FIESTA ST PERFORMANCE EDITION IS A UK-ONLY SPECIAL

The Mk8 Fiesta ST has been universally winning hearts and accolades, just like the Mk7 that came before it, with its combination of stellar performance, playfully agile chassis, generous equipment and affordable pricing serving up the perfect package for today’s hot hatch enthusiast. And because the performance

car buyers of the United Kingdom have always been such eager advocates of the hot hatch genre, we’re set to receive a UK-only special edition. The Fiesta ST Performance Edition will be a strictly limited run of just 600 cars, each one based on the three-door model in ST-3 trim. They’ll be distinguishable by their eye-catching Deep Orange paint, and the performance credentials are taken seriously with the upgrades focused on the chassis: the fresh 18in 10-spoke Ford Performance alloy wheels are flow-formed for strength and lightness, shaving 7kg of unsprung weight from each corner. The stock ST suspension is replaced by Ford Performance coilovers, comprising stainless steel dampers and blue powdercoated Performance springs – these allow a reduction in ride height of 15mm at the front and 10mm at the rear, which may not sound a lot compared to some aftermarket offerings but the real hook here is the adjustability. The dampers have 12 bump settings and 16 rebound settings, all manually adjustable, so you can really tailor the car to your own specs. In essence, then, Ford has modified the ST on your behalf and included a warranty, which isn’t to be sniffed at – and of course you get all the bells and whistles of the ST-3, including the premium B&O audio, LED headlights, and the Performance Pack which brings in the excellent Quaife LSD and launch control.

Pricing is yet to be announced, but expect it to be around £3,000 above the ST-3 list price. The ST Performance Edition goes on sale in June, with deliveries beginning in September.