and a more durable one across the main section of the tread. To further help the ST’s turn-in, the car brakes the inside front wheel. At the rear, the ST has twist-beam rear suspension.
Inside, the ST features optional Recaro buckets which, in contrast to its big brother Focus RS, allow a much lower, more sporting driving position. There’s a chunky steering wheel and nicely fnished aluminium and rubber pedals. For those of you wanting to really shake your neighbour’s windows, there’s an optional B&O stereo upgrade. In a Fiesta.
3 We’ve been for a ride in it... and it’s hilarious
To give us the full display of the ST’s dynamic capabilities, I was inserted into the passenger seat of a fully specced racing blue
ST. Options included the LSD and a handy test pilot called Koen Bex, who set of around Ford’s top secret development facilities Track 7 with a point to prove. Talk about commitment. Track 7 is a ribbon of tarmac designed to replicate the kind of surface and undulations you’d fnd on your perfect B-road. Home turf for the ST, then. As Koen got airborne over a particularly tricky series of yumps, the frst thing that struck me, beyond a sense of my own mortality, was that the ST sounded great. The offbeat warble is similar to a V6 and far more characterful than a turbo’d four-cylinder could manage. While some of the engine noise is enhanced through the speakers using Ford’s ESE (electronic sound enhancement) technology, it’s still convincing and engaging, and not overly synthetic.
4 It will slide and you don’t need to lift to shift
The second thing that became obvious from the passenger seat is how adjustable the ST is. Ford has kept the settings simple, with just three modes: Normal, Sport and Track. Normal is, um, normal. Sport increases throttle response and steering weight, allows more slip angle and adds more pops and bangs from the exhaust. Track pulls back the traction control further and allows even wider slip angles. You can disable the traction entirely by pressing and holding the button in any of the settings. We’re in Track as we crest another rise and Koen lifts of, allowing the tail to step out, before burying the throttle and allowing the LSD and its torque-vectoring assistants to work their magic, tucking the nose in and fring us on to the next long corner. The ST’s pace is impressive. I suspect it could keep a supercar honest on a tight B-road, while the adjustability on the throttle is extraordinary for a front-drive car. Koen rifes through the gears without lifting of the throttle, another ST trick that allows you to keep it pinned and fat shift.
5 It’s good away from the circuit and on the daily commute as well
When not having its neck wrung by a test pilot, the ST has greater strength and depth than its predecessor, too. Ford has worked hard on NVH and ride comfort, and it shows. The all-new frequency selective dampers isolate the worst a broken surface can throw at you, making it a far more relaxing car to cover distance in. But push the car harder, and the dampers tense up to keep the body roll in check and hard-wire the connection from the road to the driver.
6 Oh, and it has launch control...
As part of the optional Performance Pack, which features the LSD and a shift light, launch control is accessed through the steeringwheel controls, and manages the power and torque delivery to ensure you leave the opposition standing at the lights. It remains activated until you deactivate it, or turn the car of and on again, so you can repeatedly launch to your heart’s content, safe in the knowledge it’s covered by the warranty.