Priced to go, with little to fault, the Ford Fiesta ST is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor in terms of refinement, and specification.
Ford Fiesta ST review by John Beale
Ford arrived a little late to the party, the VW Polo GTI, Renault Sport Clio and Opel Corsa OPC have already been around the block a few times, but at least they brought the goods. Ford are hoping to get a share of the combined 1600 units the three competitors sold in the last year. The totally redesigned Ford Fiesta ST is the company’s fastest small production car ever, and it looks good too, with big trapezoid front grille, ST badging and sports kit which adds the colour-coded diffuser in the rear.
Whats under the hood?
Running a brand new 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, delivering 134kW and 240NM (or 290NM on overboost) to get the little pocket rocket to 100km/h in 6.9seconds. That matches all the competition, and that overboost function gives a decent amount of torque especially in 3rd gear. You dont need to ring the hell out of it, changing through the slick 6 speed gearbox, way before the rev limiter, and just riding the strong torque curve. It does however have less urgency or skittishness than the Renault, or similar (but not competing) MINI Cooper S engine. Its a lovely little engine and thanks to Ford Sound Symposer that channels engine note into the cabin, it sounds a lot more impressive than it should. I would however like to hear a bit more exhaust note, inside. Top speed is 220km/h and Ford claims an average of 5.9l/100km, but we averaged closer to 9l/100km, which is still good considering.
Can it handle?
Yes, but as with any front wheel drive vehicle, theres only so much the front wheels can do without an actual diff. Ford employs their Enhanced Torque Vectoring Control (eTVC) here as with the Focus, which is an electronic system that brakes wheels instead of locking the differential. In theory it works, but on the track all that action on the brakes left them soft and squishy like marshmallows after a few laps (rear disc brakes, and uprated front discs are standard for the first time). Its a lot of fun to chuck around, and I was surprised at the level of grip, but the back wheel cocks up nicely when pushing hard into corners running the nose wide, so the ESC (three modes to play with) control does have its hands full when really pressing on.
Steering is electronic, but gave decent feedback. The ride was on the extremely firm side over Joburg tar, but suited the track just fine.
What about the interior?
Its standard fare, but included on the Ford Fiesta ST (only available in 3-door spec), is those amazing Recaro bucket seats (praise the man that made these), ST badging and the usual aluminum smatterings in and around. Xenon headlamps with DRL, SYNC 6 speaker sound (with Bluetooth and voice command), Auto lights and wipers, Climate control, 6 airbags + knee bag and MyKey keyless entry and start, which also allows parents to put certain restrictions on the vehicle, such as not allowing the ESC to switch out, or putting on a speed limit. A very smart addition, considering the target market. For some unknown reason, there are no grab-handles, vanity mirror light, and most alarmingly, only an immobilizer. An alarm is an optional extra (!), so make sure you check / spec it.
Ford Fiesta ST conclusion
This said, the price is still massively appealing. At R254 500 including 4yr/60 000km service plan, a similarly specced (Albeit DSG & standard leather) Polo GTI will cost R60 000 more. For that price saving, the Fiesta is a no brainer, has the right options for a boy racer, and mostly looks the part.
Ford Fiesta ST – Price
Ford Fiesta ST – R254 500
- View the car: New Ford Fiesta ST / Used Ford Fiesta ST
- Competitors worth checking out:
- VW Polo GTI R283 900
- Renault Clio Gordini RS (previous spec) R279 000
- Opel Corsa OPC R284 000
